Four Directions Of Innovation In Textile Technology In Europe!

The European Textile ETP is the largest platform for technological innovation in the textile industry in Europe. It aims to maintain Europe's leading position in the global textile and apparel industry by promoting collaborative innovation among European countries and rapid industrialization of research results.

In 2006, Textile ETP first released the development trend of the textile industry in the next 10 years, including the shift from ordinary consumer goods to special products, the expansion of the application field of technical textiles, and the shift from mass production to customization and value-added services.

At present, these directions have been well implemented in Europe, and have helped European textile industry improve their creativity, added value and competitiveness, and stabilize their manufacturing and employment.

On this basis, the platform once again predicts the theme of innovation and priority research areas in the next 10 years in the textile and garment industry. Intelligent, high-performance materials, advanced digital processing technology and business models, circular economy and energy efficiency, and high value-added solutions in the emerging field have been identified as 4 important directions.

Around these four directions, Europe has identified 19 priority research areas including more than 90 targeted research topics, and has described them in detail. The following selected representative areas are introduced.

Intelligent and high performance materials

In the field of intelligent and high-performance materials, the priority research projects identified include: high-performance fiber materials; one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional structural materials based on new fibers; multifunctional textile surfaces and related processing technologies; intelligent electronic textiles, functional fabrics and wearable systems.

In terms of high-performance materials, such as the national graphene Research Institute of University of Manchester and Inov-8, rubber and graphene are mixed together to create a new composite material. The strength of the Inov-8 G series shoe outsole is increased by 50%, the elasticity is increased by 50%, and the wearing force is increased by 50%.

In terms of multifunctional textile surface treatment technology, such as Nano-Care Deutschland AG of Germany, the third generation of ultra-thin coating has been introduced, which can effectively combat bacteria in hospital environment, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as moulds, fungi and yeasts which cause peculiar smell.

The coating can be attached to any hard material surface and has a continuous self disinfection effect. The protective effect will last several months to several years.

Smart wearable technology and products, sensing, driving, energy generation or storage, communication and other means have been successfully used in a variety of textile materials and products, such as wearable heart rhythm sensors, smart carpet, seismic wallpaper or smart filters have become more mature products in the market.

Digitalized processing

The industrial Internet of things is an important driving force for the textile industry to promote the construction of intelligent factories in the future.

A modeling framework suitable for small and medium enterprises has been developed in the German future textile factory modeling project funded by the German Federal Ministry of education and research.

Intelligent entities are the core elements of the framework, which can be explained in detail by 5 sub models.

It can be used to describe machines, services and complete production networks with the same building blocks.

Small and medium-sized textile enterprises can build intelligent factories according to their own needs, and prove their feasibility by applying them to the production process of carbon fiber nonwovens.

Circular economy and sustainable development

Recycling and reuse are the common challenges and problems faced by all kinds of textiles at present.

While extending these materials to more applications, we need to develop a feasible and economical recycling solution.

For example, France attaches great importance to the sustainable development of its textile industry.

In March 2018, France released a new blueprint for recycling economy. Because it attached great importance to the green production of textile products, from 2019, the French government will ensure that the textiles sold will not be discarded.

The "economic recycling line" hopes to reuse the remaining products in its original form, or to cooperate with other charitable organizations and trade associations in recycling other types of products.