TEXTILES.ORG
The 2024 Olympics in Paris captivated a global audience. But while the games were in progress, the athletes—and spectators, too—were feeling the effects of heat reaching 97 o (36.11 °C) prompting authorities to look for better protection. A Rings of Fire II report points out that the average temperature in Paris during the Summer Olympics months had increased by 3.1o C since Paris hosted the Olympics in 1924.
High-tech textile products can help provide solutions to this issue. The report makes several recommendations, in light of global warming, and calls for protection. In addition to medical and physiological protective measures, comfortable and functional clothing and shade structures contribute to better performance by the athletes, as well as the overall success of the events for all involved. But beyond this high-profile event, high-tech textiles are also important in our daily lives, providing better comfort, supporting a healthy lifestyle and responding to varying environmental conditions.
Textiles are key in multiple health and safety scenarious. Even as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has subsided, outbreaks of other serious pathogens continue to challenge world health organizations, and an array of textile products still figure prominently in fighting dangerous illnesses. The ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East demonstrate the importance of anti-ballistic textiles, as well as textile products that protect against chemical and biological toxins.
Many international and nonprofit organizations distribute textiles products in response to disasters. UNICEF with collaborations from USAID and other partners have distributed thermal blankets to war-torn Ukraine. Relief kits containing blankets and essential textile items were distributed by nonprofits like U.K.-based ShelterBox.
These efforts remind us of the need, and hence the opportunities, for textiles that can serve people in distress. But this necessitates outreach and engaging with stakeholders beyond the industry’s normal reach. Given the threat levels, as part of serving these extreme needs that protect lives, the textiles sector should have better communication and engagement with international governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
Today’s opportunities
Growing the manufacturing sector, interest in tariffs, and employment issues continue to be discussion points. Issues surrounding recent elections in two major economies, the U.K. and India, have reminded us of the importance of reshoring and onshoring manufacturing. Within the manufacturing industry, both conventional and high-tech textiles influence developing and developed economies, respectively. Advanced textiles, specifically, provide opportunities for product improvement, diversification and market growth.
It is useful to categorize sectors within the industry according to procurement: consumer products, institutional products, and government products. Classifying in this way provides insight regarding the nature of the end-users, as well as influences, which may be economic and political. In an economic situation like the one we are facing, where inflation lingers, consumers are not likely to prioritize spending for nonessential items. Governments, however, will endeavor to boost spending, in infrastructure or green technologies, for example, which is also a market with opportunities for high-tech textiles.
Many countries, including the U.S., are investing in infrastructure projects to boost their economies. It is generally understood that in major infrastructure projects, the contribution of textile-related and allied structures is about 6-10 percent. In November 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with the aim of developing roads, bridges, water infrastructure and supporting similar projects.
According to information provided by the Biden administration, one in five highways and over 40,000 bridges have needed repair. As part of the legislation, the line item dealing with surface transportation aspects will have an additional investment of $110 billion, which will support construction and, by association, the advanced textiles industry. Analysis of the investment shows that federal dollars have progressed to states on time, and a major contribution has been towards building and repairing roads and bridges.
In growing economies, building roads, seaports and railroads have political and economic benefits. China’s heavy investment in infrastructure projects over the past 30 years is a case in point. However, the advantages of these structures must be effectively communicated to policy makers, contractors, and project implementers so that cost does not become a barrier. Industry, professional and trade associations have a role to play in this effort.
Significantly, defense investment is recession proof and gets strengthened in scenarios of war and insecurity, as is the case now in Europe and the Middle East. In the defense textiles sector, entire segments of the industry, (fiber to fabric, chemicals and finishes, conversions) can benefit, where functionality, performance and quality are of paramount importance.
At this summer’s NATO conference, NATO member nations committed to spending two percent of their national wealth on defense. Such investments can support startups and the growth of SMEs. Additionally, investments in the defense textiles sector will spin into consumer, healthcare and environmental areas of the advanced textiles industry.
Immediate growth areas
Defense and healthcare are generally heavily budgeted departments for many countries, and current global events reinforce the importance of investing in these areas. Advanced textiles are functionally specific and research intensive, so the support of major agencies such as the U.S. Dept. of Defense (DoD), National Institutes of Health (NHS) and related international agencies become critical, as these agencies as a rule support high risk, “blue sky” projects.
These projects are known to have unexpected results, which can yield valuable technologies. For example, the investment by the U.S. Navy in the 1950s resulted in the invention of meltblown nonwoven technology, which has proven its value as recently in the COVID-19 era.
Support from the U.S. DoD results mostly in dual-use technologies. A case in point is the effort undertaken by Fredericksburg, Va.-based First Line Technology, which transferred laboratory research into the military market space. Continuous involvement with stakeholders and improvements with the product resulted in a new decontamination process, “Hybrid Decon.” The technology, invented in an academic setting, now finds application as an absorbent for Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. This development was possible due to a collaboration among a university, the Dept. of Defense and industry.
A multidisciplinary approach has become a basic requirement for pushing the advanced textiles sector forward. Our industry, in fact, is known for its involvement in multidisciplinary approaches involving science and technology, engineering and biotechnology. The next phase of development should involve soft sciences and management aspects. This will help with the development of products that can be absorbed by the marketplace at a price point that is acceptable.
In addition to R&D efforts, workforce training and skill development are critical. Industry must engage in programs for continuous improvement and equipping the next generation workforce with project planning, implementation and marketing skills. While commodity and technical textiles industry participants have the necessary technical and marketing expertise, it is also important to strengthen the soft sciences side of the equation, incorporating a “human sciences” perspective, which studies humans via a multi-disciplinary approach that bridges biological and social sciences.
As advanced textiles products find application in sports, health and military areas, properties such as comfort, physiological and psychological acceptance are needed, in addition to the products’ functional attributes.
In brief, the question is, “How can our industry diversify and grow?” Although there are several pathways, product development, diversification and exploring different market spaces, as explained, will help the industry move forward. Trade and professional organizations have a role to play in exploring markets and advocating for the interests of the industry to consumers and policy makers.
Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar is a professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology and The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, and a regular contributor to Textile Technology Source.