Smart textiles not yet a mass market

According to experts, intelligent textiles are not yet a case for the mass market. "Fashion is rarely an issue," said Kay Ullrich from the Thuringia Vogtland Textile Research Institute. "It's part of it, but there's a different price pressure." Growth drivers for textiles with conductive threads woven into them are currently the automotive and medical industries.

Axel Augustin, Managing Director of the German Textile, Footwear and Leather Goods Trade Association, also said: "It's definitely exotic at the moment." It is not clear why you need a sports shirt that monitors fitness data when there are already devices for this.

According to the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association, the market volume could double from up to 3.2 billion euros in 2023 to 2026. "Despite the growing interest, the buyer group for smart textiles is still a specialized market," said Johannes Diebel, Head of Research at the Textile Research Board of the association. However, he assumes that as the technology develops further, it will increasingly enter the mass market. However, this would depend on the price, the benefit for the consumer and the recyclability of the products.