TEXTILES.ORG
I have a confession to make. My editorial calendar is prepared at least six months before it kicks in, and it sometimes happens that I have a great idea for a feature, but before we hit the month designated for articles covering this great idea, it’s apparent that I’ve already covered it. My explanation for that is the speed with which new innovations are emerging and developing in the advanced textiles world.
I’m not saying I can’t keep up; I’m just saying I can’t predict the timing as well as I’d like to. For that reason, this publication’s features won’t always match up to the published editorial calendar on this site. But this can be a good thing. It serves to illustrate the rapid growth of amazing new materials, technologies and processes. Problem solving isn’t going to wait for me!
But just as I struggle to perfectly time a story, entrepreneurs struggle to perfectly time the launch of a new product or technology. With so many aspects of the market to consider, from material availability, to funding, to consumer awareness and acceptance, it’s much harder, I’m sure, for the researcher or entrepreneur—and there’s more at stake.
If it makes you feel any better, nobody has this exactly right every time—or maybe ever—unless they just get incredibly lucky. But the process, described in our feature, “The innovation ecosystem in advanced textiles” by Seshadri Ramkumar, is still the most reliable path forward. The discussion is in general terms, that’s true, but it still offers a map to guide the entrepreneur, and offer encouragement, as well. And when it gets right down to it, it’s always the right time to have a discussion about taking a great idea all the way to the top.
Janet Preus is senior editor of Textile Technology Source. She can be reached at janet.preus@textiles.org.