The interest shown for smart textiles expected to constitute a crucial part of the textile industry and to have a great potential in the future is increasing. “The research conducted in the last 5 years shows that the future is in smart textile products,” said Altın and underlined that smart textiles market is a new but growing market.
Why did Zorlu focus on smart textiles?
Zorlu Holding is conducting all its activities within the frame of United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals with “Smart Life 2030” vision, and taking this approach as a basis, we move forward with a business model oriented with technological innovations and sustainability. With that approach, we focus on enabling the textile industry so as to provide value for the environment and the society by getting inspiration from the nature and human beings.
“3 Trillion USD is estimated by 2030”
The research conducted in the last 5 years shows that the future is in smart textiles. It is estimated that the smart textile market valuing 160 billion USD in the world will reach 475 billion USD by 2025 and 3 trillion USD by 2030. “The smart textiles market shaped on three main trends as “Cyclic Economy, Recycling”, “Conductive textile surfaces” and “ Carbon Weaving-Composite Technologies” and started to step forward as a new but strongly growing market with the use of technology in textiles and the meeting of nano materials and coating techniques with fashion, apparel and textile industries. Last year, we conducted an export of 1,7 billion USD in that market. However, in consideration with the market’s potential and the development, we can say that we have a long way to go. As Zorlu Textile we are spreading the constant innovation concept based with cyclic economy in parallel with the development of global smart textiles market to all our textile group companies. We do not only manufacture smart textile products, but we also smarten all our production and business process.
Can you mention about the investments dedicated to wearable technologies?
We have made many investments in compliance with the consumer needs and our product development understanding. Sportsmen clothing that can measure body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat and other body functions and that can warn the user to enable proper movements are among the leading fields in smart textiles today. Besides, smart product demands regarding the security forces’ clothing are on the rise. We are ready to respond to that need with most of our products featuring flame retardant, heat and cold proof, shielding against electromagnetic waves both for sportswear and security forces’ clothing, and we have successfully displayed the initial samples. For instance, we have developed a “cut resistance” product for the gloves upon receiving feedbacks from glove manufacturers. In addition, we have realized the manufacturing of antistatic yarn. Those yarns prevent static electricity load on the workers and thus preventing the possible occupational incidents.
“The Real Added Value is In Innovation”
What do you target with your smart textile investments?
We are a company that has discovered at an early stage that the real added value is in innovation at an era when Turkey was seeking for the passwords of value-added production, that focusing on the consumers’ experience is the path itself. Thus, we can be the innovative business partner of world giants and we succeed to be Turkey’s gate opening to the world in new generation smart textiles with our exports conducted to the world. By renewing and strengthening; we aim to realize the firsts in Turkey for the textile industry by transforming into a smart, sustainable company creating more added value. On the other hand, when we consider the global smart textiles market previously mentioned; we believe that we can be one of the companies that defines the global agenda in textiles with those investments. We continue to work in compliance with that target.
“We Spread Sustainability in All Fields”
What is your turnover target in smart transformation?
We spread sustainability in all fields covering business processes in plants and factories, product and solution. We are the preferred innovative business partner of world giants despite the harsh global economic conditions as a reflection of this transformation. As Zorlu Textile we realized a total turnover of 605 million USD and an export of 186 million USD last year. We target a total turnover of 620 million USD and an export of 200 million USD for 2020. In the forthcoming period, we will smarten our trade channels. We will grow with new business, new channels, e-trade and international cooperation. We aim to increase our turnover more than two times by 2020 with smart transformation. Smart textiles will be one of the encouraging powers. We aim to increase the share of smart textiles within our turnover by 50% in 2025, which is currently 20%.
“We Think that All Stages Should be Smartened”
You have conducted many innovations in process management for smart production. What kind of method do you follow?
As “process” and “product” mainly, we believe that all stages of a business process should be smartened, and we move with that understanding. We also shape our business style accordingly. Consequently, we take care to have the raw material to be in compliance with our sustainability framework from the time accepted to our plants. Then, we think about how to create value for the user in consideration with the raw material and innovation. Meanwhile, we think about the procedures to be developed in our plants and factories and how to reach a smart process management. With that understanding, we have several innovations dedicated for smart production in process management as Zorlu Textile.
“We Implement 4.0 Transformation Step by Step”
We implement Industry 4.0 transformation that eliminates machine stops and enabling the company’s decision mechanism manless step by step. The most updated one is the RECLAIM project, in which Zorluteks took part as part of the Horizon 2020 Subsidy Programme supporting the European Union’s research, development and innovation projects. Zorluteks cooperating with 22 partners from Europe’s various countries in that project conducts a study dedicated to control the bleaching of the cotton fabrics’ whiteness level, the inspection machineries and recipes used in drying and process with artificial nerve networks (ANN).
Lastly, you have displayed your innovative products at Heimtextil. Can you share you show observations?
We have displayed several products in the show. There was a great interest for our specialized smart product category. Within that scope, the Flame Retardant curtain of TAÇ, the Air Cleaning curtain absorbing the odor and the Reborn curtain manufactured from plastic bottles along with Korteks’ UV Resistant automotive yarns, DRY TOUCH®, Recycle, PLA and many other functional yarns received great interest from the visitors.
