SMART AND INTERACTIVE TEXTILES MARKET ANALYSIS

Smart and interactive textiles are also known as smart fabrics. These fabrics are low weight and comfortable fabrics. These fabrics improve performance and add aesthetic value to the products. These fabrics are incorporated with smart technologies such as controllers, actuators, and sensor units.

Global smart and interactive textiles market was valued at US$ 3242.4 Million in 2021, in terms of revenue, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.15 % during the forecast period (2022 to 2030).

Drivers

High demand for smart textiles from the healthcare industry is augmenting the growth of smart and interactive textiles market. Smart textiles offer easy diagnosis and accurate risk assessment. Theses textiles have excellent properties such as comfortable, wear ability, and flexibility. Due to all these properties of smart fabrics, they are gaining huge demand from the healthcare industry and this expected to propel the market growth.

Strong demand from sports and fitness applications is expected to foster the the growth of smart and interactive textiles market. These fabrics offer an improved design and fashion elements in the finished products. Moreover, key manufacturers such as Adidas AG are incorporating such fabrics in the manufacturing of sports bras and t-shirts with a sensor.

The COVID-19 negatively impacted the smart and interactive textiles market due to strict lockdowns and social distancing to contain the spread of the virus. The economic uncertainty, partial shutdown of the business, and low consumer confidence impacted demand for smart textiles. The supply chain got hampered during the pandemic along with delay in logistics activities. However, the smart and interactive textiles market is expected to regain its pace during the post pandemic scenario due to easing restrictions and increased demand for wearables.

Figure 1. Global Smart and Interactive Textiles Market Value Share (%), By Region, 2021

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Market Restraints

Limitation on the reusability of smart fabrics are restricting the adoption of these products. Moreover, the privacy issue associated with smart fabrics is anticipated to hinder the growth of smart and interactive textiles market.

Lack of rules and regulations associated with the production of standards and regulations is expected to hinder the market growth. Also, technical complications associated with the integration of electronics devices in smart fabrics is one the major factor expected to restrict the market growth.

Market Trends

The establishment of a new facility by key manufacturers for meeting the rising demand for smart fabrics around the globe is one of the current trends. For instance, in February 2021, DuPont, a producer of chemicals and science-based products, acquired Tex Tech’s Core Matrix Technology, a monolithic fabric structure that can significantly reduce back face trauma, while increasing ballistic and fragmentation performance for military and law enforcement personnel. This acquisition will add to the company’s already robust portfolio of life protection solutions, enabling the most flexible, lightweight ballistic solutions to meet new standards of National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for enhanced durability.

Increasing demand for smart fabrics as leisurewear is expected to be one of the trends in the market. This is also attributed to the growing disposable income of consumer which is encouraging them to spend on leisure products. Also, changing lifestyles of consumers coupled with the growth in the urban population around the globe due to the gradual shift from rural to urban areas is further projected to propel the market growth

Figure 2. Global Smart and Interactive Textiles Market Value Share (%), By Application, 2021

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Recent Developments

• In February 2021, Interactive Wear AG, a producer of electronic systems designed for textile integration, launched Project Kickoff Eghi. This is a project within the framework of the “Adaptive Technologies for society – Intelligent interaction between humans and artificial intelligence” programme, sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
• In July 2021, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the Knitted Keyboard II, a textile-based musical device with a layout of a piano. The keyboard is made of soft, expressive, and stretchable yarns, and is portable, viable for commercialization, customizable, sustainable, and cost-effective.
• In February 2022, researchers from the University of Cambridge created a new smart textile display that integrates energy, sensing, photonic, and electronic functions. The textile display is 46 inches in size and comprises energy harvesting, smart sensors, and storage within the fabric that can be used to monitor inputs, operate as a display, and store energy for future use.

Competitive Section

Major players operating in the global smart and interactive textiles market include, E.I du Pont de Nemours and Company, Fibretronic Limited, Globe Manufacturing Company, LLC, Heapsylon LLC, Intelligent Clothing Ltd., Interactive Wear AG, Koninklijke Ten Cate nv, Milliken & Company, Outlast Technologies, Inc., Performance Fibers, Inc., and Schoeller Textil AG.