technical textiles Archives

One of the thriving businesses in the global textile industry, the technical textiles market has been observing an upward trend over recent years on account of improving economic conditions worldwide.
These textiles are user-friendly and eco-friendly, which has led to their increased adoption. Technical textiles offer numerous benefits as opposed to conventional ones, which is why manufacturers are
shifting to new business models involving the production of these textiles on a large scale.

Is shifting to technical textiles a good idea?

Some of the benefits offered by technical textiles include:

1. Deliverance of mechanical functions like superior elasticity, mechanical resistance, and reinforcement

2. Biocompatibility and anti-dust properties

3. Protection attributes such as thermal and fire resistance and easy breathability

4. High insulation, conductivity, and filtration

The advantages offered by these products surpass the ones offered by commercially manufactured textiles to a large extent. Their increasing demand has also led many countries – prominently those with a strong presence in the global textiles sector – to come up with supportive regulatory norms to increase the production of technical textiles.

For instance, India, which currently captures a 4% share of the global textile trade, has announced that it will empower the technical textile industry in the country through the launch of new policies. To that end, in July 2022, Haryana deputy Chief Minister proposed the ‘Haryana Atamnirbhar Textile Policy’ to offer employment to 20,000 youths and attract investments worth USD 505,600 in an attempt to scale the production and promotion of technical textiles.

The technical textiles market is heavily application-centric as the product is utilized across varied sectors such as automotive, healthcare, geotextiles, industrial, and more. Given below is a snapshot of different technical textile applications that are expected to define the future of this industry:

1. Mobiltech– Growing use of technical textiles in automobiles

The growing demand for technical textiles in the automotive industry can potentially be credited to 2 prominent reasons – their ability to lower the vehicle weight and enhance fuel efficiency and offer improved acoustic comfort.

As far as vehicle weight reduction and a decrease in carbon emissions are considered, Lineo’s FlaxPreg sandwich panel composites deserve a mention. As per reliable reports, the utilization of materials from the sandwich composites was seen to accomplish a reduction in weight of nearly 50% compared to the
conventional components made from polyurethane and glass. It is noteworthy to state that the composites also deliver a cost-benefit of about 5%, cutting down the overall vehicle costs for both the
producers as well as the customer.

Stringent regulatory norms pertaining to vehicular acoustics and passenger comfort have led to an upsurge in the demand for technical acoustic textiles as well. Textiles made from nylon fibers and PET are widely used in automobiles to offer exceptional sound absorption and sound isolation.

2. Meditech– Growth of new opportunities in the medical fraternity

The onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 opened new avenues and opportunities for technical textile producers in the medical and healthcare industry. Meditech applications include textile material
deployment in health, hygiene, personal care, as well as surgical categories.

During the coronavirus crisis, the demand for surgical disposable caps and covers skyrocketed, generating opportunities for technical textiles. The need for technical textiles in the medical sector observed a considerable rise in the North American region owing to rising coronavirus cases, which urged frontline warriors to demand the production of more disposable PPE. In consequence, this has
impelled the North America technical textiles market, slated to capture 30% of the global revenue share by 2028 end.

In addition to the increasing use in COVID-19 protective gears, the meteoric rise in demand for textile implants for artificial joints, ligaments, and sutures will also have an impact on the demand for technical textiles from the meditech sector. As per estimates, the meditech segment may depict a CAGR of 5% through 2028.

3. Buildtech- Role of technical textiles in the building and construction industry

The adoption of technical textiles in the building and construction sector is anticipated to offer a great impetus to the quality of infrastructure. Buildtech includes textiles used in interior construction, visual protection, proofing materials, concrete reinforcement, protection to buildings against UV and sunlight,
and building safety.

One of the key drivers fostering the growth of technical textiles across the buildtech sector is the positive outlook of the construction industry worldwide, especially the Asia Pacific. An ostensible rise in population, urbanization, and subsequent need for residential homes has propelled the construction of new structures and residential buildings in leading APAC economies including China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

In 2022, China revealed its plans pertaining to its 14 th Five-Year Plan. The country plans to push the regional construction sector alongside a smarter, greener, and safer path. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban- Rural Development, the industry may maintain a 6% share of the country’s GDP until 2025. As the construction sector continues to evolve across prominent economies such as the Asia Pacific, technical textiles will witness an increase in demand across the buildtech application segment.

The way forward–

In the coming years, the technical textiles industry is predicted to foresee substantial momentum from the Protech application sector – the reason being, increasing incidences of workplace accidents. As per credible sources, more than 2.3 million people globally are victims of workplace accidents every year.
The main aim of technical protective textiles is to enhance workplace safety, as they offer protection against burns, high temperatures, metal sparks, bullet marks, cut resistance, and more.
The European region may also offer considerable growth opportunities for the technical textiles industry, driven by the development of new textile products and investments by regional players.

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Textile Products And Articles For Technical Uses – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the technical textiles market in the European Union amounted to $1.6B in 2018, stabilizing at the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price).

Overall, technical textiles consumption continues to indicate a slight descent. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2016 when the market value increased by 6.6% year-to-year. Over the period under review, the technical textiles market attained its maximum level at $1.9B in 2007; however, from 2008 to 2018, consumption stood at a somewhat lower figure.

Consumption By Country in the EU

The countries with the highest volumes of technical textiles consumption in 2018 were the UK (19K tonnes), Germany (12K tonnes) and France (12K tonnes), together accounting for 36% of total consumption. These countries were followed by Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Sweden, Belgium and Portugal, which together accounted for a further 47%.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of technical textiles consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by the Netherlands, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest technical textiles markets in the European Union were Germany ($311M), France ($248M) and the UK ($170M), with a combined 47% share of the total market. Sweden, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Spain and Portugal lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 27%.

The countries with the highest levels of technical textiles per capita consumption in 2018 were the Netherlands (582 kg per 1000 persons), the Czech Republic (536 kg per 1000 persons) and Sweden (415 kg per 1000 persons).

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of technical textiles per capita consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by the Netherlands, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Market Forecast 2019-2025 in the EU

Driven by increasing demand for technical textiles in the European Union, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next seven years. Market performance is forecast to decelerate, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +0.2% for the seven-year period from 2018 to 2025, which is projected to bring the market volume to 121K tonnes by the end of 2025.

Production in the EU

In 2018, technical textiles production in the European Union stood at 140K tonnes, reducing by -3.2% against the previous year. The total output volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.9% over the period from 2007 to 2018; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded in certain years. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2009 with an increase of 15% against the previous year. The volume of technical textiles production peaked at 161K tonnes in 2011; however, from 2012 to 2018, production remained at a lower figure.

In value terms, technical textiles production totaled $1.9B in 2018 estimated in export prices. Overall, technical textiles production, however, continues to indicate a mild deduction. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2016 with an increase of 3.8% y-o-y. The level of technical textiles production peaked at $2.3B in 2007; however, from 2008 to 2018, production failed to regain its momentum.

Production By Country in the EU

The countries with the highest volumes of technical textiles production in 2018 were Germany (32K tonnes), Italy (18K tonnes) and the UK (15K tonnes), with a combined 47% share of total production. These countries were followed by the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Romania, which together accounted for a further 43%.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of technical textiles production, amongst the main producing countries, was attained by Romania, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Exports in the EU

In 2018, the amount of textile products and articles for technical uses exported in the European Union stood at 138K tonnes, declining by -5.6% against the previous year. The total export volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.5% over the period from 2007 to 2018; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded in certain years. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2010 when exports increased by 30% year-to-year. The volume of exports peaked at 152K tonnes in 2011; however, from 2012 to 2018, exports remained at a lower figure.

In value terms, technical textiles exports amounted to $2.8B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. In general, technical textiles exports, however, continue to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2011 with an increase of 14% year-to-year. Over the period under review, technical textiles exports reached their peak figure at $2.9B in 2008; however, from 2009 to 2018, exports remained at a lower figure.

Exports by Country

Germany represented the major exporting country with an export of about 41K tonnes, which amounted to 30% of total exports. It was distantly followed by Italy (18K tonnes), the Netherlands (9.6K tonnes), Belgium (9.6K tonnes), Poland (8.4K tonnes), the Czech Republic (7K tonnes), Spain (6.9K tonnes) and France (6.5K tonnes), together mixing up a 48% share of total exports. The following exporters – the UK (5.8K tonnes), Sweden (4.2K tonnes), Austria (3.8K tonnes) and Slovakia (3K tonnes) – together made up 12% of total exports.

Exports from Germany increased at an average annual rate of +2.4% from 2007 to 2018. At the same time, Poland (+11.3%), the Czech Republic (+7.9%), Slovakia (+6.6%), the Netherlands (+5.5%) and Italy (+2.5%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Poland emerged as the fastest-growing exporter in the European Union, with a CAGR of +11.3% from 2007-2018. Sweden, France and Austria experienced a relatively flat trend pattern. By contrast, Belgium (-1.8%), Spain (-4.7%) and the UK (-5.7%) illustrated a downward trend over the same period. From 2007 to 2018, the share of Germany, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic increased by +6.7%, +4.2%, +3.1%, +3.1% and +2.9% percentage points, while Belgium (-1.6 p.p.), Spain (-3.5 p.p.) and the UK (-3.9 p.p.) saw their share reduced. The shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period.

In value terms, Germany ($1B) remains the largest technical textiles supplier in the European Union, comprising 37% of total technical textiles exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Italy ($297M), with a 10% share of total exports. It was followed by France, with a 5.9% share.

In Germany, technical textiles exports expanded at an average annual rate of +1.2% over the period from 2007-2018. The remaining exporting countries recorded the following average annual rates of exports growth: Italy (+1.1% per year) and France (-1.6% per year).

Export Prices by Country

The technical textiles export price in the European Union stood at $21 per kg in 2018, jumping by 12% against the previous year. Overall, the technical textiles export price, however, continues to indicate a slight downturn. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2018 when the export price increased by 12% year-to-year. Over the period under review, the export prices for textile products and articles for technical uses attained their peak figure at $23 per kg in 2008; however, from 2009 to 2018, export prices failed to regain their momentum.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major exporting countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was Austria ($36 per kg), while Spain ($13 per kg) was amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by the Czech Republic, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Imports in the EU

In 2018, technical textiles imports in the European Union amounted to 116K tonnes, dropping by -2.9% against the previous year. The total import volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.0% from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with only minor fluctuations being observed in certain years. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2010 when imports increased by 19% y-o-y. The volume of imports peaked at 120K tonnes in 2016; however, from 2017 to 2018, imports stood at a somewhat lower figure.

In value terms, technical textiles imports totaled $2.1B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. The total import value increased at an average annual rate of +1.2% over the period from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern remained consistent, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations in certain years. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2011 with an increase of 16% y-o-y. Over the period under review, technical textiles imports reached their maximum in 2018 and are expected to retain its growth in the near future.

Imports by Country

In 2018, Germany (21K tonnes), distantly followed by Italy (12K tonnes), France (11K tonnes), the Netherlands (10K tonnes), the UK (9.1K tonnes), Poland (7.5K tonnes), the Czech Republic (5.7K tonnes) and Spain (5.4K tonnes) represented the major importers of textile products and articles for technical uses, together creating 70% of total imports. The following importers – Belgium (4.5K tonnes), Romania (3.9K tonnes), Austria (3.1K tonnes) and Sweden (3K tonnes) – together made up 12% of total imports.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by the Netherlands, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, Germany ($497M) constitutes the largest market for imported textile products and articles for technical uses in the European Union, comprising 24% of total technical textiles imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by France ($223M), with a 11% share of total imports. It was followed by the Netherlands, with a 8.9% share.

In Germany, technical textiles imports increased at an average annual rate of +1.3% over the period from 2007-2018. In the other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: France (+1.5% per year) and the Netherlands (+7.6% per year).

Import Prices by Country

The technical textiles import price in the European Union stood at $18 per kg in 2018, jumping by 9.9% against the previous year. Overall, the technical textiles import price continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2011 an increase of 15% year-to-year. The level of import price peaked in 2018 and is expected to retain its growth in the near future.

Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was Germany ($24 per kg), while Romania ($11 per kg) was amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Romania, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Three Key Verticals Utilizing Technical Textiles in 2022 and Beyond