Quality, standards and balanced regulation

July 27, 2026  |  Features

Today over 90 percent of textiles are imported in the U.S. Globalization has altered the manufacturing dynamics where cost has dominated the trade, shifting labor-intensive industries, such as textiles, leather, jewelry and others, away from the most developed nations. This trend has continued for o…
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From prototype to product

July 13, 2026  |  Features

The Global Electronics Association through its IPC standardization efforts has been a driving force in global electronics standardization for nearly 70 years. The last time we checked in with Advanced Textiles readers, you may have known us as IPC. In summer 2026, our organization went through a reb…
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Rediscovering natural fibers’ technical prowess, Part II

June 22, 2026  |  Features

The bast fibers—hemp, flax, jute and ramie—have a long history of usefulness in apparel and industrial textiles. Easy to grow but difficult to process, they are eco-friendly and biodegradable, requiring less water and fewer pesticides, sequestering CO2 and promoting soil remediation. They are al…
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Rediscovering natural fibers’ technical prowess, Part I

June 8, 2026  |  Features

When it comes to technical textiles, fossil-fuel based fibers have proven themselves with performance, price and popularity, but there are signs that natural fibers are once again finding a seat at the table. Sustainable wool, cotton and bast fibers offer under-appreciated assets that can be exploit…
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Today’s advanced textiles global landscape

May 26, 2026  |  Features

One might be tempted to question why we in America should care about the technical textiles sector beyond U.S. borders. The U.S., along with the EU, take the lead in industrial, nonwovens and functional materials—sectors that grow at least on par with the GDP growth rate in developed economies. In…
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Smart textile sensing technology for large-scale use

May 12, 2026  |  Features

In the early years of development, smart textiles (or e-textiles) were commonly referred to as “smart materials and systems.” In the 1990s early adopters (such as civil engineers) saw attendant technologies as necessary in order to deliver the performance needed, such as structural health monito…
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What’s next in medical textiles?

April 27, 2026  |  Features

The medical, defense, and protective textiles (MDP) are market segments within advanced textiles which show promise even when stressful situations, such as war and natural calamities, dominate our attention. It is ironic that during challenging times prices of commodity products are in high demand, …
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Biomedical textiles’ success stories

April 13, 2026  |  Features

There are a number of reasons why the success of biomedical textiles in recent years is worth noting. First, it’s a demanding market niche fraught with standards and regulations that take time—and time is money. The investment needed to even start in this market is considerable. It’s also high…
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