AI’s promise for the textiles industry
February 12, 2024 | Features
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a kitchen table discussion point these days in many households. It’s gained global prominence since serious discussions on this subject surfaced in the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. While AI has been touted as an enabler of growth, concern…
Looking ahead: the big picture
January 29, 2024 | Features
Trends in the textile industry are apparently not easy to pin down; market researchers who study trends as a business agree on some, but not all. The degree of detail researched impacts the outcome, of course, and even market niche investigations generate hefty reports. Given the extensive reach of …
2023: The year that was
January 15, 2024 | Features
If one was to run a political, economic, social, technology (PEST) analysis on the smart and advanced textile industry for the year, “P” would dominate, as politics has impacted all sectors. But that is not to diminish the important developments that have taken place in the industry, in some ca…
The critical role of standards for advanced textiles
December 18, 2023 | Features
In its final declaration, the recent COP28 called for countries to transition away from fossil fuel, signaling textile and other manufacturing sectors to explore greener methods and products. Furthermore, emerging regulations, greater momentum in the adaptation of artificial intelligence, as well as…
The long road to smart fabric standards
December 11, 2023 | Features
“Smart textiles” that utilize specialized polymers, chemical additives or electronics to react with their environment are changing textile technology in the 21st century. E-textiles or “wearables” have been particularly promising due to their ability to monitor and communicate data to provid…
Building on NASA’s storied history
November 27, 2023 | Features
NASA has a long history of backing the research necessary to deliver fabrics that could withstand the extraordinary rigors of Space. Evelyne Orndoff is the Soft Goods Development and Testing Lead, Crew and Thermal Systems Division, for NASA. In her presentation at the Emerging Technologies Conferenc…
Taking on the wearables challenges
November 13, 2023 | Features
The Emerging Technologies Conference, part of the Advanced Textiles Association’s annual Expo, revealed the diversity in advanced textiles’ markets and applications and tackled big questions that need answers to move this segment into the future that many envision. As much as it appears exciting…