Innovations in Fibres, Textiles and Machinery

New ideas continue to proliferate with applications at every stage of the textile supply chain - from fibres to final products. There are, however, changes in what these innovations are seeking to achieve. Cost reduction and increased efficiency remain major imperatives - as developments such as four-for-one twisting and high-speed heat transfer in texturing demonstrate.

Another motive for innovation is the need to enhance a textile material or product with a novel or improved property in order to meet special or general needs. Yarns and fabrics can be made luminescent, for example. It is also possible now to make a fabric which helps to control body temperature by absorbing and releasing heat - or a fabric which generates its own heat-protecting surface layer.

Recent innovations also reflect changes in attitudes towards the environmental impact of industrial processes, ecology, and the use of ?renewable? or ?sustainable? resources. For example, attempts are being made to introduce fibres derived from corn, to use hemp, flax and ramie for modern textile products, and, at the other end of the textile production and consumption chain, to recycle carpets. But whether such efforts prove effective remains to be seen.

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Six times a year, Textile Outlook International provides up to 200 pages of expert comment and analysis. A subscription provides an overview of the global fibre, textile and apparel industries. It is essential reading for senior executives in the fibre, textile and apparel industries ? and for anyone who is not involved in the industry, but needs to quickly gain an understanding of the key issues.
Reports in Textile Outlook International include:
	country profiles ? providing a comprehensive guide to the textile and clothing industries in a range of countries and regions. The reports include an economic and political profile together with a comprehensive overview of the main issues, plus an outlook for the future.
	company profiles ? giving you the opportunity to learn from strategies employed by others. Companies profiled recently include retailers, manufacturers, innovators and sourcing companies involved in textiles and apparel as well as smaller companies which illustrate the opportunities for firms which are interested in selected sourcing locations.
	trends in world textile and apparel trade and production ? taking into account current issues facing the industry ? such as global fibre prices; competition from China and other low cost countries; the elimination of quotas and imposition of selective new ones; relocation of production operations; the impact of economic factors affecting trade; international trade agreements; trade promotion agreements (TPAs); and much more.
	trends in EU and US imports of textiles and clothing ? providing comprehensive statistical data and analysis of the top ten supplying countries to the EU and US markets. These reports are updated each year and contain value and volume data as well as average prices and analyses of trends for up to 15 product categories.
	innovations, technological developments, business development opportunities, individual sector analysis and political implications which affect players in the global fibre, textile and apparel industries. Some of the topics which have been covered in recent reports include: new innovations in the textile and clothing industry, such as environmentally friendly textiles, plant based fibres, and developments in textile colorants; innovations in textile machinery; and overviews of the European swimwear, hosiery and lingerie markets.
So whether you are involved in fibres, textiles or clothing ? in manufacturing, spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing, import/export, retailing ? or if you are in education or consultancy or investment or finance, a subscription to Textile Outlook International will tell you what you need to know about the key trends in the industry.
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