While NanoTex and U-Right are grabbing the headlines, a whole host of other companies and academics are busy working on textile applications of nanotechnology. While it may be fun to integrate sensors and displays into moisture and crease resistant clothing, this is the tip of the iceberg.
The European textile industry is facing a number of challenges, from the removal of tariffs next year to the competition the low cost manufacturing in China, and is looking for technology to open up new markets and products. The question is relatively simple. We cant compete purely on cost of production, so how do we integrate more knowledge into the products to add more value?
EuroNanoTex 2004 in Barcelona should go some way to answering this question for the 120,000 companies and 2 million people involved in the European textile industry.