Next-generation textile products such as smart garment components were showcased at Taiwan's Textile International Forum and Exhibition (TIFE) 2015.
Jointly organised by the Department of Industrial Technology, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI), TIFE 2015 was held from October 5-7, 2015 and was focussed on the theme, ‘Innovation and Value Creation’.
Domestic textile businesses, facing competition from low-cost manufacturers, need to look at enhancing the added value of their products and services, said Bai Chi-Chung, President of the TTRI. They need to create unique textile goods to maintain Taiwan's competitive edge in the global market, he added.
A heat-resistant smart garment made from fire-resistant fabric cable and USB connectors was one of the highlights of the expo. Fire-fighting suits made using such technology could allow fire-fighters to plug into electronic devices to search for victims or the sources of fires, And also to connect life-saving flashover warning devices.
Besides this, at the expo, the use of fabric for cable jackets also attracted the interest of domestic cable suppliers for Apple Inc. They were drawn to the exhibition because of the innate flexibility of the fabric cable jackets, which could greatly improve the durability of power cables for Apple products.
www.ttri.org.tw
