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Eco-friendly solutions for cotton textiles: It is fitting, in this United Nations International Year of Natural Fibres, that our attention is again directed to cotton, the leading natural textile fibre, through a conference on innovations and technologies for cotton textile processing sponsored by Cotton Incorporated and Cotton Council International.

Sustainable solutions

The conference, entitled "Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Future," held in Hong Kong on May 18-20 represented the culmination of a two-year research project conducted by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated to determine the technologies needed to reduce the environmental footprint of cotton textile processing. These technologies, however, do not need to be developed; they already exist today. "This conference showcased technologies that can significantly increase the sustainability of cotton textile processing by reducing water, energy and chemical usage," says Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated executive vice president, for global product supply chain. (For a detailed report of the conference, see the next section: FORUM).

Organic cotton

A discussion of eco-friendly solutions for cotton textiles is not complete without looking at the role of organic cotton. The term organic describes a method of farming without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides or fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation of genetic engineering, and is certified by an accredited independent organisation. In response to consumer demand, primarily in the European Union and in the United States, sales of organic cotton have increased 300% in the past five years. Many leading brands such as Nike now incorporate organic cotton fibres in their products, with some manufacturers using 100% organic cotton in their product lines.

In the United States, there are strict standards for organic cotton, with production set to strict standards of the United States Department of Agriculture and enforced by USDA-certified agents, who must annually inspect fields and the operation for adherence to National Organic Program (NOP) standards. Organic cotton marketed and sold in the US must meet these rigorous standards regardless of the country of origin. Is organic cotton the eco-friendly solution for cotton textiles?

We had the opportunity of discussing this question with J. Berrye Worsham, president & CEO of Cotton Incorporated, at the Cotton Textile Processing Conference.Interview with J. Berrye Worsham

Swee C. Goh (Consulting Editor, Textile Asia): What about the growing trend towards organic - any issues?

Worsham: Retailers are very interested in organic, but they are just now beginning to realise that the suppliers would not be plentiful. If you have time to base your sustainability program and have a foundation in organic, that's going to be very limited. So the key is going to be how to find better production practices, how to source from those areas that improve the supply chain in general. We estimate that organic is no more than 0.2% of the world production. World production has a little more than 110 billion, I think, in terms of bales, or about 24 or 25 metric tons.

Goh: The use of term organic has its problems - how it is grown and what does it mean?

Worsham: Yes, the problem of organic is several things. Number one, the yield is so much lower, and in some cases they would be even lower if they didn't have conventional production in the area. Another thing that requires is, because we have to control weeds, that perhaps we have to use hand labour for that, and that's very expensive, and it's really not sustainable to have people bend over to pick cotton- we did that hundred of years ago, that's not good.

The other thing is, we have the risk of possibly losing an entire crop in the same place. So we have some organic production in the US that has temporarily moved back to regular production methods and not organic, and so there is not going to be organic this year. And then it takes a while to get back to the organic. If they didn't have an option, they might not be able to profit at all. So the risk is very high for trying to produce it. The reality is that, if you look at what the world is going to need in 50 or 40 years from now, we have to probably need, possibly three times as much textile fibres globally, and that either means we're going to put a lot more of synthetic fibre plants into production, or going to chop down a lot of trees, for more acres, it would be better if we can maintain the same level of land but improving the technology so that we can get more cotton in the land, the same way with food. The food consumption, I think, is expected to double in the next 40 or 50 years with population growth, and organic is not going to be the solution for that.

Goh: I think biotechnology is the key to this.

Worsham: Exactly. It is, and that's started in the US, and it's now adopted in India. China has adopted biotech, very heavily; Brazil has also adopted biotech; and, there is on the horizon the potential for having things like higher producing cottons and other uses for the product.

Goh: Yes, are you working on that?

Worsham: The technology is there but that's going to be a long term time off, probably for cotton. But it is still theoretically possible. And the other thing that is really interesting is, cotton has in the leaves, in its vegetation, a compound, which is a natural repellent. It's been there. It is also contained in the seed. The problem with the seed is that we can't eat it even though it has high protein content. They have had the technology to get it out of the seed and the plant. The US cotton industry, we spend about 20 years continuing research into how we can get it out of the seed and keep it in the plant. And that is now passed the first set of trials successfully. And it has the potential of, if we can do that, in 10, 15, or 20 years from now, a cotton seed can actually be edible as a high-protein supplement. It's already been used in dairies, in cows and digested, but very limited for humans now. We estimate from the world production of cotton, the potential of seeds to feed half a billion people. It has enough protein content theoretically for that. So we have a vision for where cotton needs to be, to be a provider of food. For cotton, it is not a question like either fibre or seed. We get the fibre and the seed. The key is how we can make the seed a valuable commodity as well.

Goh: Excellent. Biotechnology is becoming the key focus for agriculture, so we can follow that trend.

Kayser Sung: During the time of the early '60s in Hong Kong, seawater was used.

Worsham: But obviously the problem with that is now it's still very expensive. Water is the most important issue, I think, we face in cotton because we found, through our own research, that 70% of the cotton's energy use is in the processing of water, and the use of water in the whole processing. So anything we can do as an industry is to limit the use of water, to reduce the energy. Also, re-use of water is going to be another thing. Some of those technologies-I'm not a technical person, but some of the technologies, I think-are out of date. That's why the purpose of the event is to have the people who are involved in those technologies to share their knowledge, and hopefully we can be a catalyst for dissemination, even though we have not developed the technologies. But it doesn't matter. We want to be the facilitator of the idea with the potential users wherever they make it.

Sung: We published a very detailed interview about water. (Water reuse in the textile dyeing industry: An opportunity for eco-friendly savings, by Max W. Sung, M.D., Textile Asia November-December, 2008, pp5-7). I will send you a copy.

Editor's comment:

In the interview, biotech or biotechnology was repeatedly mentioned as an eco-friendly alternative to organic cotton. The term "biotech cotton" refers to cotton plants which have been genetically altered to produce new proteins. These proteins may enable the plants to grow better even in adverse conditions. For instance, biotech cotton can produce a bacterial protein originally derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt cotton). Bt kills bollworm and budworm larvae which feed on the cotton plant. Bt crops have been reported to drastically reduce the frequency of insecticide sprays and increase crop yields. The World Development Report 2008 indicates benefits from Bt cotton with added yield by 54% (South Africa), reduced pest management costs by 73% (India) and added profits by 198% (South Africa). Bt crops is particularly useful in developing countries where insecticides are often applied by hand spraying under difficult conditions. Bt cotton is used by an estimated 9.2 million farmers worldwide, particularly in India, China and South Africa.

Although biotech cotton was not extensively reviewed at the conference (Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Future), its commercial use has provoked a wide range of responses worldwide. Concerns have been raised regarding harm to insects beneficial for crops, to monarch butterflies, and the potential development of insect resistance to Bt crops. So far, these concerns have not been confirmed to be problematic in the field.

Can biotech cotton at this time be considered an eco-friendly solution for cotton textiles?

Kayser Sung

Forum

• Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable solutions for a better future: Representatives of leading companies in the textile supply chain around the world gathered in Hong Kong in mid-May for a two-day conference organised by Cotton Incorporated to discuss innovative technologies and sustainable solutions that can help reduce the environmental impact of cotton textile processing. Addressing this conference, called Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Future, Pat-Nie Woo, who is the chairman of the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium (SFBC) as well as director of the Hong Kong-based Central Textiles, went straight to the heart of the issue. Sustainability, he said, could not be attained alone in isolation; sustainability is about partnership; about ownership; meaning that it is something that each of us needs to do simultaneously. And he was convinced that sustainability is here to stay with governments demanding industries to comply with stricter conditions about environmental protection.

  Also addressing the conference, Mark Messura, the executive vice president of Cotton Inc., explained Cotton Inc's position on matters related to environmental issues and the role it is playing and will continue to play for environmental protection. He made clear at the outset that cotton textile processing is facing unprecedented challenges towards the use of natural resources; water and energy in particular. This, he pointed out, critically affects textile processing. "The way we respond to these challenges, as individual organisations and as a collective industry, will determine how we, as a global corporation and global industry, fare in the decades ahead." Describing textile industry as a tremendously creative industry in design, manufacturing and logistics as well as one of the very best of all the consumer products industries in marketing and advertising, he said that the industry has the capacity for excellence, and it shared "a common responsibility to address sustainable issues." He cited a study commissioned by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and Cotton Inc. The study found that many of the innovative technologies needed to reduce pollution emission from cotton textile processing already exist. Therefore, he said, "We do not have to wait and invest in the creation of new technology. Rather, we need to find out the way to get the industry to make use of the existing technologies." This, Mr Messura said, was the primary objective of the conference as there is a dire need "to raise the awareness level among the industry on these leading-edge technologies and solutions to bridge the gap between technology and implementation."

  By C.K. Chow

Special Reports

• European textile research needs quantum leap: The European Textile Technology Platform, founded in 2004, is a flourishing organisation. At its latest annual conference (Brussels, April 1-2, 2009), participating researchers presented more than 30 collective R&D projects. Up to 150 million euros of the 220 million euros of R&D related investments were covered by European subvention programs. Nice presentations and scientific reports are not the goal of research efforts. The European textile and clothing industry is eagerly waiting for commercially relevant results.

  Dick Hendriks (TenCate Advanced Textiles), president of the European Textile Technology Platform, looked back at the five years since the foundation of the Platform. He summed up several reasons to be satisfied. The Platform has given birth to an active network of more than 600 European textile researchers. Collective research programs such as Leapfrog (aiming at revolutionary productivity enhancement in garment production) or BioTex (integration of biosensors in textiles) have opened new, promising avenues.

  By Jozef De Coster, Bruges

• Suppliers' share shifts in sluggish US apparel market: With the exception of Wal-Mart, most US retailers selling apparel saw same store sales (stores open at least one year) fall during the first quarter of 2009. While April sales show some signs of improvement, weak retail sales continued to be reflected in the import market. Total imports of apparel fell by 10.7% to $15.199 billion, compared with the first quarter of 2008. The value of first quarter imports was 13.8% lower than fourth quarter 2008 results. First quarter 2008 to fourth quarter 2007 results, in comparison, had a difference of only 3.5%. The quantity of garments import was 8.2% lower at 5.213 billion pieces of garments, and the average price per garment fell 2.7% from 2008 levels.

  Imports from China were higher. The value of imports from China climbed 1.7% to $4.087 billion from first quarter 2008 levels. Given the overall decline in the import market, Chinese market share climbed from 27.7% to 31.6%. The quantity imported from China was 7.6% higher at 1.642 billion pieces of garments. Market share in terms of quantity climbed from 26.9% to 31.4%.

  By Douglas Smith, Columbia, SC

• Weak global economy drags down machinery sales and textile output: The global economic meltdown is making its telling impact on every segment of the textile manufacturing sector. Textile production declined worldwide in the last quarter of 2008 compared with the previous two quarters. Together with it came down production of yarn and fabric as well as investment in machinery.

  According to the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), in the fourth quarter of 2008 yarn production globally reduced by 2.8% as all regions recorded declines; and fabric production similarly fell by 1.2%. As yarn and fabric production receded, reflecting the shrinking market for clothing, the strong trend towards investment in the textile sector seen during 2003-2007 for starting new plants and modernising existing ones also came to an abrupt end in 2008. All textile machinery segments reported shipments shrinking by 3-66% in 2008 from their 2007level, according to the 31st annual international textile machinery shipment statistics released by the ITMF.

• Indian exports will drive up global cotton trade this year: World cotton trade is expected to recover by some 8% in 2009-10, although world cotton production during the period is projected to decline by 1% to 23.4 million tons, according to estimates of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

  Most of the export growth, ICAC says, would come from India that has displaced the United States as the world's second largest cotton producer after China since 2006. Indian shipments in 2009-10 could almost triple to l.1 million tons as the country's cotton production expands significantly. With such growth in production and exports, India's share of world exports is expected to rebound to 16% in 2009-10, compared with only 6% in the previous year. The US share of the world cotton market, at the same time, will drop to 36% from 43% in 2008-09. Among other producers enjoying export growth will be Uzbekistan which will regain its 2007-08 level of 700,000 tons and Australia (340,000 tons).

Techtextil/Avantex

• 2009 Report: Growing from strength to strength: Techtextil, the world's leading international trade fair for technical textiles, offered its 13th edition in Frankfurt this month (June 16-18). This event, held biennially in Frankfurt since 1986 (except for 1987), is organised by Messe Frankfurt. Over a period of two decades, Techtextil had grown steadily from 195 exhibitors and 5,900 visitors in 1986 to 1,086 exhibitors and 22,876 visitors in 2007. This year it grew even bigger, 1,201 exhibitors and 23,300 visitors.

  The definition of technical textiles-originally, textile materials and products intended for end-uses other than non-protective clothing, home and household furnishings-has since expanded to include twelve application areas as categorised by Messe Frankfurt. These areas of application include traditional technical textiles in agriculture (Agrotech), construction (Buildtech), geo-textiles (Geotech), domestic uses (Hometech), industrial uses (Indutech), transporation (Mobiltech), packing (Packtech), protective garments (Protech), as well as extension into areas involving clothing (Clothtech), sports (Sporttech), eco-friendly textiles (Oekotech) and medical textiles (Medtech). This is to be expected since the technology that drives technical textiles is also applicable in these other areas.

  Avantex, the innovative apparel textile show sponsored by the European Commission and debuted as an independent show at Messe Frankfurt in 2000, has since 2005 been held in parallel with Techtextil in response to exhibitor demand, since many companies who exhibit at Avantex also do so at Techtextil. This year, instead of occupying a separate exhibit space adjacent to Techtextil, Avantex exhibits were fully integrated into the Techtextil exhibit space.

  From Max W. Sung, Frankfurt

Exhibitions and Conferences

• HK showcase for next big fashion wave: Hong Kong Fashion Week for 2010 spring/summer collections (www.hktdc.com/hkfashionweekss), a four-day gala of fashion shows and professional seminars opening on July 6 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, will provide, according to its organiser the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), a marvellous venue to source the latest designs from international suppliers for riding the next big fashion wave.

• Textile Bio engineering symposium: The fourth congress of the World Association for Chinese Biomedical Engineers (WACBE) will take place in Hong Kong with a special symposium on textile bioengineering. This gathering scheduled at the Polytechnic University (HK Poly U) from July 26 to 29 this year will provide a forum for bioengineering researchers to communicate with each other.

• Technical textile workshop: A two-day international workshop on marketing and technology of technical textiles will be held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, on July 3-4, 2009, with the support of the Texas Tech University (USA), as well as the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Textile Management (SVPITM) and the South India Mill Owners Association (SIMA).

• Prima and Pitti Filati in July: The forthcoming Pitti Filati 65 (www.pittimmagine.com) scheduled at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy, from July 7 to 9, will have a complementing show called Prima Moda Tessuto (www. primamodatessuto.com) taking place at the same venue on the same dates. Prima is a new platform organised by Pratotrade textile consortium for fabric and yarn manufacturers from various districts of Italy and some of their foreign counterparts, particularly from Germany and Japan, to display their high quality products.

• Première Vision Preview New York: The next Première Vision Preview New York (www.premierevision-newyork.com) is scheduled to be held on July 15 and 16, 2009, at the same location as the previous edition Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Bldg, 125/135 West 18th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues).

• Textile conference: The International Textile Educational Consortium (ITEC) is organising its third international textile conference on August 28-30, 2009, in collaboration with SSM College of Engineering in Komarapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.

• Première Vision Pluriel in Sept: The Première Vision Pluriel for the autumn/winter 2010-11 fashion season (www.premierevision-pluriel.com) is to be held at Parc d'Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte on September, 15-18, 2009. It will comprise six events - Expofil, Première Vision, Le Cuir à Paris, Indigo, ModAmont, Zoom by Fatex.

• India garment fair: The 43rd India International Garment Fair (www.indiaapparelfair.com), to be held on July 15-17 in New Delhi, will present buyers a breathtaking array of garments, fabrics and fashion accessories to choose from, says the organiser, International Garment Fair Association. Exhibits will range from casual wear to city wear, high-fashion, lingerie, sportswear, leather and fur garments, maternity wear, uniforms, work clothes, etc., all made in India.

• Nonwovens tech confab in Denver: An international nonwovens technical conference co-sponsored by the association of the nonwoven fabrics industry, INDA (www.inda.org), and the nonwovens division of the Technical Association of the Pulp, Paper, Packaging and Converting Industries, TAPPI, is scheduled to take place in Denver, Colorado, USA, from September 21 to 24.

• Textile and tech solution fair in LA: The California Market Center (www.californiamarketcenter.com) and Urban Expositions (www.urban-expositions.com) will jointly hold an exhibition of textiles and technology solutions in Los Angeles, USA, from September 30 to October 2, this year. This fair, the LA International Textile Show and Material World & Technology Solutions (www.material-world. com), scheduled at the California Market Center in Los Angeles, will repeat thereafter every spring and fall.

• Fashion fair Arabia: A trade fair called Fashion Expo Arabia (www.fashionexpoarabia.com) which is promoted as the first platform dedicated to bringing medium- to high-end manufacturers of fashion products in the Middle East to display their goods to buyers from the region as well as from North Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 26-28.

• A new name and a new motto: The next edition of the international trade fair for textile printing, embroidery, transfer and flocking, which is known hitherto as TV, will take place from February 4 to 6, next year in Stuttgart, Germany, but with a new name, TV TecStyle Visions (www.tv-textilmesse.de) and a new motto, Join the Textile Community!.

• Textile, garment fair in Vietnam: Vietnam is scheduling again a textile and garment exhibition: the 9th edition of what's known as the Vietnam International Textile and Garment Industry Exhibition. Organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade with the support of various government departments and trade and industry organisations, it will take place at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City from November 5 to 8, 2009.

• IAF silver jubilee convention: The International Apparel Federation (www.iafnet.com) will hold its 25th world apparel convention in New Delhi, India, on November 17-20, 2009.

• Sewn products fair: An exhibition of sewn products equipment is scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from May 18 to 20, next year. Organised by the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA), it is rated as a very important event for manufacturers and suppliers of textiles and sewn products.

• Cotton conference: A conference to promote collaboration within the fields of organic and fair trade cotton from fashion to sustainability will be held in Switzerland on September 21-25. The conference taking place in conjunction with the UN Year of Natural Fibres 2009 is organised by the Swiss association for international cooperation, Helvetas, in collaboration with the international partners, Organic Exchange Institute for Market Ecology( IMO), International Trade Centre (ITC), Max Havelaar and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Technical Features

• Protecting fabrics against microbes causing discolouration and bad odour: The need to protect fabrics against rotting and mildew stain, particularly in the individual usage has now been recognised. Clothing and textile materials are not only the carriers of microorganisms such as pathogenic bacteria, odour-generating bacteria and mould fungi, but inherent properties of the textile fibres also provide room for the growth of microorganisms. Besides, the structure of the substrates and the chemical processes may also induce the growth of microbes. Humid and warm environment aggravate the problem even further.

  In this study, it was found that Copper sulphate, Nickel sulphate, Zinc sulphate and Copper acetate can be effectively used as antimicrobial agent.

  By A. I. Wasif and S. K. Laga, both of the Textile & Engg. Institute, Ichalkaranji, India

• Can contact with textiles spread herpes simplex: Herpes cold sores are as despised as they are common. The ailment is one of the most prevalent skin diseases in Germany, says a recent report of the Hohenstein Institute of Boennigheim, Germany. It is also a major skin ailment in many other parts of the world.

  Research conducted at Hohenstein's Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology (IHB), suggests that contaminated textiles may be one of the pathways for the spread of herpes pathogens besides other well known means like contact with saliva and by touching surfaces after scratching open herpes sores around the mouth.

  With the help of molecular biological analysis, scientists at the Hohenstein Institute have successfully demonstrated that the herpes-simplex virus (HSV-1) adheres strongly to textile fibres. The results clearly indicate that spread of infection may also be possible via, for example, hand towels, serviettes, and dish and cleaning cloths which a herpes sufferer previously used.

• Eco printing of cotton with Indian Rhubard dye: Until the second half of the nineteenth century, all dyes used in textiles were naturally derived. However, with the synthesis of mauveine by Perkin in 1856, the synthetic dye industry grew at a vigorous rate and eradicated the use of natural dyes. A large number of synthetic dyes in use today bear witness to the creativity and innovation of textile chemist in successfully satisfying the dyers demands; for simple, reproducible application processes, and the consumers demand for quality products at a reasonable price. Thus, even though the availability of natural dyes has been known for centuries, there are reasons for synthetic dyes to be so popular: synthetic dyes are simple to produce in large quantity, they can be manufactured at reasonable price, and they provide a variety of colours to satisfy consumer demand and high colourfastness.

  In this study the printing procedure using natural dye (Indian Rhubarb or Rheum emodi) has been standardised. It involves optimisation of printing process to improve dye uptake and increase the colour fastness properties of fabric. The mordant concentrations have also been standardised to produce varied colours. The after-treatment is another step, imparted to the cotton fabric to improve the dye uptake and colour fastness properties (Shenai 1997). Thus after-treatments have also been given to the fabric to see the change in fastness properties and CIE Lab values.

  By Sandeep Bains, Neelam Grewal, Manideep Kaur and Jastesh Grewal, Department of Clothing and Textiles, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India

• Fabric factors, their effect on clothes: Consumers today are particular about the quality - especially drape, feel and comfort - of the fabric used for the clothing they buy. These characteristics of fabrics, which also determine the durability and serviceability of any piece of garment, are determined by the basic raw material - fibre or fibre mix-used for yarn and fabric production. Specially profiled fibres are known to make fabrics with modified and improved properties. Take woven fabrics, for example. The performance requirements of woven fabrics for each specific application are clearly laid down in many standards, thus establishing the criteria of quality and serviceability for each application. Numerous reports have also yielded insight into how yarn and fabric factors influence clothing characteristics. And, nowadays, blending polyester fibre with cellulosic fibres to give fabrics the desired levels of comfort and performance has become common. Nonetheless, attempts to develop modified structures are continuing and receiving increasing attention. Despite such advances, the impact of fibre profile on mechanical properties of woven polyester-viscose fabrics has not yet been well documented.

  This study examines the mechanical properties of woven polyester-viscose fabrics and their association with process variables-linear density, fibre profile, composition of fibre mix and weave pattern.

  By G K Tyagi, Ashvani Goyal and K N Chatterjee, all of The Technological Institute of Textile & Sciences, Bhiwani, India

• Beating cost pressures with high-performance machines: The pace of technical progress is quickening as time in this fast changing world marches on. As a new day dawns, yesterday's ultra-new development is already old news. And competition nowadays is not between the Big and the Small; it is between those companies that can meet the needs of the changing times and others that are slow in adjusting to the changes.

  An old adage in business that "the profit is in the purchasing" suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. The amount invested is no longer the yardstick in any purchasing decision, but the opportunities offered for fast payback by optimum capacity utilisation, a high turnover and consequently healthy profits. Here Mayer & Cie of Germany, a leading circular knitting machine manufacturer, enjoys a decisive edge. Working on the premise that "forewarned is forearmed", its development team has come up with machines permitting outstanding speeds, for instance of up to 2 m/s in continuous operation in the field of single jersey production, without compromising quality standard. Speeds achieved include for instance 50 rpm (Relanit 4.0) or 45 rpm (Relanit 3.2 II) with a 30 inch diameter.

  It is only through the use of relative movement technology, which benefits from fewer deflection points in the stitch-forming area for optimum care of the yarn, that speed factors (rpm x diameter) of up to 1,500 can be reliably achieved in continuous operation.

  Mayer & Cie. was responsible for developing relative movement technology to the series production stage, and implementing this revolutionary new method in its Relanit machine series. Extensive expertise gathered over almost two decades, both during in-house further development work and also from practical hands-on experience with over 7,000 sold Relanit machines, has fed into the development to this high-speed technology.

Management

• Outsourcing issues in the global marketplace: The apparel supply chain is highly complex. It is so due to many factors - short product life cycles of apparel, the volatile and unpredictable demand and great product variety. The challenges these factors pose are compounded by the long and inflexible production processes for converting raw materials into finished garments and the global nature of the industry. Furthermore, the enduring labour-intensive nature of the apparel manufacturing process means that globally dispersed production networks now characterise the typical apparel supply chain. Since the sewing process typically makes up around 30% of a garment's cost, outsourcing production to lower-labour rate countries enable brands to realise significant cost savings in terms of supply chain costs as well as freeing up capital resources by operating on a purely subcontracting basis with offshore suppliers. However, since the 1990s, global apparel sourcing has experienced a shift in emphasis from cost to quality, in terms of both product and service.

  Many Western sportswear brands have recognised that profits are driven by design, marketing and logistics capabilities and have therefore moved to a design/source/distribute business model which focuses on the development of the brand in terms of design, innovation and marketing.

  Strategic outsourcing recognises the broader organisational implications of outsourcing rather than solely focusing on the financial aspect in terms of labour-cost savings. By harnessing IT to facilitate the development of strong collaborative partnerships across the global supply chain, strategic outsourcing in the performance sportswear industry seeks to improve supply chain agility, responsiveness and accuracy of getting products to market.

  This article is based on the analysis and findings of a report commissioned by Lawson Software. The report was produced by Patsy Perry, Researcher in the School of Management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, and Dr. Neil Towers, senior lecturer in supply chain management and course director of MSc International Fashion Marketing at Heriot-Watt University. Lawson has a strong presence in the sportswear industry. For the full report, visit www.lawson.com/sportswearreport or contact jeanne.lim@sg.lawson.com