Lotta feels on this one. The story is mainly about Stark inventing an armor in both the literal and metaphorical sense.
In the literal sense, he invents an armor that resembles the 2020 armor, and which Arno will no doubt rip off. This part is, meh, whatever. I'd prefer for Arno to invent something like the Zerg. Queen of Blades himself.
In the metaphorical sense, he creates a sense of identity that is rooted in his mission, rather than family. This psychological armor protects him from Motherboard's manipulations. It also causes him to reject Amanda outright.
It's framed triumphantly, but I can't help but think that there is a coldness inherent in his decision. Indeed, his dialogue during this scene is very Rick Sanchezesque. The end result is a Stark who is very iron-willed, but who draws that willpower from a place of coldness that rivals the Punisher. This Stark is a man with a mission, a mission to make the world a better place via science.
Like I said before, it's framed triumphantly, but I can't help suspect that their will be complex consequences to his decision to derive his identity via his mission rather than family.