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While some commentators say the textile and clothing industry’s automation level remains low with investment being too sluggish and unambitious, others predict a bright future where robots and humans collaborate in sustainable customised design and manufacturing. 

The clothing segment of the sector has, of course, been historically labour-intensive – with associated high costs – with manufacturers hesitant to adopt greater automation, given the availability of low-cost labour in cheap outsourcing centres.  …

The paint markets of the Gulf region’s two largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have rebounded since the Covid-19 pandemic and are slated for growth, driven by major investments in real estate and infrastructure projects.

“Over the past 18 months, we have seen a flat and slightly declining paint markets in the region.…

Worldwide, coatings companies specialising in manufacturing road pavement surface coatings are experiencing tailwinds, as the public and private sectors increasingly grow aware that these coatings present affordable solutions to major environmental problems.

A South Korean pavement surface coating developed by Incheon-based start-up Jchi Global (1), that reduces the scattering of fine dust in the atmosphere – which the World Health Organisation (WHO) says causes 7 million deaths-a-year worldwide from cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases (asthma, COPD), and more.…

International solar energy providers are finding business opportunities in Africa as national governments and their development agency partners try to foster growth while targeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG), which encourages access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030 (1).…

European Union (EU) food manufacturers are facing the potential imposition of new rules on the presence of nitrosamines in food products, following a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) review that ended in November. EFSA has concluded that “it is highly likely that for all age groups dietary exposure to nitrosamines is above the level that could indicate a health concern”.…

The Egyptian garment and textile sector has rebounded from the dip caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with orders returning in 2021 and exports strong in the first half of 2022. Sluggish consumer demand in the country’s primary export markets of the USA and Europe has however seen orders weaken over the past third 2022 quarter.…

Innovation in athleisure gear continues to drive performance improvements, with an eye to boosting sustainability, as consumers become more environment conscious, and regulation toughens up.

Of course, making such improvements is no easy feat today given the entire supply chain is facing “unprecedented challenges,” warned Davide Vigano, CEO of tech textile manufacturer Sensoria, based in Redmond, Washington state, USA, as shipping delays hinder the delivery of components, and transport prices increase as energy costs also soar, pushed up by Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine. …

High value banknotes remain of concern to AML regulators, even though they are increasingly being withdrawn from circulation. Despite the growth of electronic payments, the amount of physical cash in circulation remains huge. The USD remains the currency that circulates most widely in the world, with the US Currency Education Programme (a Federal Reserve scheme) saying that there was USD2 trillion in circulation by the start of 2021 (December 31, 2020).…

A key question in any industry is to what extent robotics will be able to replace the human hand. This issue is especially pertinent for textiles and clothing – where sensor-based automation increasingly carries out human tasks such as assessing the feel of textiles and quality control.…

While forecasts of a global recession are far from conclusive, the World Bank has in its latest international economy assessment released in September (2022) warned that such a downturn is a real possibility for 2023. (1) The reason is potential government spending tightening to deal with inflation rates not witnessed since the 1990s or earlier: “To stem risks from persistently high inflation, and in a context of limited fiscal space, many countries are withdrawing monetary and fiscal support,” noted the bank.…