Clever clothes: Growth market

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Smart fabrics and intelligent textiles (SFIT) promise to revolutionize clothing by incorporating sensors into cloth for health, lifestyle and business applications. This is undoubtedly an important emerging field, and the predictions are that the market is poised for tremendous growth. At present, studies suggest that the SFIT landscape appears to be dominated by the United States, but a major European research effort is looking to tackle some of the sector's toughest challenges, in order to ensure that Europe does not miss out on the future potential of SFIT market growth. The SFIT research cluster (of projects receiving funding from the European Union's Framework Programme for research) now incorporates seven projects which are dealing with the integration of technologies and functionalities, systems and several applications, e.g. health, well being, protection and disaster management.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2009), "Clever clothes: Growth market", Strategic Direction, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 35-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540910930699