- TAIWANTODAY.TW - Taiwan Review - 01/Aug 00:00

Fiber Ingenuity

Taiwan’s textile industry blends sustainability, innovation and smart technology. At 83, Alex Lo (羅忠祐) remains as forward-thinking as ever as he continues to shape the company he founded more than 50 years ago. Super Textile Corp., based in Youth Industrial Park in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City, was one of Taiwan’s earliest innovators in sustainable textiles, developing fabrics from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as far back as 1997. Since then the company has earned multiple Taiwan Excellence Awards from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) for pioneering products such as luminous fabrics that enhance nighttime safety, far-infrared textiles designed for wellness and sustainable fabrics made from repurposed biowaste and later used by the company to produce vegan leather in collaboration with Taipei City-headquartered Ocean Plastics Co. “We must continue being curious and looking to the future for business to thrive,” Lo said. His philosophy mirrors the evolution of Taiwan’s textile industry, which today employs over 140,000 workers at around 4,400 factories run primarily by small- and medium-sized enterprises like Super Textile.Super Textile Corp. is among the first companies in Taiwan to transform waste plastic bottles into textiles, a practice it began nearly 30 years ago. (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)Once labor intensive, the industry has been transformed through automation and advanced technologies, remaining a cornerstone of Taiwan’s economy and bringing prosperity. In 2024 textile exports reached US$6.7 billion, securing Taiwan a place among the world’s top 10 textile exporters. Most of these orders are fulfilled by the industry’s midstream and upstream sectors, which produce fibers, yarns and fabrics, while garment manufacturing, traditionally the most labor-intensive segment, represents a smaller share. Distinct Edge Taiwan’s global reputation rests on its ability to create high-performance functional fabrics, a market sector the industry has cultivated for years. “Demand for products with features like water repellence, moisture wicking and temperature regulation is booming,” said Justin Huang (黃偉基), president of the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF). “In the past, these fabrics were primarily used for sports or outdoor wear, but now they also feature in luxury brands.”Apparel production represents only a small segment of the domestic textile industry. (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)TTF plays a pivotal role in connecting Taiwan’s textile enterprises with global markets by hosting the annual Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show (TITAS) and arranging overseas trade missions throughout the year. TITAS highlights the most advanced functional fabrics from Taiwan, and international shows like Germany’s Performance Days and the U.S. Functional Fabric Fair have become key platforms for domestic players to showcase their developments. Research is core to the sector’s competitiveness. The MOEA’s Industrial Development Administration (IDA) collaborates closely with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), whose Material and Chemical Research Laboratories pioneer high-value materials. Meanwhile, the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) in New Taipei City focuses on production optimization. Among its successes is the development of technology to manufacture fibers that stretch in response to humidity to enhance breathability. Since the technology was first transferred to private enterprises in 2022, it has generated NT$1.2 billion (US$40 million) in product value.Smart machines at Super Textile transmit real-time operational data. (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)New Leaf Taiwan’s textile industry is currently undergoing a sustainability transformation. “Sustainable practices are no longer optional—they’re essential,” said IDA Secretary General Chen Kuo-hsuan (陳國軒). International regulations, such as the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation that takes effect in 2027, are pushing manufacturers to meet stringent environmental standards across the entire product life cycle. In response to such trends, Taipei-headquartered Far Eastern New Century Corp., one of Taiwan’s largest textile companies, has invested heavily in recycling technologies to recover and reprocess material from end-of-life products. Manufacturing plants as well as their products are integrating sustainability practices. Super Textile has operated a rainwater recycling system since 1995 and has recently added rooftop solar panels and energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems. In 2022 the company worked with Minghsin University of Science and Technology in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County to complete its first carbon footprint analysis, an exercise it now conducts annually. In 2024 an IDA subsidy supported the installation of an advanced power-monitoring system at its Taoyuan plant to further optimize energy use.Fibers extracted from banana pseudostems are tested in apparel production. (Courtesy of Taiwan Banana Research Institute)The country’s rich agricultural output is opening new frontiers for sustainable fabrics. In the southern county of Pingtung, the Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI) is developing fiber extraction from banana pseudostems as part of a broader initiative to transform agricultural byproducts into eco-friendly textiles. “Banana fibers are still in the early development stages, and due to the crop’s year-round availability they hold strong potential,” said TBRI researcher Huang Shih-hung (黃世宏). Banana fibers are the next foray into use of organic waste, with ongoing collaborations between TBRI, TTRI and local enterprises to create blends with cotton and flax for soft, durable fabrics. “Interest from export-oriented businesses is growing rapidly,” Huang added. Bright Outlook As the industry embraces sustainable practices, it is also investing in digitization and smart manufacturing. “Experienced workers have long been the backbone of the sector, but advanced artificial intelligence (AI) can now match or even surpass human accuracy,” said TTF’s Huang. By analyzing production data, AI-powered systems can detect defects, fine-tune processes and enhance efficiency, resulting in higher-quality products at lower costs. Super Textile’s Taoyuan factory exemplifies this transformation. Each weaving machine is equipped with sensors that transmit real-time operational data to both on-site monitoring screens and mobile devices to allow for immediate troubleshooting. “This smart system significantly reduces labor demands and ensures smooth operations,” Lo said.Taiwan’s first domestically made artificial intelligence-driven fabric inspection machine debuts at TITAS 2022. (Courtesy of TTF)Super Textile founder Alex Lo remains a leading force in Taiwan’s textile innovation after more than 50 years. (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)Joining Super Textile in advancing industry standards are machinery companies such as OSHIMA Taiwan Co. in New Taipei. Through IDA’s Industrial Upgrading Innovation Platform, OSHIMA partnered with ITRI and Tuntex Inc., headquartered in the southern city of Kaohsiung, to develop Taiwan’s first AI-driven fabric inspection machine. Debuting at TITAS in 2022, the machine can detect the same number of flaws in six minutes as the average human inspector spots in 40, dramatically improving efficiency and uniformity. Amid global geopolitical challenges, Taiwan’s textile industry remains on a growth trajectory. IDA projects the sector’s production value will rise to NT$500 billion (US$16.66 billion) by 2030, up from NT$333 billion (US$11.12 billion) last year. “The industry didn’t falter when faced with rising labor and land costs decades ago,” Chen said. “Instead, it advanced by focusing on high-quality, high-value products and smart manufacturing. We continue that trajectory so that the sector will continue to reach new levels of excellence.” Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw