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This paper aims to present a systematic review of the development process of Industry 4.0 in the textile and apparel sector, as well as to show some concepts, examples found in the literature on the application of the principles and technologies involved like the internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, Big Data, autonomous robots, three-dimensional (3D) printing, augmented reality, virtual prototyping, horizontal and vertical system integration and cybersecurity.

The methodology adopted in this study was a systematic literature review aided by the use of SciMAT, a scientific mapping software. Documents were collected from the Web of Science and Scopus database from 2011 to 2020 using the words “Textile” and “Industry 4.0” that result in 865 documents and 115 were analyzed.

The literature review showed that the textile industry in the international context is at an incipient stage of the implementation of Industry 4.0. The main aspects of Industry 4.0 that were identified in the textile industry initially focus on the implementation of technologies aimed at computerization and automation of processes, whose main focuses are increasing productivity and reducing costs. Projects for the implementation of augmented reality and 3D printing and simulation technologies in the textile industry, clothing and apparel area are still embryonic, normally implemented through tools and software oriented toward the creation and development of new models of processes, products and commerce.

The search in the databases was carried out on October 17, 2020. Therefore, for future study, other combinations of search terms and time update are suggested, in addition to including more databases besides Scopus and Web of Science.

This literature review served as the basis for the development of a questionnaire that was applied to 72 people in an industry in the clothing sector, located in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil.

The benefits of industry 4.0 are perceived in people with its implementation, such as a reduction in energy consumption of around 15%, an increase of up to 25% in work efficiency, in addition to more assertive decision-making, improvement of processes and balance between life and work.

Machine learning, artificial intelligence, smart fabrics, IoT, supply chain management, environmental protection, Big Data, autonomation and cyber physics were the strongest terms found, consolidating as a prominent field for current and future studies. From emerging and/or still unexplored areas of Industry 4.0 in the textile sector, there is real-time communication, computer applications, carbon, fibers, health care and sustainable development. Some strategic actions that are taking place in some countries are summarized and in Brazil the adoption rate is 29% for this sector, revealing itself as a needy area and suitable for the development of studies that address the subject.

To examine the impact of changes in the US textile and apparel industries on employment patterns at the state level compared with the nation as a whole during the period of 1997‐2003.

Secondary data sources were analyzed to develop an overall picture of changes happening in the North Carolina industries compared with the USA overall. A focus on North Carolina, a primary location of the industries within the USA, permits a micro‐level examination of changes in employment trends for one state in comparison with those of the industries nation‐wide. Three industries form the bulk of the data examined: Textile Mills (NAICS‐313), Textile Product Mills (NAICS‐314), and Apparel Manufacturing (NAICS‐315).

An overall decrease in employment and number of units for all three industries was found. The number of establishments in the North Carolina textile complex decreased by 25 percent and employment by almost 50 percent. The state losses resembled those of the nation as a whole. For the majority of industry groups, the trend in value of shipments mirrored the downward direction of employment from 1997 to 2001.

Although this study focuses on only one state in comparison with the USA as a whole, it reveals current trends in employment patterns and has implications for developing an in‐depth picture of regional versus national industry performance during a period of decline.

Within this study, industry change was interpreted at both the state and national level through employment patterns as a means to explore why some industry groups have remained relatively healthy compared with others and what this means for industry employment in the future.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

This research study explores the adoption of integrated sustainable SCM practices in the textile industry in India and its impact on the firm's business performance.

The analysis was carried out using the partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 3.3.2.

It was found that the demand-side sustainability initiatives of the large firms and the internal sustainability practices of the small firms directly impacted their business performance. It was also found that the suppliers' sustainability initiatives had a direct and positive impact on the internal sustainability of the firm, which in turn had a direct and positive impact on the demand-side sustainability in the Indian textile industry.

The findings emphasize the distinctive role of each dimension of the integrated sustainable SCM on the firm performance in the Indian textile industry.

The paper seeks to explain the pattern of strategic responses by the US textile and apparel industries to changes in their business environment since 1979.

The study is based on a literature review and interviews with officers from leading US corporations, government agencies and trade associations. The approach examines strategic responses to environmental change. The study takes a macro perspective to permit an understanding of the forces operating at the industry level.

Shifting market requirements, intensifying international competition, powerful retailers, and rapid technological change have confronted the US textile and apparel sectors. In responding to these, companies have developed more creative, change‐seeking business cultures, and more flexible operational arrangements. However, both industries have exhibited change‐resisting characteristics in their responses. Many companies have been forced into bankruptcy. Today both industries are radically different, in terms of their strategies, business scope, technological intensity, organizational structure, and supply chain relationships.

The paper provides a generalized perspective on the broad thrusts of strategic changes across the two sectors. Further work could develop this analysis at a micro level.

The paper highlights the need for US companies to develop more change‐seeking business cultures, more flexible operational arrangements, an international orientation and a sharper business focus.

The paper provides a long‐term, systemic perspective on strategic responses to environmental change at the industry level. It has policy‐making value to practitioners and government agencies, and instructional value to teachers and students.

This study examines the internationalization process within the textiles and apparel industry in two countries: Lithuania and Moldova. In particular, this study shows how the evolution by an industry toward greater internationalization is intricately linked to its ability to move up its specific value chain. This analysis compares and contrasts the ability of this industry in a Western European (Lithuania) and a nonaccession Eastern European country (Moldova) to move up the textiles and apparel value chain and so achieve higher levels of internationalization. In examining and relating the relevant factors, this analysis provides insights into – and suggests important modifications to – important concepts and themes such as the stage theory of internationalization, the role of “inward-outward” linkages in the value creation process, the mechanism of the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the part played by the European Union in the internationalization (and thus globalization) process.

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

The purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of the effects of COVID-19 on the conventional textile production subsector. The emergence of the COVID-19 virus in 2019 has subsequently caused many problems, such as unemployment, business closures, economic instability and high volatility in the global capital markets amongst others within the wider manufacturing industry including textile production.

Relevant secondary data are obtained from the Scopus database and Statista. Based on the data analysis of 21 seed articles, three research themes are identified: challenges in the textile industry, new material innovations or solutions and the textile industry performance.

The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the textile industry, disrupted the supply chains of this industry, affected profit margins, stopped employment and impacted the retail of products to customers. Aside from the negative repercussions, there are also good sides to the pandemic which, for instance, range from advanced material innovations to textiles with anti-microbial, self-cleaning and anti-bacterial properties that would limit the transfer of the virus.

Findings reinforced the need for effective strategies and investments in the research and development departments of the various firms in the textile industry to innovate operations and novel materials for the next global pandemic.

Many companies have adopted novel strategies and practices that are helping them to survive the pandemic. This study, therefore, recommends further investigation into material innovations and reimagining strategies by companies and the supply chain within the textile industry so that it is protected against future crises.

This study aims to formulate exploratory scenarios of the textile industry in Iran based on MICMAC and soft operational research methods.

In this study, to formulate plausible scenarios, literature reviews and external experts’ opinions of this field have been gathered through the Delphi approach and uncertainty questionnaires. After the utilization of the most important uncertainties, the textile industry’s plausible scenarios have been mapped with the help of experts through co-thinking workshops. Results show that two factors, including the business atmosphere and membership in World Trade Organization (WTO), play a more important role than the other factors. These two factors were considered for the formulation of the scenario. To formulate plausible scenarios, soft systems methodology, which is a kind of soft operational research methods, is applied.

Based on the results, four scenarios are presented. These scenarios include the Elysium scenario, Hades scenario, Tatarus scenario and Sisyphus scenario. In the Elysium scenario, the business atmosphere has improved and Iran has been granted membership of the WTO. In Hades scenario, Iran has joined the WTO, but due to the government’s weakness and inactivity and key decision-makers, the required preparations have not been made. In the Tatarus scenario, Iran is not a WTO member and the business atmosphere is disastrous. In the Sisyphus scenario, the government takes reasonable actions toward a better business environment.

Formulating plausible scenarios of the textile industry is an excellent contribution to the key beneficiaries and actors of this industry so they can present flexible preparation-based programs in the face of circumstances. Future study of the textile industry familiarizes the actors and beneficiaries of this industry with the procedures and the driving forces that influence this industry’s future and it will ascertain various scenarios for the actors of this field.

Because of importance of technological learning for less developed countries, the notion has received increasing attention of scholars. The purpose of this paper is to investigate technological learning systematically by assessing the effect of technology transfer actors on technological learning in less developed countries context.

The paper presents assessment model by adopting technological learning concept based on technology absorption and incremental innovation at firm level and identifying key roles of technology transfer actors (State – Scientific and technological infrastructure – Industry) that affect technological learning. The paper follows survey as research methodology. Thus, a questionnaire was addressed to 33 Syrian textile factories to examine the assessment model. Simple linear, multiple linear and ordinal regression analyses are preformed to examine relationships of model components.

The regression models show notable ability of technology transfer actors to explain technological behavior of firms to accumulate operative capability and consequently to generate passive incremental innovation. The findings indicate passive technical change system of Syrian textile industry. Therefore, goal-oriented evaluation of actual technology policy is preliminary step for achieving improvements, as well as activating scientific and technological infrastructure role by enabling strong relationships with industry and supporting interactions of domestic firms of textile industry and with foreign players.

The paper enriches technological learning literature by proposing systematic approach that sets the nature of technical change process of less developed countries in core of analysis. Moreover, it provides a guide for technological learning practices at firm level and for policymakers based on assessing actual status of Syrian textile industry.