The market scope of TCCV is focused, but not limited to the Euro Zone
The EU-28 represents the worldwide biggest market for textiles with a volume of more than 500 billion Euros. The European Textile and Garment industry is the second largest exporter of textiles and the third largest in garment worldwide. In 2010 a total of 1.9 million employees in 125.000 enterprises achieved a total turn-over of 171 billion Euros, which corresponds to 3 % of the overall industrial production value in Europe.
During the last year technical textiles exhibit constant growth worldwide. As an estimate the world market for textile based technical products has grown for 3.8 % per annum, with a total market volume in 2010 of more than 95 billion Euros. Future growth is estimated with 5 % per year.
Textile production represents a key technology, which includes a wide variety of techniques and processes, from fibre technology, fabric structure formation to functional composites and lightweight structures, highly specialized techniques, flexible materials and reinforced structures.
The overall vision of the TCCV is to conduct cutting-edge research in the field of smart textiles, (specific) textile-based composites and high-performance textile materials as one of Europe’s flagship R&D projects in the respective fields, visible and recognised in the textile research community within Austria and Europe. Research endeavours will bundle the existing competencies of the textile manufacturers together with those of the scientific community, especially the Research Institute for Textile Chemistry and Textile Physics. By this, a critical mass of expertise and dedicated research resources will be established in a physical research structure in the region of Vorarlberg.
Important drivers determining the emerging demand in technical products
Mobility with reduced consumption through use of lightweight structures, Communication techniques using integration of electrical circuits in flexible structures, Health related applications, which are influenced through the demographic situation of an ageing population in Europe and Safety through optimised personal equipment and protective clothing.
The need for an intersectoral research approach will be addressed in three research Areas.
AREA 1
In Area 1 textile reinforced composites will be investigated to elaborate a general understanding of material combinations for high performance products e.g. lightweight composites, aluminium textile hybrid material.
AREA 2
In Area 2 integration of sensors, adaptive materials, electrical devices in the textile structures will be studied. Miniaturisation and network formation will add new profiles to the textiles as functional element in the movement towards an „Internet of Things“.
AREA 3
In Area 3 molecular and micro composites will be studied through polymer coating, membrane formation, deposition of polymers, silicon based processes, and textile finishing. The scientific results will lead to new high performance products for sports textiles, the lead market for high value products, and will be of substantial value for other textiles including for technical textiles.
