Following the slogan “Doing the imaginable, instead of thinking the achievable!” and after a discussion process of about one year on behalf of the German Textile Research Center (Forschungskuratorium Textil / FKT), more than 250 evaluated ideas and proposed solutions for ten topics concerning the usage of technical textiles on emerging markets of the future exist now. First project results based on the cooperation with Thomas Strobel, trend scout specialised in the development of the future, are laid down in the strategy brochure “Perspectives 2025”, which has now been published. Future”guide” Strobel evaluates the now completed time travel as “extraordinary preliminary work of an industry association for its members”. A knowledge base has been created, that enables enterprises of the textile sector to derive company specific strategies for the implementation of innovations and new business models.

From his point of view, textile research developing in particular fibre-based high tech materials and supplies as well as the required technologies, faces numerous challenges and great opportunities:

• Textile light weight construction will only have a chance, if material recycling on the basis of both aspects – energy and environment – can be managed as efficiently as the remelting of metal.
• Composite materials with load-optimised 3D-fibre structures, that for example are solidified by laser welding or in combination with 3D-printers are equipped with additional material characteristics, provide for new scopes of application.
• Particularly high prospects of utilisation have new textile based components, as long as they are designed load-compliant with minimum material usage and high structural strength.
• Carbon fibres have to be produced by another raw material than crude oil medium-term.

In conclusion, FKT considers the work on “Perspectives 2025” to have led to various and neutrally evaluated results by widespread involvement of entrepreneurs, researchers and young academics.