Hong Kong maintains a strong R&D base from which to develop the next game-changing fabric
Hong Kong has a long history of producing textiles for the fashion world. And while most of its factories may now be located on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong maintains a strong base of research and development from which to create the next game-changing fabric.
At the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel (HKRITA), based at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, researchers are striving to come up with the next miracle fabric. The institute was created in April 2006, to serve as a centre for knowledge-distribution for companies large and small.
Textile and clothing technology cover a variety of production and development processes on textile fibre, yarn and fabric, as well as advanced manufacturing and design techniques for garments. The textile industry in Hong Kong covers about 900 manufacturers employing more than 11,000 people, according to HKRITA, although those numbers may be falling because of the global financial crisis. For textile imports and exports, there are about 4,000 establishments, employing about 20,000 people.
Hong Kong's textile exports vary, but mainland exports for the first eight months of 2008 totalled US$118.9 billion. Hong Kong produces and exports a wide range of textile and clothing products and is the world's second-largest clothing exporter after the mainland.
The local textile and clothing industry has, over the years, developed various enabling technology in product design, development and production processes. With the implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), a wide range of textile and garment products can be exported to the mainland tariff-free.
Going Nano
"Hong Kong has a strong R&D base in textile and clothing technology," according to Lydia Fung, HKRITA's Marketing Manager. "Local universities and technology-support organisations have successfully completed many R&D projects, and these have brought enormous benefits to the local industry. New technology will benefit various sectors of the textile and clothing industry. For example, advanced garment technology could enable the development of intelligent systems to enhance production efficiency and product quality," she said.
Ms Fung added that Hong Kong's textile industry strengths and opportunities include research into such technology as nano-materials and related processing technology, as well as smart textile materials and garments.
She also said that new colouration and finishing technology, electrolytic indigo dye reduction systems and plasma surface treatment systems have also been developed, as has a "sweating fabric mannequin" to help evaluate the performance of new fabrics.
Other projects include a 3D laser scanner, a computer-aided garment pattern design system, an e-manufacturing system and a flexible manufacturing system that aims to help manufacturers upgrade their production quality and capability.
