Innovations in Smart Fabrics to Boost its Commercial Growth

2 June 2020: Smart fabrics also termed as smart textile, electronic textile, or E-textile are the fabrics that have electronics and digital components incorporated in them. These fabrics can spot or sense stimuli from the surroundings and respond or adapt to those stimuli in a predestined way. 

Sports and Fitness Sector Observer Substantial Growth in Smart Fabrics 

The major end-user variants of the smart fabrics market include sports and fitness, fashion and entertainment, transportation, medical, architecture, and protection and military. The sports and fitness sector will observe substantial growth in the smart fabrics by the forecast period. 

Smart fabrics possess the ability to react to stimuli generated from thermal, mechanical, electric, chemical, and magnetic sources. On account of these abilities, they can be used in electronic devices including fitness belts and watches for monitoring body and health vitals in real time.

The defense and military segment accounted for the largest share in the smart textile market and is anticipated to expand at the fastest CAGR in the forthcoming period. The integration of these products with electronic products offers a lightweight option as compared to heavy batteries integrated into garments used in defense and military.

 

Moreover, the product is also used in medical applications, primarily to decrease the recovery time. Increasing population around the globe has created the demand for improved medical and healthcare facilities, which is likely to surge the smart textile market growth in the forecast period. 

Market Insights: 

The Tampere University of Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and North Carolina State University College of Textiles are anticipated to play a significant role in product testing and development, mainly in association with the system integrators. In addition, the Center for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials (CeNTI) in Portugal has developed an advanced intelligent fabric that produces enough power to light clothes.

These institutes are focusing on using this technic optimally for several conventional appliances such as portable charging devices with no dependence on traditional electrical networks. In addition, extensive research activities attentive on the commercialization of self-cleaning fabrics are likely at improving the superiority of life.

Leading players operating in the smart fabrics market include Eleksen, Auxetix, Clothing+, Fibretronic Limited, ThermoSoft International, Exo2, System integrators, Gentherm, and Peratech Ltd, Nike Inc., and Adidas AG O’Neill.