Turkey’s investments in R&D and innovation for ‘technical textiles’ products, which has a global export volume amounting to 107 billion US Dollars in world markets, continues unabated. Moreover, Turkey’s ‘technical textiles‘ export volume is expected to go over 2 billion US Dollars until the end of the year and rapidly increase its share in global export markets.

According to the statement from ITHIB; meeting the domestic demand and sending aid to more than 70 countries around the world for the medical textile products such as masks, protective suits, and medical gowns, continues to reflect the strength of Turkey in the field of ‘technical textiles’.

Investments in R&D and innovation for ‘technical textiles’ products, which has a global export volume amounting to 107 billion US Dollars in world markets, continues unabated. In this context, Turkey’s ‘technical textiles’ export volume is targeted to go over 2 billion US Dollars until the end of the year and rapidly increase its share in global export markets.

“We aim to increase Turkey’s ‘technical textiles’ exports share in global exports markets”

Ahmet Oksüz, the Chairman of the Board of Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB), whose views are included in the statement, expressed that the technical textiles would shape the vision of the textile sector in Turkey, and they would provide high value-addition to the industry.

Oksüz stated that technical textile exports increased by 196 percent in June and amounted to 349 million US Dollars, and increased by 39 percent in the January-June period, amounting to 1.2 billion US Dollars.

Underlining that the strategic importance of the sector was once again understood during the pandemic period, ?ksüz continued his statement as follows:

“Our industry, which is not dependent on the international supply of raw materials, has successfully overcome the troublesome pandemic period. However, in order to make this success sustainable, we should encourage our companies to manufacture in accordance with international standards and come up with additional solutions to achieve a more competitive structure. In this context, in the meetings we held with our relevant Ministries, we expressed that the application of exporting personal protective equipment products only after donating to the State Materials Office should be revised. Our ministries took a step by expanding the compulsory donation application and regulated the export and donation operations. We have reached an infrastructure that can be the world leader in manufacturing medical textile products. With this infrastructure, we must be more proactive in order to meet global demands while maintaining our strength. Our industry, which is not dependent on the international supply of raw materials, has successfully overcome the troublesome pandemic period. In this context, Turkey’s ‘technical textiles’ export volume is targeted to go over 2 billion US Dollars until the end of the year and rapidly increase its share in global export markets.”

Oksüz emphasized that the future is in technical textiles for higher value-added export products and indicated that they are carrying out their endeavors as ITHIB within this framework.

Expressing that technical textiles are prominent in design and functionality, Oksüz continued his assessment as follows, “The technical textile sector offers facilitating solutions to the automotive textiles, construction, agriculture sectors, as well as producing nanotechnological, stain-repellent, breathing, heat-retaining textile products.”

“As Turkish Textile Companies, We are ready to Manufacture All Textile Components of TOGG”

ITHIB President Oksüz stated that they have realized the study of ‘Digital Transformation and Innovation in Technical Textiles’ with the support of the Ministry of Trade and 14 technical textile companies and continued with the following statements; “With our R&D project, we aim to complete the Industry 4.0 integration of our companies by taking a leading role in the digital transformation of our companies. Also, within the framework of Turkey’s first and only ‘Thesis Master’s Degree Program’ that we initiated with ITU, we plan to increase the qualified human resources needed by our industry.”

Ahmet Oksüz, emphasized that, as Turkish textile companies, they were ready to fulfill all the duties incumbent upon them as the textiles and its raw materials sector for our national automobile that will represent Turkey on the world arena and to produce all the textile components of our domestic and national vehicle TOGG. Moreover, Oksüz underlined that, as the world’s 6th largest and EU’s 2nd largest supplier industry presently, they would continue to work relentlessly for ever-growing Turkey’s economy.

Source: etextilemagazine