2023: The year that was

January 15th, 2024

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 important developments that have taken place in the industry, in some cases because of the conflicts, and in others despite them.  Toray recycled […]

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Renewed vitality in domestic manufacturing

August 28th, 2023

Since the pandemic, the world economy has been run by anomalies. With a strong labor market, one normally expects higher demand in daily nonessentials such as clothing, home textiles and home accessories; the financial reports of major retailers, such as Walmart and Canadian retailer Loblaws, show that year-on-year sales have increased. But an analysis of […]

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The R & D answer

October 10th, 2022

Global markets have been unsettled, at least, with fears of recession following steep inflation that needed monetary intervention for correction. Meanwhile, governments are proposing fiduciary interventions for growing the economy. Support in terms of R & D tax incentives and investments to support science and technology (S & T) development are measures taken by some […]

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Advanced Textiles Source announces name change

September 26th, 2022

As IFAI has evolved and become Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), and the Advanced Textiles Products division changed its name to Emerging Technologies Division (ETD), the name for this publication will also change to Textile Technology Source. A decision was made following discussion among ATA’s editorial team and ETD to make the distinction among entities and their […]

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Tomorrow’s textiles

September 12th, 2022

An example use of the fiber-based microelectronics integrated into a New Balance running shoe for safety applications and unique data transmission. Photo: AFFOA  Historical branding of textiles has led the general population to think that textiles are anything but advanced. As anyone in the textile industry can appreciate, textiles are not simple or basic, but […]

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Breaking out of the bubble

July 25th, 2022

AR Tech designed and built a valve system for space launch vehicles using silicone materials and yarns. Photo: AR Tech In seeking to promote growth in the textile industry, it’s important to identify value-driven markets that our capabilities, or core competencies, can address. Our inspirations concerning the industry come from different sources. Most recently, a […]

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Techtextil, Texprocess held in Frankfurt 

June 27th, 2022

Display by Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/ Jean-Luc Valentin. With 117 participating nations, the re-launch of the international textile fairs at the Frankfurt exhibition center was achieved. Across all three events—Techtextil, Texprocess and the one-time Heimtextil Summer Special—Italy, France, Turkey, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, the […]

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IFAI selects a new name

May 23rd, 2022

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has chosen a new name; as of June 1, the organization will be called the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA). The name change was approved in April with 85.6 percent of association members casting their votes to do so.  The name reflects the evolving textile industry and is designed to […]

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A year like no other

January 25th, 2021

Examining the past year and looking ahead to a new normal. by Janet Preus Editor’s note: What our editorial calendar intended to cover and what we actually covered in 2020 presents an interesting perspective on the larger picture, overwhelmingly impacted by a worldwide pandemic. This article is a brief retrospective of the “year like no […]

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Insights into the year ahead

January 13th, 2020

Industry experts point to market need, collaboration and sustainability to drive textile markets this year.  by Marie O’Mahony The start of a new year is a time to consider what might lie ahead and what might be the trends, technologies and global events that could offer opportunity for the industry or conversely create a barrier […]

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