Taiwan Today

Innovative materials are weaving a new future for the textile industry.

The 27th Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show concluded October 19 last year after attracting over 35,000 international buyers with potential sales estimated at US$47 million over its three days. Its purpose, said organizer Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF), was to highlight emerging functional application and sustainability trends that are currently shaping the global textile industry. A variety of high-performance products ranging from apparel and fabrics to home furnishings showcased properties such as deodorization, moisture absorption, fast drying, and UV and water protection. Sustainable textiles included those produced using recycled pre-consumer waste from the manufacturing process or post-consumer end-of-life-cycle items. A third sustainable textile concept is mono-material products, that is, made from a single material without any mixed fibers. This makes the recycling process, one of the biggest challenges in the clothing industry, easier, as it reduces the amount of energy needed to separate various materials.

“The impact from climate change is increasingly severe, posing unprecedented challenges to business operations and creating a pressing need to balance economic development with environmental sustainability,” TTF Chair James Kuo (郭紹儀) said. “As sportswear giants like Nike and Adidas have set ambitious sustainability targets, textile manufacturers  in Taiwn are responding by adopting environmentally preferred materials and reducing the carbon emissions of production.”

  Over the years, Taiwan’s textile industry has undergone a major transformation from a labor-intensive model to an innovation-driven one. It is a key player in the global supply chain at every stage of manufacturing from upstream fiber, midstream fabric to downstream apparel. Taiwan accounts for around 70 percent of the global functional fabrics market, according to the Taiwan Textile Printing, Dyeing and Finishing Industrial Association based in Taipei City. Adidas and Nike shirts worn by many national teams competing in highprofile events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games use Taiwan-produced textiles or were in fact made by Taiwan companies. This level of involvement stems from the industry’s ability to deliver high-tech textile products that provide optimum comfort and performance.

Practical Moves
Established in 1977, Eclat Textile Co., based in New Taipei City, is one of the main fabric and apparel suppliers to global sportswear brands including Adidas, lululemon, Nike and Under Armour. The company produces a range of activewear for basketball, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis and yoga. According to Richard Wang (王樹文), vice chairman of Eclat, demand for sports apparel is growing as the importance of lifestyle choices and the benefits of exercising have become mainstream. Athleisure wear gained huge traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as people embraced working from home and adopted a relaxed approach to work attire.

  “Consumers seek fashion with enhanced comfort and protection, so clothes have to perform as well as look good,” Wang said. “Our products’ biggest selling point is the merging of fashion with functionality.” The vice chair added that circular solutions that involve reimagining the entire life cycle of a product require innovative design, materials and production processes. To support these changes, Eclat is sourcing new types of durable and sustainable raw materials. These include plant-based yarns, recycled nylon made from discarded fishing nets, recycled polyester produced from used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and upcycled fish scales as textile sources.
 
Another important concept is the cradle-to-cradle framework that models human industry on natural processes, where materials are viewed as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms, creating products that are environmentally and economically sustainable. “The circular economy—keeping materials and products in use for as long as possible—is now a widely recognized value,” Wang noted.

Recently, Eclat launched a number of new fabrics using high-performance sustainable materials and advanced manufacturing technologies. Primefit Zero, made solely from polyester, for example, is not only breathable, stretchable and moisture wicking, but recyclable. Softform, also made of 100 percent polyester, is flexible, light and soft, in addition to being produced by a lean manufacturing process that consumes less energy and water. Eclat’s use of recycled materials rose from 2.35 percent in 2017 and 17.23 percent in 2022 to 40 percent in 2023, and it is projected to exceed 50 percent by 2025. There is strong demand for products made from recycled materials, particularly from international brands that face mounting consumer and shareholder pressure to deliver on environmental, social and governance targets.

  Circling Back
Taipei-based Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corp. (SSFC), a leading manufacturer of polymer materials, is also committed to a circular economy approach. As long ago as 1988, it teamed up with major polyester and textile maker Far Eastern New Century Corp., also based in the capital, to establish a joint venture dedicated to recycling PET bottles and turning them into fabric. Last year, SSFC formed a strategic partnership with Ambercycle, Inc. to scale up circular production. The collaboration seeks to develop premium performance yarns using the Los Angeles-based company’s regenerated polyester and award-winning molecular regeneration technology.

“Textile-to-textile regenerated materials will radically improve the sustainability of apparel supply chains by diverting end-of-life textiles away from landfills and reducing reliance on new resources and consequently decreasing carbon emissions,” said Ou Chin-ta (歐金達), general manager of SSFC. “Our partnership with Ambercycle embodies our long-term orientation toward minimizing raw material extraction from the environment.” Polyester continues to be the most widely produced fiber in the world, making up 54 percent of production. Recycling polyester-based textile waste and turning it back into raw polyester chips in a closed-loop circular system thus helps decarbonize the apparel industry supply chain, Ou added.

  For example, the SSFC’s environmentally friendly fiber RecoTex is made from recycled PET bottles using innovative polymerization and spinning technologies. Currently over 90 percent of the company’s fiber production uses recycled bottles as raw material. ShinSigma, a type of specialty polyester yarn made from RecoTex, possesses enhanced elasticity and is lightweight, moisture absorbing, opaque and anti-UV. The yarn was used to create jerseys for the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, in addition to NBA seasons since 2017.

Among global clients, SSFC’s top three are Nike, Adidas and lululemon. “Taiwan’s textile industry has a well-rounded supply chain in which all sectors complement each other,” Ou said. “It occupies an important position in the global supply chain as manufacturers have established long-term relationships with international partners and continue to improve products for them.”

Resourceful Concepts
Grace Chen (陳盈璇), chair of New Taipei City-based Hakers Enterprise Co., said Taiwan’s textiles have competitive sustainable advantages in the global marketplace due to innovative product development merging aesthetics, function and environmental solutions. Founded in 1986, Hakers manufactures high-performing outerwear for its own and leading international brands, including Adidas and Reebok. Its product range includes jackets, shorts, tops, swimwear and trousers.

  “In an era requiring both comfort and style, athleisure is a strong trend in the fashion world,” Chen said. “It’s versatile apparel for an increasingly active, health-conscious and fashion-forward society.” Chen notes that engagement with sustainability values deepened after the COVID-19 crisis, propelling the apparel industry to reiterate its commitment to such practices in the face of American and European consumers’ demands that fashion companies act responsibly and consider the environmental and social impacts of business. 

Hakers has been exploring new production methods, advanced technology and eco-friendly alternative fabrics. The concept of circular fashion has revolutionized textile recycling and the presence of only a single material in a product’s composition is an ideal start. “The launch of our environmentally conscious mono-material line is designed with the garment’s entire life cycle in mind,” Chen said. “Our goal is to take into account the end-of-life stage for all our apparel, right at the design phase.”

  Hakers’ ultralight jackets are made from recyclable mono-material nylon and have superior permeability, stretch, waterproofing and wrinkle-resistance. They earned the ISPO Textrends Award Spring/Summer 2025 and Fall/Winter 2025/2026 in the categories of Best Product and Top Product. The award recognizes innovative approaches, materials and products in the textile and apparel sectors.

Changing consumer preferences, technological advancements and sustainability concerns are driving rapid evolution in the global sportswear market. The Taiwan textile industry is proactively responding with new fabrics, circular manufacturing and whole stage supply chains. “Almost all global brands have now partnered at some point with Taiwan textile companies to provide functional, fashionable and sustainable apparel,” SSFC’s Ou said. “Taiwan is already a global player in the new-era  industry.”

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw