#Smart Textiles

2023-11-30

Startup WILLTEX will exhibit its “WILLCOOK” smart textile at CES 2024

JETRO to showcase 30 Japanese startups at Japan (J-Startup) Pavilion at CES 2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

On November 15th, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced the honorees of the CES 2024 Innovation Awards. The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) will once again sponsor the Japan (J-Startup) Pavilion at CES’ startup arena Eureka Park from January 9-12 in Las Vegas, and this year six of the Japan (J-Startup) Pavilion exhibitors have been designated CES Innovation Award honorees.

Among the six honorees, inQs and WILLTEX were also named recipients of this year’s “Best of Innovation” award, which is awarded to “the highest-rated products across all categories,” according to the CTA. inQs developed an advanced energy-harvesting solar glass, while WILLTEX – developers of an innovative smart textile – produced the world’s first portable fabric microwave bag.

This year, JETRO welcomed Mr. Kei Shimada - a former CES Innovation Award honoree - as an advisor to help provide award support and pitch training to the exhibitors, centered around the slogan: “World-first, region-first, industry-first.”

The Japan (J-Startup) Pavilion will be located at Tech West Venetian Expo 1F Hall G Booth 62801. Many of the exhibitors will also participate in media-focused events during CES week, such as CES Unveiled, ShowStoppers, and “Launch.IT” - a pitch event featuring only Japanese startups.

Japan (J-Startup) Pavilion Exhibitor List

CES 2024 “Best of Innovation” Honorees List

inQs Co., Ltd. – “SQPV GLASS”

Category: Smart home / Smart cities / Sustainability, Eco-Design & Smart Energy

inQs has pioneered the world's most advanced and efficient energy-harvesting clear solar glass, known as SQPV glass. This groundbreaking innovation not only generates electricity from sunlight but also harnesses energy from imperceptible light sources, thriving even in dimly lit interiors or overcast conditions. The SQPV glass effectively transforms light into electricity through a strategic arrangement of nanomaterials within a structure sandwiched between two conductive glass sheets. Impressively, it captures light from both glass surfaces. This technology surpasses all other current solutions, yielding superior power output per unit.

WILLTEX Corporation – “WILLCOOK”

Category: Home Appliances

WILLCOOK is a lightweight, portable cooking bag designed with HOTOPIA, a fabric heater that serves as both textile and electrical device. The integrated mobile battery generates heat within each fiber, enabling cooking on-the-go. When not cooking, the bag doubles as a cooling bag and can even function as a heat-generating blanket when unfolded. This versatile product serves multiple purposes, providing warmth and convenience in various scenarios.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Covestro, FILK Freiberg, and OUT e.V. develop flexible, conductive polymer smart textile system

As the smart textiles market continues to grow across healthcare, personal protection, sportswear, and automotive applications, developers are seeking new ways to integrate electronic functionality directly into textiles, without the rigidity and complexity of conventional wiring. To address this challenge, FILK Freiberg Institute, an independent research institution with expertise in polymer coatings for textile applications, collaborated with Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologie (OUT) e.V. The joint project, funded under the German Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), focused on developing flexible, conductive polymer surfaces for next-generation smart textiles.

Catching heart disease early with AI-based sensor system

It slips on like a normal vest: Fraunhofer IZM has created a smart sensor system in cooperation with the Charité and the Technical University of Berlin. The vest records a vast array of cardiovascular parameters, which an AI-based system uses to support medical diagnostics and spot potentially dangerous developments.

Intelligent textiles for construction, architecture and mobility: Smart Textiles User Forum in Stuttgart

When textiles are equipped with electronic components, conductive yarns and textile sensors, the application possibilities are almost unlimited. These high-tech textiles are a global growth market. In Stuttgart, manufacturers, users and researchers presented amazing examples of applications in construction, architecture and mobility. The appropriate standards ensure quality and safety.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 closes doors, advancing sustainable and innovative sourcing in South China

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 served as a strategically positioned mid-year sourcing platform for the Greater Bay Area, highlighting Shenzhen’s role in connecting regional demand, supply and innovation exchange across the textile value chain. During the three-day fair, over 20,000 visits were drawn from 74 countries and regions[1], as exhibitors and buyers engaged with new developments in greener, performance-led, and value-added yarn and fibre solutions. Held in conjunction with Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and PH Value, the fair underscored the benefits of closer synergy and new materials across yarn, fabric and apparel platforms for the South China market.