Fast Track: Smart Textiles and Clothing—Advances in Technology Spur Innovation
There is huge potential for the integration of wearable technologies into textile and clothing products. In recognition of the potential, there has been much 'hype' regarding the development of smart textiles and clothing in recent years, and a number of companies—small and large—are seeking to enter the market. This is partly because smart textiles and clothing provide companies with the opportunity to develop products which can 'delight' consumers—because of their novelty and convenience—while also collecting large amounts of data which provide valuable insight into consumer lifestyles. However, the development of smart textile and clothing products is far from straightforward, and the industry is hugely dependent on collaboration and sharing knowledge. As a result, a number of specialist events have been established in order to support companies working within the wearable technology and smart textile and clothing industries. One such event is Wear It Festival—a conference held in Berlin, Germany. Textiles Intelligence attended the 2018 edition of the conference—which was staged during June 19-20, 2018—and interviewed industry experts to identify the latest market trends and the opportunities and challenges facing companies seeking to enter the smart textiles and clothing market.
INTRODUCTION
Wear It Festival
COLLABORATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMART TEXTILES AND CLOTHING
BUSINESS MODELS AND SUCCEEDING IN THE MARKET
Identifying a problem
Business models
“Delighting” consumers
DATA COLLECTION
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Challenges
Environmental sustainability
Complexity of the existing textile and apparel supply chain
Legislation
Power sources
Wear It Festival
COLLABORATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMART TEXTILES AND CLOTHING
BUSINESS MODELS AND SUCCEEDING IN THE MARKET
Identifying a problem
Business models
“Delighting” consumers
DATA COLLECTION
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Challenges
Environmental sustainability
Complexity of the existing textile and apparel supply chain
Legislation
Power sources
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Mark glove
Figure 1: Mark glove