主题:   Setting Patterns of Future Textiles

       报告摘要：Textile industry has been facingcritical challenges in the last few decades and being received as a sun-setindustry by governments and citizens in many countries and regions, which hasbeen characterized as “traditional”, “low-tech”, “labour intensive” and“high-pollution”. In the last two centuries, textile industry has beenmigrating from countries/regions of well-developed economies and high labourcosts to countries/regions of developing economies and low labour cost. In thisprocess, higher education and research organizations in textile science andengineering in many countries/regions have been suffering from substantialdecline in government support, research funding and student recruitment. On theother hand, textiles are the essential goods for human living and survival andare closely related to the great societal challenges identified globally in theareas of health, food and bio-resources, raw materials, energy, mobility andsecurity. The textile science and engineering can play key roles in addressingthese key challenges by initiating new generation of textile specifictechnology innovations in advanced materials, nanotechnologies,biotechnologies, advanced manufacturing technologies, information andcommunication technologies, which set the strategic agenda of future textiles.How to identify critical directions of technology developments for enablingtextile science and engineering to play a major role in the future society isthe key challenge for textile community, which is critically important not onlyfor the future development of textile discipline and textile industry, but alsofor the long term benefit of sustainable development of humanity. In thispresentation, the key challenges identified and key initiatives in differentregions are reviewed and discussed to reveal the potential opportunities anddevelopment strategic agenda of future textiles.