E-textiles Network
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Sch of Electronics and Computer Sci
Abstract
The UK's textiles and clothing industry makes a significant contribution to the economy employing over 130,000 individuals and is experiencing resurgence with production rising by 2.5% over the last two years to a value of £9.1 billion. E-textiles are an emerging and enabling technology with broad potential applications in many areas such as clothing, home furnishing, workwear, sports, medical, architecture and automotive. The e-textiles market is forecast to grow from $100 million to $5 billion by 2027. E-textiles can also be used in many other emerging areas such as wearable technologies and IoT.
This proposal is to create an E-textiles Network community to bring academia, industry and end users together to identify research challenges and catalyst the collaboration to address these challenges. The e-textiles network will ensure widely dissemination and knowledge exchanges using variety of mechanisms. In particular, the annual two-day conference will bring the community together to disseminate the research findings and engage with industry and end users.
While network will be co-ordinated by the University of Southampton, the priorities and activities will be driven by a steering board with balanced representation from a range of other universities, companies, end users and policy makers. The success of the proposed network will ensure the UK keeps its leading role in the innovation and manufacturing of e-textiles.
This proposal is to create an E-textiles Network community to bring academia, industry and end users together to identify research challenges and catalyst the collaboration to address these challenges. The e-textiles network will ensure widely dissemination and knowledge exchanges using variety of mechanisms. In particular, the annual two-day conference will bring the community together to disseminate the research findings and engage with industry and end users.
While network will be co-ordinated by the University of Southampton, the priorities and activities will be driven by a steering board with balanced representation from a range of other universities, companies, end users and policy makers. The success of the proposed network will ensure the UK keeps its leading role in the innovation and manufacturing of e-textiles.
Planned Impact
E-textiles will enable a huge range of new textile products that will revolutionise the textile industry and industries that use e-textiles such as fashion, healthcare/medical, sports/fitness, automotive, interior design and workwear. The network proposal includes 17 project partners of which 7 are companies involved in the development of e-textiles and 2 represent significant potential end users (Home Office and Dstl). In addition to the initial project partners, we will recruit new network members from industry in both the technology provider and end user communities.
We will encourage the communication, engagement and collaboration through the actions described in the Pathway to Impact. The network members from industry will benefit from the network by having the access to the leading research developed in academia, and facilitate collaborations that will accelerate the technology transfer from academia to industry. This will lead to economic benefits to the whole supply chain by improving sales and creating new job opportunities.
The end users members (e.g. emergency services, military) will benefit by having the opportunities to present their needs to researchers from both academia and industry. The network will inform research activities enabling researchers to address end users requirements. E-textiles have broad applications across multiple sectors and many of these have the potential for significant social impact. For example, e-textile based wearable health monitoring can facilitate ambient assisted living scenarios and patient monitoring leading to improved health/wellbeing.
The network will work together to identify research challenges and the findings of these workshops will be presented to policy makers and funding bodies. The network will act as an interface facilitating communication between technology developers and policy makers.
We will encourage the communication, engagement and collaboration through the actions described in the Pathway to Impact. The network members from industry will benefit from the network by having the access to the leading research developed in academia, and facilitate collaborations that will accelerate the technology transfer from academia to industry. This will lead to economic benefits to the whole supply chain by improving sales and creating new job opportunities.
The end users members (e.g. emergency services, military) will benefit by having the opportunities to present their needs to researchers from both academia and industry. The network will inform research activities enabling researchers to address end users requirements. E-textiles have broad applications across multiple sectors and many of these have the potential for significant social impact. For example, e-textile based wearable health monitoring can facilitate ambient assisted living scenarios and patient monitoring leading to improved health/wellbeing.
The network will work together to identify research challenges and the findings of these workshops will be presented to policy makers and funding bodies. The network will act as an interface facilitating communication between technology developers and policy makers.
Organisations
- University of Southampton (Lead Research Organisation)
- Qinetiq (United Kingdom) (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Footfalls and Heartbeats (Collaboration)
- Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) (Collaboration)
- Home Office (Collaboration)
- International Automotive Components (Collaboration)
- Home Office (Project Partner)
- SmartLife Inc Ltd (Project Partner)
- The Textile Institute (Project Partner)
- Barbara Shepherd Associates (Project Partner)
- Stretchline (Project Partner)
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Project Partner)
- TechniTex Faraday Ltd (Project Partner)
- Infi-Tex (Project Partner)
- Footfalls & Heartbeats (UK) Ltd (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
Stephen Beeby (Principal Investigator) | |
Kai Yang (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Yang K
(2024)
E-Textiles for Sports and Fitness Sensing: Current State, Challenges, and Future Opportunities
in Sensors
Yang K
(2019)
E-Textiles for Healthy Ageing.
in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Description | The E-Textiles Network has successfully established a membership of over 300 individuals from academia and industry. It has organised community events aimed at identifying research challenges, promoting the technology, exploring opportunities, influencing funders and facilitating collaborations. |
Exploitation Route | The e-textiles community has clear research challenges and opportunities to aim for plus a wider network of collaborators to build consortia. Projects arising from the Network will address a range of applications sectors given below. |
Sectors | Creative Economy Electronics Healthcare Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Security and Diplomacy |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com |
Description | Joining the Textile Institute Smart Fabrics steering Committee |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | E-Textiles Network |
Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We manage the network on their behalf. |
Collaborator Contribution | These are the steering board members that define the activities of the Network. |
Impact | Workshop on e-textiles for healthy aging |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | E-Textiles Network |
Organisation | Footfalls and Heartbeats |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We manage the network on their behalf. |
Collaborator Contribution | These are the steering board members that define the activities of the Network. |
Impact | Workshop on e-textiles for healthy aging |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | E-Textiles Network |
Organisation | Home Office |
Department | Centre for Applied Science and Technology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We manage the network on their behalf. |
Collaborator Contribution | These are the steering board members that define the activities of the Network. |
Impact | Workshop on e-textiles for healthy aging |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | E-Textiles Network |
Organisation | Qinetiq |
Department | QinetiQ (Farnborough) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We manage the network on their behalf. |
Collaborator Contribution | These are the steering board members that define the activities of the Network. |
Impact | Workshop on e-textiles for healthy aging |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | International Automotive Components Group Ltd - FETT |
Organisation | International Automotive Components |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Exploring the application of the FETT technology in car headliners. |
Collaborator Contribution | hosted project meeting and toured factory, understood design and performance requirements, attended steering board meetings |
Impact | None |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | E-Textiles 2023 Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The 5th International Conference on the Challenges, Opportunities, Innovations and Applications in Electronic Textiles attracted 135 participants from academia and industry. The conference series began as part of the Network activities and was held in Europe for the first time in 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://e-textilesconference.com/e-textiles-2023/ |
Description | E-Textiles Webinar Series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Since the Covid lockdown prevented in person events, the E-Textiles Network organised a monthly webinar series which is still ongoing. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021,2022,2023 |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com/news-and-events/ |
Description | E-Textiles conference (annual event) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | The E-Textiles Network organised the inaugural E-Textiles 2019: International Conference on the Challenges, Opportunities, Innovations and Applications in Electronic Textiles held in London. The event reached a range of academic, industrialists, funding agencies, and researchers and will be held in 2020 in Manchester and 2021 (venue TBC) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com/e-textiles-2019 |
Description | Organisation of E-Textiles 2022 Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Around 90 participants from industry and academia attended the 4th E-Textiles conference at Nottingham. This jas led to new collaborations and influenced the direction of research at Southampton. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://e-textilesconference.com/ |
Description | Organisation of E-Textiles Conference 2020 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | The E-Textiles Network organised the E-Textiles 2020: International Conference on the Challenges, Opportunities, Innovations and Applications in Electronic Textiles held online The event reached a range of academic, industrialists, funding agencies, and researchers and will be held in 2021 in Manchester. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com/e-textiles-2020/ |
Description | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar - Organisation of E-Textiles Conference 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Organised the Hybrid E-textiles 2021 conference in Manchester to disseminate research on e-textiles. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://e-textilesconference.com/e-textiles-2021/ |
Description | Workshop on E-Textiles for Healthcare |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The E-Textiles Network workshop "E-Textiles for Healthcare" was held on the 16th January 2024 at the University of Southampton. The workshop explored the role of wearable technology in Healthcare and then identified opportunities for E-Textile smart garment based wearables and the corresponding research challenges that needed to be addressed. The workshop ran as a one-day event, split into two halves with the morning session focusing on technology within Healthcare and the afternoon focusing on how this technology can be implemented in E-Textiles and the associated practical challenges. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com/e-textiles-for-healthcare-workshop/ |
Description | Workshop on E-Textiles for Sports and Fitness Applications |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The E-Textiles Network workshop "E-Textiles for Sports and Fitness Applications" was held on the 14th July at the Jurys Inn East Midlands Airport. The workshop explored the role of wearable technology in elite sports and general consumer fitness applications and then identified opportunities for e-textile smart garment-based wearables and the corresponding research challenges that needed to be addressed. Led to a review paper in preparation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com/e-textiles-for-sports-and-fitness-applications-workshop/ |
Description | Workshop on E-textiles for Healthy Ageing |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | The E-Textiles Network organised a workshop on the subject of E-Textiles for Healthy Ageing that included a range of talks on the challenges associated with healthy ageing and explored ways in which e-textiles can assist healthy ageing and support a healthy lifestyle. The outcome of the workshop was a report and review paper. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://e-textiles-network.com/e-textiles-for-healthy-ageing-workshop |