The Textile Industrial Revolution In The High-Tech Age
The 5th Global Textile Economic Forum organized by China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC) is to open at Shanghai International Convention Center on July 28, 2008. This year's forum highlights the topic of "The textile industrial revolution in the high-tech age".
Deciding this topic as the theme of this year's event is inspired by the background that the industrial civilization established in the past more than 240 years since the 1st industrial revolution, is undertaking a new round of revolution featured by the high technologies. Since stepping into the 21st century, a bulk of high technologies which has been launched earlier in the last century, like micro-electronics and information technologies, modern biotechnologies and life sciences, and the technologies for new material, new energy, aerospace and ocean exploration etc, have achieved the breakthrough in the respective areas.
Today, the new technology system supported by the high technologies bears the great changes in the aspects of economy, society, culture, world structure and the relation between man and nature.
The textile and clothing industry has been closely associated with the development of the humankind and the history could be traced back to the Neolithic age. Upon review of the history, the truth is that the textile and clothing industry was leaping forward constantly driven by the civilization development and the technology progress. In the ancient agriculture age, the innovation of textile and clothing industry led the booming of the handicraft industry. In the Age of Steam, the textile and clothing industry was the first typical industry which production was mechanization and powered by steam in large scale. When came to the Electric Age, the industry took a big leap ahead in terms of quality, speed and profit by using the electric technologies. Starting in the later half of the 20th Century, the textile and clothing industry started to apply the micro-electronic and information technologies. As the result of the reforms in fiber utilization, the textile and clothing industry has more resources beyond the natural fibers. Today, the chemical fibers accounts from 65% of the total fiber consumption in the world. The sequent technology breakthroughs in new fibers, new know-hows, high-tech equipments and industrial textiles help the textile and clothing industry step into the critical period of industrial civilization featured by high technologies from the traditional industry. It is the common knowledge that the machine textile production started in UK during the 1st industrial revolution, and the electric textile production launched in quite a few industrial countries during the 2nd industrial revolution. The new revolution we are facing now does not rely on a certain developed or developing country, either one or two technologies, instead it is bound to the progress of the whole technology system and the transnational production cooperation. The 3rd industrial revolution is given more historical meanings that conclude the age of the humankind simply taking from the nature. Moreover, the 3rd industrial revolution highlights the strategy of the harmonious development between human and nature.
Similar to the concomitant circumstances occurred during the previous revolutions, like the altered way of the production, distribution and living, and the changes of the industrial structure, the world structure and the human¡¯s mentality, the new revolution will challenge the human by imposing hard and incompatible choices between being advanced and backward, between innovation and conservation, between being open and close, between being extensive or abstemious, between development and environment, between being rich or poor and between competition and cooperation. Give this, it is important to strengthen the exchange and cooperation and seek the common points while reserving difference, so as to realize the common win cooperation.
In this context, I'd like to propose the key topics as below.
- The effects and prospects of the application of high technologies like micro-electrics and information technology in the traditional textile and clothing industry.
- The development trend of the equipment manufacturing that satisfies the production of the high tech textiles.
- The development trend of the new type materials and textiles with good performance, function and culture-content
- The development trend of the recycling and energy saving textile and clothing industry
- The development trend of the green and environmental textiles
- The international trade and cooperation of the global textile and clothing industry in the new age
CNTAC obtained the great supports from the senior officials of Chinese government and the related organs in organizing the four previous events. The textile and clothing industrial associations, manufacturers and experts from all over the world gave their positive response and participation in all the events. The fact proved that the Forum promoted effectively the advancement of Chinese textile and clothing industry and enhanced the mutual understanding between the textile and clothing players in China and the rest of the world. This year's Global Textile Economic Forum will be held in the meantime of ITMA ASIA + CITME, which is co-organized by CNTAC and CEMATEX. I believe the interaction between the Forum and the exhibition will play positively and expect the continuous supports and attendance of more industrial friends in the world.
Yours sincerely,
Du Yuzhou
President
China National Textile & Apparel Council
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