Government focusing on inverted duty structure in textile sector
Budget Expectations Of The Textile Sector
Bizmen seek policy to boost textile sector
Indian textile trade fair in Dhaka successful: SGCCI
Tightening financial conditions to impact India's growth: CRISIL
India set to become $26 trn economy by 2047: EY
India's Fabrica Impex to showcase fabrics at Intimasia 2023
INTERNATIONAL
China's trade revenue with RCEP members jumps 7.9% YoY in Jan-Nov 2022
RCEP to attract foreign firms to expand presence in China: CCPIT
European Fashion Alliance proposes action on sustainability
Transforming the Fabric of Manufacturing: AFFOA
Pakistan: Millions lose jobs amid severe crisis in cotton textile industry
Germany's stock of orders in manufacturing drops 1.2% MoM in Nov 2022
NATIONAL
The Government is closely looking to address the inverted duty structure in the textile and aluminium sectors so that there is a boost to domestic production and exports. Inverted duty means that the duty on product components is higher than the duty on the finished product which leads to the locally-made products becoming unproductive. The Government is keeping a close eye on inverted duty structure in the textile industry particularly since the sector is the second largest employer in the country after agriculture. In this sector, currently the finished product is taxed at 5 per cent whereas man-made fibre is taxed at 18 per cent and yarn is taxed at 12 per cent. “Our effort is to avoid inverted (duty) structure and make sure that if it is necessary to import raw material, the price should not be excessive, which will make our final product uncompetitive,” a senior official said. The contribution of the textile industry is around 2 per cent of India’s GDP and over 12 per cent in the manufacturing industry as a whole. “The value at which processed fabric is being imported is abysmally low and doesn’t justify the rationale of engaging in manufacturing activities in India. We request to review the import of fabric and institute some policies to discourage this import, so that domestic production of fabric may increase, which in turn shall create demand for textile raw material also,” industry chamber Assocham said.
Source: Apparel resources
India’s textile industry was successfully clawing itself back from the Covid-19 debacle but unfortunately hit multiple roadblocks in 2022. The uncertain global economic conditions due to the Russia-Ukraine war increased costs of raw materials and sub-par capacity utilization majorly impacted the sector’s growth in the past 12 months. Cotton prices in India also shot up to unprecedented levels, which further worsened the profitability and margins of spinners.
Having said that, the industry is pinning its hopes on the forthcoming Union Budget and are hoping that our Finance Minister –Nirmala Sitharaman would take note of the industry’s needs. Here are some key expectations that the sector has from this Union Budget:
1. Sign FTA with multiple countries
FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS (FTAS) is one of the best ways to boost the growth of the textile sector of India. The industry expects that India should actively pursue free-trade agreements (FTAs) with major export destinations like the EU and the US to push apparel shipments amid increasing competition from Bangladesh and Cambodia that enjoy tariff concessions.
2. Fast-tracking of PM MITRA
The PM-MITRA (Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) parks scheme, under which seven integrated textile parks are to be set up in the country, will help develop the integrated textile value chain. These mega parks, textile makers say, could help return textile orders because of the planned integrated textile value chain—including spinning, weaving, and processing —at a single location. The industry is urging the government to fast-track the completion of these parks which would significantly help boost the sector.
3. Improving the quality of raw materials
The largely water-intensive nature of the cotton crop, extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides and genetic modification have posed a significant environmental challenge as far as cotton cultivation is concerned. The industry is of the view that making farmers aware of healthier cotton practices and improving farming techniques can be the key to turning around the prevailing scenario. Better farming practices would lead to a better yield of cotton produce which would further help improve global demand for Indian textiles.
4. Stabilization of cotton prices
Cotton prices have been on the rise for the past 12 months and the government needs to take concrete steps to stabilize them. The government may allocate adequate funds for achieving international status for Indian cotton. The government may also consider a Cotton Price Stabilization Fund Scheme, which may consist of a 5 per cent interest subvention, reduction of margin money from 25 per cent to 5 per cent and increase of credit limit from three months to nine months. It would boost exports and enable 2-3 per cent additional growth in the industry. I believe that this is an opportune time to open up the industry more, provide some sops, and rationalize some of the taxes to help the industry grow and grab a higher market share in the global textile market. And keeping this objective in mind as well as the fact that the textile sector is one of the significant employment generators, especially in the unorganized sector, as well as export earner (2nd largest exporter), the industry is looking for a rollback of the higher GST back to 5% level from the proposed GST rate of 12% effective 1st January 2023.
Source: Outlook India
Local textile industrialists have demanded a national textile policy to give a boost to the sector and make it globally competitive.They rue that Union Minister Smriti Irani had organised scores of meetings to prepare the policy and demanded representations from them, but nothing came out of the whole exercise.Members of the Textile Merchants Association (TMA) said the Centre had not announced the textile policy which has been pending since 2016. Members of the TMA demanded that the New National Textile Policy should be framed to meet requirements of textile manufacturers falling under the MSME. Deepak Khanna, president of the TMA, said the government lacked the vision to bring in dynamic changes in textile manufacturing. “We definitely need to replace 22 lakh power looms with shuttleless looms but at the same time it is required to revive handlooms which have immense scope to produce export quality cloth”. Citing his personal example he added that he installed a couple of looms but was unable to find expert artisans to operate them. Piara Lal Seth, president of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM), recalled that several meetings were held in Delhi and Mumbai and he attended them on behalf of the local industrialists yet the policy was not formulated. He said wages of textile labourers and artisans were going up in China, competition from Sri Lanka has subsided and various other factors. He sought introduction of the policy at the earliest apart from 25 per cent capital subsidy and curtailment of GST from 18 percent to five per cent for buying machineries for textile production.
Source: Tribune India
The Indian Textile Trade Fair (ITTF) organised by Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) in Dhaka was successful with several exhibitors from the country receiving business enquiries from textile businessmen in Bangladesh, SGCCI president Himanshu Bodawala said Wednesday. Bodawala was speaking at a media briefing in Surat after returning from the event on Tuesday.The four-day event commenced on January 11 and was inaugurated by Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, in presence of Indian High Commissioner at Bangladesh Pranay Verma, and other dignitaries. Over 60 exhibitors along with SGCCI president Bodawala, vice-president Ramesh Vaghasiya, secretary Bhavesh Tailor, treasurer Bhavesh Gadhiya, ITTF exhibition chairman Amish Shah had gone to Dhaka. SGCCI sources said that over 3,500 buyers visited the Indian Textile Trade fair and many of them have placed purchase orders after taking samples of different types of fabrics displayed there. Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president Mohammed Jashim Uddin and other association members had in the meeting with SGCCI teams, invited Surat textile industrialists to set up textile factories at the Special Economic Zone coming up in Bangladesh. “In the meeting with FBCCI president Mohammed Jashim Uddin told us that they are presently importing synthetic fabrics from China, Taiwan and if Surat textile industrialists can supply the best quality of fabrics on time, they will definitely look into the Surat market. The Indian government is working on Free Trade Agreement with Bangladesh and if it is worked out, Indian textile businessmen will have a great opportunity to set up business relations with Bangladesh,” Bodawala said. He added, “Over 50 fabrics exhibitors received business inquiries over there. The businessmen had taken samples from Indian exhibitors and will place orders in the next couple of weeks. There were three exhibitors who had displayed textile machinery products, with price ranging between Rs 10 lakh and 18 lakh, and over 100 inquiries were received for machinary products.” SGCCI vice-president Ramesh Vaghasiya said that Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers Export Association (BGMEA) president Faruk Hassan and his organization team members had assured they are ready to support the textile businessmen of Surat. “The BGMEA members will also help the textile businessmen of Surat to find out buyers in Dhaka and are also ready to provide all possible help to set up industries there,” he said. Vaghasiya added, “We also shared a meeting with Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exports Association (BGAPMEA) trade fair standing committee chairman Zahiruddin Haider and association members and invited them to visit Surat, and we are hoping that they will come to Surat in March or April 2023.” A mega centre will be developed for the textile businessmen of Surat so that they display their fabrics and get business, Bodawala said said adding that in return, SGCCI will also help the textile businessmen of Bangladesh to display their fabrics in the Surat market. ITTF exhibition chairman Amish Shah said that BGMEA has decided to set up a Knowledge Centre at Dhaka where information of Man-Made Fibre will be given.
Source: Indian express
India’s financial conditions are forecast to remain tight in 2023, despite central banks expected to slow their pace of rate hikes, according to CRISIL ratings. The Fed policy rate is estimated to peak at 5-5.25 per cent in April-June 2023. With the Fed’s policy rate remaining higher than in the past decade, global financial conditions will also tighten and maintain pressure on capital flows. The real repo rate will be on a rising trend, as inflation continues to moderate. Meanwhile, the RBI is expected to remain wary of easing its policy stance in its upcoming policy meeting, given that core inflation remains sticky. Liquidity conditions will also not return to surplus as seen in the pandemic years, which will maintain fundamental pressure on domestic interest rates, as per CRISIL. Borrowing costs for the broader economy will continue to rise, given the pending transmission of the RBI’s rate hikes. This is likely to have some impact on the growth prospects of the Indian economy in the next fiscal as well.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The Indian economy is projected to reach a gross domestic product (GDP) size of $26 trillion (in market exchange terms) by 2047, the 100th year of the country’s independence, as per an Ernst & Young (EY) report. The per capita income is expected to increase to $15,000, putting the country among the ranks of developed economies.The report, titled ‘India@100: Realising the potential of a $26 trillion economy’, underscores the growth trajectory of the Indian economy that is projected to be the highest for any large economy over the coming decades. It recommends ensuring macro-economic stability and resilience and continued thrust on reforms, which will be especially relevant in the backdrop of ongoing geo-political conflicts, inflationary pressures, and slowing global growth. With India’s real GDP growth forecasted to average 6.5 per cent during this five-year period, it is expected to be moderately affected by global economic events as compared to the rest of the world. The long-term projections beyond fiscal 2028 (FY2028) are based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) methodology with suitable modifications made with respect to India’s growth profile. Under the most preferred scenario, India is likely to cross the critical thresholds of $5 trillion, $10 trillion, and $20 trillion in market exchange rate terms in FY2028, FY2036, and FY2045, respectively. “As this study shows, India offers a unique investment opportunity as the world struggles with heightened consumer demands and increased geo-political pressures. With the biggest talent pool, an accelerated pace of economic reforms, breakthroughs in energy transition, and rapid digital transformation, the long-term growth trajectory is clearly positive. India demonstrates immense potential and is positioned to make a truly transformative impact on the world stage,” said Carmine Di Sibio, global chairman and CEO, EY. Using International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) medium-term projections and OECD’s long-term forecasts, EY has made projections under alternative assumptions covering the period FY2023 to FY2061. For the period FY2023 to FY2028, IMF’s projections pertaining to India’s real and nominal GDP growth as well as its nominal savings rate have been used.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
India-based Fabrica Impex, known for its high-quality fabrics and printed designs, will be showcasing its products at Intimasia 2023, slated to be held from February 20-22, 2023 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, India. Fabrica Impex manufactures multiple types of fabric, which are majorly used in women’s loungewear, sleepwear, and innerwear. Fabrica Impex’s products include Lenzing modal plain and printed; cotton spandex 170 gsm plain and printed; cotton spandex 220 gsm plain, cotton sinker 170 gsm and cotton sinker 130 gsm. The company can also fulfil the demands for any other type of knitted fabrics, Tushar Sanghvi from Fabrica Impex told Fibre2Fashion. Intimasia 2023 is supported by leading trade bodies including Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI), Federation of Hosiery Manufacturers Associations (FOHMA), Wholesale Hosiery Traders Association (WHTA) and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Intimasia is a leading B2B trade fair in India, hailed for flaunting the future of intimate wear apparel across the nation. It is one of the biggest trade events in South Asia for innerwear, sleepwear, loungewear, thermals, shapewear, swimwear, activewear, sportswear and socks. The 5th edition of the event is expected to host over 200 coveted brands, 15,000 visitors and 500 delegates, sprawling across an area of 70,000 square feet, the organiser had said in a press release.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
INTERNATIONAL
The import-export revenue between China and members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) increased by 7.9 per cent year-on-year from January to November 2022—totalling to 11.8 trillion yuan (around $1.74 trillion). This revenue is about 30 per cent of the East Asian country’s total trade revenue, as per the General Administration of Customs (GAC). Experts opine that the biggest advantage offered by the RCEP deal is preferential tax rates with zero tariff implemented on more than 90 per cent of goods traded by its members. The agreement has enabled the shifting of the economic and trade cooperation focus from China to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as strengthening China’s economic-trade partnership with the ASEAN, various experts were quoted as saying by local media reports. Moreover, trade between China and ASEAN touched 5.9 trillion yuan (about $872.65 billion), which is an increase of 15.5 per cent YoY. The RCEP deal is anticipated to build development opportunities for rising economies in the region, particularly those in the ASEAN. ASEAN along with Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and South Korea signed the RCEP in 2020. It is currently the biggest free trade agreement and covers 30 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). While the deal came into effect last year, it aims to do away with around 90 per cent of the tariff lines in the next 20 years.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Beijing-based China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) recently said the tangible growth of the year-old Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will attract foreign firms to expand their presence in China and other member nations, creating favourable conditions for the integration of regional industrial and supply chains. RCEP will boost participation of Chinese firms in regional industrial and supply chain cooperation as the country is committed to building an open economy and ensuring the security and smooth flow of global supply chains, said CCPIT vice chairman Zhang Shaogang. RCEP's cumulative rules of origin will help lower businesses' expenditures on tariffs, and expand the production and trade of intermediate goods in the region while pushing more multinational corporations to strengthen their industrial layout in the Asia-Pacific region, Zhang was quoted as saying by a state-controlled media outlet. RCEP comprises 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. With the agreement entering into force for Indonesia on January 2, only the Philippines remains to have not yet ratified and implemented the pact. RCEP member countries are key sources of raw materials and components and the main overseas markets for intermediate and manufactured goods for many Chinese companies, he added. China's foreign trade with other RCEP economies grew by 7.5 per cent on a yearly basis to 12.95 trillion yuan ($1.93 trillion) in 2022, accounting for 30.8 per cent of the country's total exports and imports last year, statistics from the general administration of customs (GAC) showed. China saw investment from Japan and South Korea jump by 122.1 per cent and 26.1 per cent respectively during January-November 2022, according to the ministry of commerce. GAC said China saw its foreign trade with eight RCEP member countries grow double digits year-on-year in 2022, while its trade with Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos grew by over 20 per cent on a yearly basis, said the GAC. Lian Ping, chief economist at the Shanghai-based Zhixin Investment Research Institute, said that multiple highlights are expected this year in terms of China's trade structure. "Exports of integrated circuits and auto parts, among other goods, could rise with low-tariff arrangements under the RCEP. New energy products are also expected to see boosted exports amid global carbon-neutrality commitments," he said.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The package was presented by the EFA at the first summit in Gran Canaria this week where the aim was to discuss and agree on measures and actions that can support and promote the necessary transformation process in the fashion industry in Europe. The alliance, which consists of 29 member organisations, including numerous fashion councils, fashion weeks, research and educational institutions, represents more than 10,000 European companies in the fashion sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to large corporations. One of the main topics during the meeting was the ‘Green Deal’ formulated by the European Union in 2019 by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases to zero by 2050, to which the fashion industry must also urgently contribute, according to the commitment of the EFA. Because the CO₂- and environmentally destructive footprint from textile production and fashion consumption is still huge. The European Fashion Alliance aims to contribute significantly to achieving a CO₂-neutral, environmentally sustainable, non-toxic and completely circular textile industry and to raise and sensitise the awareness of fashion producers, designers and consumers. To this end, four pillars on which the targeted measures are to be based were defined during the meeting in Gran Canaria: sustainability, education, politics and innovation. The European Fashion Alliance believes that sustainability and digital transformation, together with innovation, education and labour market measures, will be the drivers for the fashion industry to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable. To accelerate this transition process, EFA will therefore also focus on the cross-cultural exchanges and interactions between creatives and support young talents as drivers of change through actions, research and campaigning. Caroline Rush, CEO, British Fashion Council says: “With common values and language and common understanding of measurement tools, it is important for our designers that when they go into France, Italy, Germany or Denmark or anywhere else, that they have a good and common understanding of the framework that is expected from them in terms of sustainability. In particular for small businesses that find it really challenging in terms of trading globally. The more we are asking them to look at the different measurements and standards, the more difficult it is for them to be able to trade. This is an opportunity to collaborate and break down those barriers.”
For the period from 2023 to 2027, the European Fashion Alliance translates this belief into four main objectives based on the four defined pillars:
1. Definition of an ethical, social and sustainable code of conduct for EFA members and by extension for the fashion industry.
2. A new Green Deal for fashion at European level representing fashion culture and business, founded on a European-based circular and social fashion eco-system based on shared data and a shared measurement data system.
3. Creation and enforcing of sustainable and technological training and social & cultural responsibility practices for EFA key stakeholders.
4. Empowerment of Generation Z and the new generations as leading forces of value in digital, circular and social transition of the fashion industry The members agree that the vision and objectives of the EFA must be translated into concrete action plans and policy frameworks within the next two to three years to drive change. This can only be achieved with a solid understanding of the needs and challenges of the fashion industry, especially the creative and design-oriented stakeholders. Scott Lipinski, CEO, Fashion Council Germany adds: “The European Fashion Alliance is an important and strong network which – like no other – can make its contribution to changing the European fashion industry. Change doesn’t happen alone. It’s an industry interaction and that’s what EFA is. We have created an instrument that will prove itself in the years to come.” For 2023, EFA will therefore launch a Europe-wide survey through its members to investigate the needs and challenges of micro, small, medium and large enterprises operating in the fashion and textile industry, as well as education and research-oriented and other industry-related stakeholders. The knowledge gained from this should enable EFA to create a priority-driven policy framework in response to the current legislation resulting from, amongst others, the European Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the creation of new EU policies and programs to support fashion and creative industries. The aim is to give stakeholders a better understanding of European legislation – an area in which many creative entrepreneurs are still “lost in translation”. Christiane Arp, chairwoman of the Fashion Council Germany says: “Fashion has to evolve in the cultural and social context to stay relevant. One of the tasks of the Fashion Councils is to promote and support a new generation of designers. The young creative people have the ability to change the fashion system sustainably and innovatively.” Moreover, EFA says it will involve and empower young talents and voices by actively engaging them in leadership roles and activities within the organisation alongside established brands and organisations. Maria Luisa Martinez Diez, Global Fashion Agenda, said: “Traditionally, many of the industry’s efforts have been voluntary, but proposed regulations are set to change this. As part of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, there are two crucial initiatives that will impact textiles: the Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition, expected to ensure consumers can make environmentally friendly decisions when buying products; and the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), which will promote more sustainable product design and make sustainable products the norm.”
Source: The just-style.com
As a non-profit, public-private partnership, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) bridges the gap between early stage technology and commercialization. Funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) and founded in 2016, AFFOA uses its expertise in fibers and fabrics, as well as membership ecosystems, to advance the domestic development of textile-based products with transformative capabilities.
When asked about his role, AFFOA CEO Sasha Stolyarov defined it as leading an organization that has huge potential to transform what manufacturing looks like in the U.S. “I serve to inspire and break down barriers for communication and for collaboration,” he said. “I lead a very talented team that is highly multidisciplinary in nature and enables us to move our mission forward. I’m also here to learn and understand the needs of the industry so we can adapt, adjust, and be successful in meeting the challenges of tomorrow.”
AFFOA supports a broad range of needs for all stakeholders, from DoD and various government agencies to universities, startups, and manufacturers in different industries.
Threading the Needle
“There is a lot of innovation taking place in advanced functional fibers and fabrics, and people have a vision for what they can do, but there really isn’t an entity set up to connect the dots between innovators, manufacturers, and end-product companies to make things happen in an efficient manner,” Stolyarov explained. “Things do happen organically, of course, but we’re here to make new connections happen and facilitate and accelerate the transition from innovation into real products.”
Stolyarov said it can be a long journey. This is an area referred to as tough tech, meaning it’s not a software problem that someone can code their way into a solution. “We have to manufacture our way into innovation,” Stolyarov explained, adding this can challenging because the manufacturing of advanced functional fabrics requires collaboration by disparate entities and competencies that are not used to working together. “Our membership is the backbone of the institute. No single company has all the pieces needed to manufacture future advanced highly functional fabric products at scale,” he said. “When we’re tasked with a challenge problem by one of our sponsors, it requires us to tap into the capabilities of our membership network from a wide range of established companies, newly founded start-ups with promising technologies, and universities that often have leading-edge technologies ready for transition.”
In 2022, more than 50 of AFFOA’s members were involved in projects with the Institute, or about one-third of the membership network.
Internal Tech Capabilities
At the 12,000-sq-ft facility that serves as its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., AFFOA has end-to-end advanced fabric prototyping capabilities that include design and modeling of integrated textile systems, fiber and yarn device processing, textile formation including weaving, knitting, and embroidery as well as e-textile systems integration. AFFOA also has a host of testing capabilities for characterizing fibers and fabrics including electronic, optical, and mechanical testing to ensure the reliability and manufacturability of prototypes.
“We have our own HQ technology platform which is very unique,” Stolyarov said. “It’s an advanced fiber technology that enables the packaging of microelectronics within textile fibers. We are working toward transitioning this technology into the market with a broad range of applications guiding the way, including defense, industrial condition monitoring, and fabric-integrated health monitoring systems.”
Because AFFOA has a diverse team in terms of expertise, it can directly fill various needs for industry and serve as an extension of an engineering team that is struggling to find an R&D partner. “There are not that many companies where you can come to them and say, ‘I have an idea for an advanced functional fabric product, can you help me design and make a prototype?’”
Most of the projects AFFOA funds requires a manufacturer to team with a university partner or a startup that has the product idea. “Part of our criteria for projects is you have to work with a manufacturer,” Stolyarov explained. “If you want your innovation to be scalable, you have to produce it on the manufacturing floor.” A good example of this is Z-Polymers, a Lowell, Mass.-based startup working on innovative fiber applications. CEO Mike Zimmerman was looking to create a few prototypes but had a hard time finding a place with early stage prototyping capabilities. And with a lot of the textile industry leaving the U.S., there was limited domestic R&D capability in advanced textiles and fabrics. “We’re developing very thin fibers that are six times stronger than steel and much lighter,” Zimmerman said. “The state-of-the-art fibers are made from a polymer material to be very fine and make very thin fabrics.” Zimmerman explained that the first application of the fine woven textile structures is to help enable fuel cells as part of the hydrogen economy. “What AFFOA is trying to do is help small companies like mine scale up and develop state-of-the-art technology in the U.S.,” Zimmerman explained. “It’s a win-win situation. AFFOA is helping us, and we fit within their mission,” he added.
Pharma Plus Fabrics
An early win for the institute, which speaks to the power of the ecosystem, is the story of Nufabrx, the Conover, N.C.-based developer of HealthWear, a patented technology that embeds medications directly into clothing. CEO Jordan Schindler started Nufabrx with a mission to simplify health and wellness. “Instead of taking a pill, or using a cream or a patch, what if you could just get dressed in the morning?” Schindler explained. “Our core technology enables controlled delivery of vitamins, supplements, and medications through clothing, effective through 15-plus wash cycles.” Imagine a line of topical analgesics infused through a back brace or melatonin in a pillowcase to help you sleep at night. Schindler said Nufabrx is designed to solve the problem of patient compliance. “It’s hard to change consumer behavior, but people get dressed every day,” he added. In 2017, Schindler came to the institute with a patent for medication-infused fabrics that deliver controlled delivery of active ingredients including vitamins, supplements, and medication through clothing. He needed a manufacturing partner and was getting wooed by venture capitalists that encouraged him to go overseas. AFFOA introduced Schindler to Manufacturing Solution Center (MSC) in Conover, N.C. “We really wouldn’t exist without the support of the manufacturing ecosystem, MSC, and AFFOA. You need talent, manufacturing resources, and capital, and AFFOA does a good job to bring all three of those things together.” Schindler received early funding through AFFOA to commercialize the technology, which was the springboard he needed to ramp up production, keep it in the U.S., and get products into the marketplace. How’s it going? In 2021, Nufabrx ranked among the top 10 in the 2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list of the fastest-growing companies in North America, and second in the pharmaceutical sector. As a pioneer in health-focused wearable products, which sit at the intersection of traditional textile garments and pharmaceutical products, Nufabrx has its own line of pain relief-infused garments available nationwide at retailers including Target, Walgreen’s, CVS, Amazon, and Walmart.
Pivoting with a Purpose
“When we started the institute, I never thought we’d be focused on making N95 respirators,” Stolyarov said. “In March 2020, we pivoted half our team to work on the problem when we realized there was a shortage of material and end product, and the product coming into this country was of questionable quality.” So AFFOA set out to find those who knew the materials and connected them with manufacturers that previously never worked together to produce new materials. Many manufacturers transitioned to produce millions of units of personal protective equipment (PPE). Testing was a major issue to ensure the quality of the materials and their filtration efficiency. The government uses National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) labs to certify N95 masks and other devices. “There was a backlog for months to get materials tested,” Stolyarov said. “We knew we had universities and partners in our ecosystem that studied particle filtration for different uses, and we asked them to set up a capability to test PPE materials. We did that with MIT, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and UMASS Lowell, three of our close partners. Within a matter of weeks, these labs that previously never served the purpose of testing anything from the outside world, became the testing center for materials developed all over the country.”
Making a Meaningful Impact
AFFOA is firmly focused on bringing ideas—and products—to life that make a difference in people’s lives. “There’s a startup in our network developing a glove for rehabilitation for stroke survivors,” Stolyarov said, referring to Imago Rehab, a Massachusetts-based medical equipment manufacturer that enables recovery outcomes for stroke survivors through a combination of home-use wearable robotics and digital health. “It’s an amazing concept and would make a world of difference if we can produce it at scale,” Stolyarov said, adding that AFFOA engineers are advising the company on design-for-manufacturability and improving integration of the complex glove system that includes textiles, electronics, and actuating domains. Another project that holds significant potential is an emerging HQ technology in the form of a fiber system that can be deployed in the ocean to measure pressure, temperature, and salinity over large areas. “This is significant for the Navy and climate science,” Stolyarov explained. “We are working toward a demonstration where we will develop fibers hundreds of meters long that can literally take a picture of ocean conditions. This promises to be a game-changing capability.” These ambitious projects speak to Stolyarov’s vision and the work of the entire AFFOA team. In collaboration with key stakeholders, they are prepared to move mountains and support the needs of DoD, startups, universities, and the industry, all while keeping manufacturing stateside.
Source: The sme.org
The cotton textile industry, the pride and joy of Pakistan’s agro-industry, is going through a severe downturn due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country. One of the top textile producers in the world, Pakistan’s textile exports were valued at $19.3 billion in 2021. It constituted more than half of Pakistan’s total exports that year. However, many small textile mills and manufacturing units in Pakistan that make bedsheets, towels and denims for export to Europe and the US have been shut down due to a severe shortage of cotton. As if that was not enough, the country’s cotton textile industry has been hit with a recent tax hike. The crisis in the cotton textile industry comes as Pakistan is struggling with alarmingly low foreign exchange reserves, high inflation and tough regulations imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The cotton textile industry in Pakistan is finding it extremely difficult to procure necessary raw materials and is struggling to meet orders from international clients. The shortage of foreign exchange reserves has resulted in thousands of shipping containers with raw materials, medical equipment and food items stuck at Karachi port. The crisis is Pakistan’s cotton textile industry has put millions of workers in danger of losing their jobs. According to textile associations in Pakistan, around 7 million workers have lost their jobs in recent months. The devastating floods that had swept Pakistan last year had destroyed much of the cotton crop. Pakistan’s State Bank has said that the country’s foreign exchange reserves dipped to $4.3 billion last week – the lowest since February 2014. Around $3 billion of that amount has been given by Saudi Arabia to shore up the forex reserves, but is not meant to be used.
Source: The First post
Germany’s real (price adjusted) stock of orders in manufacturing was 1.2 per cent lower in November 2022 month-on-month (MoM) on a seasonally and calendar adjusted basis, according to provisional results of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Among other reasons, the decline may have been caused by the falling volume of new orders and improved conditions in the supply chains. New orders were down 5.3 per cent MoM in November 2022, reaching the lowest level since July 2020. A reduction of supply chain problems enables companies to complete orders easier. Despite the decrease, the stock of orders is still on a high level. Compared to November 2021, the stock of orders was up by a calendar adjusted 3.1 per cent, according to a press release by Destatis. While the stock of domestic orders decreased by 0.6 per cent on October 2022, foreign orders fell by 1.6 per cent. The decline in the stock of orders is observed in all main industrial groupings in manufacturing. The stock of orders fell by 0.6 per cent for manufacturers of intermediate goods. In the consumer goods sector, the stock of orders was 0.3 per cent lower than in the previous month. The range of the stock of orders fell to 7.3 months in November 2022 (October 2022: 7.6 months). The range was 3.7 months for intermediate goods (October 2022: also 3.7 months) and 3.4 months for consumer goods (October 2022: 3.5 months). The range indicates for how many months companies would theoretically have to produce goods until all orders on hand are fulfilled—assuming constant turnover and no new orders being received. It is calculated as the ratio of the current stock of orders and average turnover of the last 12 months in the respective branch.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
