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$180b technical textile market still eludes Bangladesh

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$180b technical textile market still eludes Bangladesh

RMG
Abul Kashem & Reyad Hossain
11 October, 2021, 10:35 pm
Last modified: 12 October, 2021, 12:26 pm


Bangladesh, still in the early stage of technical textiles, has a huge potential to capture the markets of Europe and America, says a study
Photo: Collected
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

The current size of the global technical textile market is about $180 billion but Bangladesh is yet to tap this huge potential.

There are five main reasons behind this: lack of awareness of market requirements, inadequate technical expertise, difficulty in sourcing high-performance raw materials, compliance and certification requirements and need for capital investment.

A recent study came up with such information. According to the study, Bangladesh, still in the early stage of technical textiles, has a huge potential to capture the markets of Europe and America, the big buyers of this product.

The study, titled 'Feasibility study on scaling up the production of Technical Textile (TT) including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Bangladesh', was conducted by German-based Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (giz). The study will be released on Tuesday jointly with the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Technical textile is a textile product manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, where functionality is the primary criterion. Currently, technical textile materials are most widely used in filter clothing, furniture, hygiene medicals, and construction materials. Mask and PPE are also technical textile products.

"Most apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh tend to be medium-sized companies. Even large apparel groups are not known by international procurement agencies for TT/PPE products. The sourcing supply channel for medical PPE products is far more complex than that of apparel. Comprehensive details regarding performance, testing and certification requirements for the EU and the US are provided," said the report.

The technical textile market is projected to grow to $224.4 billion by 2025 at an average annual growth rate of 4.2%. Meanwhile, the global PPE market is projected to pass $93 billion by the end of 2025.


According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), in the last fiscal year 2020-21, Bangladesh exported PPEs and masks worth $618 million to the world market, which is 23% more than the previous year. Apart from this, the exact amount of other technical textiles exported is not known.

However, entrepreneurs in the garment industry say that Bangladesh is still unable to export even 0.5% of the demand in the world market. But the share of Bangladesh in the world market of readymade garments is more than 6%.

According to the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), an association of garment industry owners, 155 of its members export masks and PPEs. Masks have been exported to 19 countries and PPEs to six countries.

The study cited the complexity of raw material sourcing and testing or certification standards as one of the reasons for Bangladesh's lagging in technical textile exports.

BGMEA Director Abdullah Hil Rakib told The Business Standard we almost have no export of technical textiles to the world market. We just started after the advent of the Covid pandemic.

Ensuring supply and order of raw materials is a big challenge to exporting technical textile products. It is not yet recognised worldwide that Bangladesh can export this product, he added.

However, Rakib continued, we have started getting international certification for some PPEs. So, there are possibilities in the future. Even if we can capture 10% of the market, our total garment exports would exceed $50 billion.

Shahidullah Azim, vice president of BGMEA, told TBS, "From now on, we are encouraging the production of high-value or exceptional clothing outside the ordinary clothing. However, those who take such initiatives should get a special incentive from the government."

The study also pointed to a way for Bangladesh to do well in exporting such products. It said that a complete strategy has to be adopted for first stage development, based on a limited number of products by a limited number of well-established technical apparel manufacturers in the greater Dhaka area who will act as a role model TT/PPE cluster.

Everything starts on a small scale and once a solid foundation is built, the sub-sector can rely on increased demand to bolster more product diversification at a second stage, it said.

The study said during the first stage, factories will upgrade technology and implement lean manufacturing practices. The relevant departments will ensure suitable raw material procurement and quality production. Other departments will learn all the requirements for meeting testing and certification standards. Once Bangladesh builds its reputation, confidence and reliability in this new product sector, it can gradually introduce more technology and advance to more diversified and sophisticated products offering greater profit margins.

"Even starting with a limited number of products, if they are done well, it will open the door to a host of other niche categories and products. Encouraged by the success of the early manufacturers, more companies will take the leap and the sub-sector will grow.

"Europe is the current leader in imports of medical textiles but demand from North America is growing and expected to grow further. The world of technical textiles and their end-use products is endless.

"Once manufacturers have established reliable material supply, upgrade their operations and learn the necessary testing and certifications procedures, there are huge opportunities in product diversifications," the report said.

Bangladesh also benefits from the EU's Everything but Arms (EBA) scheme which allows for duty-free imports.

 
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$180b technical textile market still eludes Bangladesh

RMG
Abul Kashem & Reyad Hossain
11 October, 2021, 10:35 pm
Last modified: 12 October, 2021, 12:26 pm


Bangladesh, still in the early stage of technical textiles, has a huge potential to capture the markets of Europe and America, says a study
Photo: Collected
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

The current size of the global technical textile market is about $180 billion but Bangladesh is yet to tap this huge potential.

There are five main reasons behind this: lack of awareness of market requirements, inadequate technical expertise, difficulty in sourcing high-performance raw materials, compliance and certification requirements and need for capital investment.

A recent study came up with such information. According to the study, Bangladesh, still in the early stage of technical textiles, has a huge potential to capture the markets of Europe and America, the big buyers of this product.

The study, titled 'Feasibility study on scaling up the production of Technical Textile (TT) including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Bangladesh', was conducted by German-based Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (giz). The study will be released on Tuesday jointly with the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Technical textile is a textile product manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, where functionality is the primary criterion. Currently, technical textile materials are most widely used in filter clothing, furniture, hygiene medicals, and construction materials. Mask and PPE are also technical textile products.

"Most apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh tend to be medium-sized companies. Even large apparel groups are not known by international procurement agencies for TT/PPE products. The sourcing supply channel for medical PPE products is far more complex than that of apparel. Comprehensive details regarding performance, testing and certification requirements for the EU and the US are provided," said the report.

The technical textile market is projected to grow to $224.4 billion by 2025 at an average annual growth rate of 4.2%. Meanwhile, the global PPE market is projected to pass $93 billion by the end of 2025.


According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), in the last fiscal year 2020-21, Bangladesh exported PPEs and masks worth $618 million to the world market, which is 23% more than the previous year. Apart from this, the exact amount of other technical textiles exported is not known.

However, entrepreneurs in the garment industry say that Bangladesh is still unable to export even 0.5% of the demand in the world market. But the share of Bangladesh in the world market of readymade garments is more than 6%.

According to the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), an association of garment industry owners, 155 of its members export masks and PPEs. Masks have been exported to 19 countries and PPEs to six countries.

The study cited the complexity of raw material sourcing and testing or certification standards as one of the reasons for Bangladesh's lagging in technical textile exports.

BGMEA Director Abdullah Hil Rakib told The Business Standard we almost have no export of technical textiles to the world market. We just started after the advent of the Covid pandemic.

Ensuring supply and order of raw materials is a big challenge to exporting technical textile products. It is not yet recognised worldwide that Bangladesh can export this product, he added.

However, Rakib continued, we have started getting international certification for some PPEs. So, there are possibilities in the future. Even if we can capture 10% of the market, our total garment exports would exceed $50 billion.

Shahidullah Azim, vice president of BGMEA, told TBS, "From now on, we are encouraging the production of high-value or exceptional clothing outside the ordinary clothing. However, those who take such initiatives should get a special incentive from the government."

The study also pointed to a way for Bangladesh to do well in exporting such products. It said that a complete strategy has to be adopted for first stage development, based on a limited number of products by a limited number of well-established technical apparel manufacturers in the greater Dhaka area who will act as a role model TT/PPE cluster.

Everything starts on a small scale and once a solid foundation is built, the sub-sector can rely on increased demand to bolster more product diversification at a second stage, it said.

The study said during the first stage, factories will upgrade technology and implement lean manufacturing practices. The relevant departments will ensure suitable raw material procurement and quality production. Other departments will learn all the requirements for meeting testing and certification standards. Once Bangladesh builds its reputation, confidence and reliability in this new product sector, it can gradually introduce more technology and advance to more diversified and sophisticated products offering greater profit margins.

"Even starting with a limited number of products, if they are done well, it will open the door to a host of other niche categories and products. Encouraged by the success of the early manufacturers, more companies will take the leap and the sub-sector will grow.

"Europe is the current leader in imports of medical textiles but demand from North America is growing and expected to grow further. The world of technical textiles and their end-use products is endless.

"Once manufacturers have established reliable material supply, upgrade their operations and learn the necessary testing and certifications procedures, there are huge opportunities in product diversifications," the report said.

Bangladesh also benefits from the EU's Everything but Arms (EBA) scheme which allows for duty-free imports.


Technical Textile is basically Non-woven fabric, with which the majority of PPE is made...and there are other applications too,


Non-woven materials are used in numerous applications, including:

Medical[edit]
  • isolation gowns
  • surgical gowns
  • surgical drapes and covers
  • surgical masks
  • surgical scrub suits
  • caps
  • medical packaging: porosity allows gas sterilization
  • gloves
  • shoe covers
  • bath wipes
  • wound dressings
  • drug delivery[3][4]
  • plasters
Filters[edit]
  • gasoline, oil and air – including HEPA filtration
  • water, coffee, tea bags
  • pharmaceutical industry
  • mineral processing
  • liquid cartridge and bag filters
  • vacuum bags
  • allergen membranes or laminates with non woven layers
Geotextiles[edit]

Nonwoven geotextile bags are much more robust than woven bags of the same thickness.[1]

Geocomposite drain consisting of needle-punched nonwoven filter and carrier geotextiles of polypropylene staple fibers each having a mass per area of 200 g/m².[1]
Nonwoven geotextile containers (sand bags) are used for

  • soil stabilizers and roadway underlayment
  • foundation stabilizers
  • erosion control
  • canals construction
  • drainage systems
  • geomembrane protection
  • frost protection
  • pond and canal water barriers
  • sand infiltration barrier for drainage tile
  • landfill liners
 
. .
These non-woven items when used in a hospital setting are disposable, doing away with the need to wash and re-sanitize them.

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TT can be re-melted into other non-critical use such as Geo-membrane for soil stabilizers and roadway underlayment.
 
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BEXIMCO IS A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF PPE GLOBALLY.

They make most of their exported PPE from their own Technical Textile Plant. They supplied US Brand Hanes with 6.5 Million pieces of sterilized PPE scrubs in May 2020 - during the thick of Covid (when it was needed most).




Some idea of their vertical integration

 
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Technical Textile is basically Non-woven fabric, with which the majority of PPE is made...and there are other applications too,


Non-woven materials are used in numerous applications, including:

Medical[edit]
  • isolation gowns
  • surgical gowns
  • surgical drapes and covers
  • surgical masks
  • surgical scrub suits
  • caps
  • medical packaging: porosity allows gas sterilization
  • gloves
  • shoe covers
  • bath wipes
  • wound dressings
  • drug delivery[3][4]
  • plasters
Filters[edit]
  • gasoline, oil and air – including HEPA filtration
  • water, coffee, tea bags
  • pharmaceutical industry
  • mineral processing
  • liquid cartridge and bag filters
  • vacuum bags
  • allergen membranes or laminates with non woven layers
Geotextiles[edit]

Nonwoven geotextile bags are much more robust than woven bags of the same thickness.[1]

Geocomposite drain consisting of needle-punched nonwoven filter and carrier geotextiles of polypropylene staple fibers each having a mass per area of 200 g/m².[1]
Nonwoven geotextile containers (sand bags) are used for

  • soil stabilizers and roadway underlayment
  • foundation stabilizers
  • erosion control
  • canals construction
  • drainage systems
  • geomembrane protection
  • frost protection
  • pond and canal water barriers
  • sand infiltration barrier for drainage tile
  • landfill liners
That is actually not the only type of technical textile. Tapping this field eludes Pakistan as well. Forget Garments, these are the actual value-added textiles. I have worked in the technical textiles industry. India is far ahead in South Asia compared to other textile players in this domain.
 
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That is actually not the only type of technical textile. Tapping this field eludes Pakistan as well. Forget Garments, these are the actual value-added textiles. I have worked in the technical textiles industry. India is far ahead in South Asia compared to other textile players in this domain.

What are the other types of technical textiles other than melt-blown non-woven fabric?

I can think of two other major uses, filtration (as I highlighted already) and carbon fiber pre-preg fabric for fiberglass items manufacture. In some cases these have to be made with highly trained staff as these are used in precision low-tolerance defence applications (such as load-bearing and non-load bearing parts for fixed wing and Heli aircraft).
 
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What are the other types of technical textiles other than melt-blown non-woven fabric?

I can think of two other major uses, filtration (as I highlighted already) and carbon fiber pre-preg fabric for fiberglass items manufacture. In some cases these have to be made with highly trained staff as these are used in precision low-tolerance defence applications (such as load-bearing and non-load bearing parts for fixed wing and Heli aircraft).
Even nonwoven fabrics have many other types like needle-punched, thermally bonded other than the melt-blown ones used in filters/other medical fields. technical textiles could even be in the form of knits (meshes), woven fabrics, yarns, braids, even fibers. You talked about carbon fiber pre-pregs, these often use one or more layers of carbon fiber-based woven fabric as the fibrous reinforcement in a polymer matrix to form a fiber-reinforced composite that is used in diverse fields like spaces, automobiles, defense, sports. etc.
Even bulletproof vests are an example of technical textiles. Even scaffolds are being made that promote tissue growth (cell growth) by acting as substrate. Not only tissues but entire organs could be grown using textile-based scaffolds. Technical textiles are ubiquitous. These are exciting and at the frontier of science and engineering because they are highly interdisciplinary. These join principles and knowledge from diverse fields and sit at their confluence.
 
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Even nonwoven fabrics have many other types like needle-punched, thermally bonded other than the melt-blown ones used in filters/other medical fields. technical textiles could even be in the form of knits (meshes), woven fabrics, yarns, braids, even fibers. You talked about carbon fiber pre-pregs, these often use one or more layers of carbon fiber-based woven fabric as the fibrous reinforcement in a polymer matrix to form a fiber-reinforced composite that is used in diverse fields like spaces, automobiles, defense, sports. etc.
Even bulletproof vests are an example of technical textiles. Even scaffolds are being made that promote tissue growth (cell growth) by acting as substrate. Not only tissues but entire organs could be grown using textile-based scaffolds. Technical textiles are ubiquitous. These are exciting and at the frontier of science and engineering because they are highly interdisciplinary. These join principles and knowledge from diverse fields and sit at their confluence.

Good to know bhai - Thanks. Interesting tidbits.

Need to read up some more.

Though I'd deign to comment that for now, producing PPE alone (from local melt-blown non-woven fabric) will keep Bangladesh busy for a while.

I have been hearing from Chamber circles and publications in Dhaka that there will be a dozen of these new non-woven plants invested within a couple of years.

That is the major thrust and focus - sewing PPE for export. It is the equivalent of producing low cost T-shirts for export, which Bangladesh still specializes at.
 
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Good to know bhai - Thanks. Interesting tidbits.

Need to read up some more.

Though I'd deign to comment that for now, producing PPE alone (from local melt-blown non-woven fabric) will keep Bangladesh busy for a while.

I have been hearing from Chamber circles and publications in Dhaka that there will be a dozen of these new non-woven plants invested within a couple of years.

That is the major thrust and focus - sewing PPE for export. It is the equivalent of producing low cost T-shirts for export, which Bangladesh still specializes at.
Pakistan produced PPE in surplus pretty quickly when the covid came to the fore. We started exporting it pretty soon. Medical textiles are a big area within the realm of technical textiles. These come under the MedTech branch of technical textiles.
 
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