The annual Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show kicked off Oct. 13 at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, with around 300 exhibitors from home and abroad showcasing their latest offerings at 800 plus booths during the event’s three-day run.
Organized by Taipei-based Taiwan Textile Federation with support from the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, this year’s edition focuses on functional applications and sustainability as well as smart materials and manufacturing processes.
During the opening ceremony, Vice President Lai Ching-te praised the event as a key platform for TTF to promote innovative uses for locally developed fabrics.
According to the vice president, Taiwan is a front-runner in the global textile industry, supplying around 70 percent of the world’s functional fabrics. Providing a shining example is Taipei-based Far Eastern New Century Corp., which produces basketball jerseys and sneakers made from recycled marine debris for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, Lai added.
The exhibit, which is the first physical textile show in the world since the outbreak of COVID-19, also reflects the success of Taiwan’s pandemic-fighting efforts, he said.
Lai thanked firms for freeing up production capacity to manufacture materials for surgical masks and personal protective gear during the pandemic. Their cooperation and swift mobilization play an essential role in the government’s epidemic prevention strategy, he added.
As part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s vision of building Taiwan into Asia’s high-end manufacturing and R&D hub, the government will continue working with local manufacturers to further strengthen their global competitiveness and cement their position as industry leaders, the vice president said. (SFC-E)
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