The Aegean Region is focused on developing textiles with high added value. Technical Textiles Research and Development Center (TEKSMER), which was founded in 2014, carries out important studies in this direction. TEKSMER Board of Directors Chairman Sabri Ünlütürk stated that their aim is to turn İzmir and surrounding region into a technical textile center.
Speaking at the ‘2018 Assessment and Technical Textiles Developments’ meeting organized by TEKSMER at Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EİB) facility, Ünlütürk said that the kilogram price of a knitted fabric is 6 dollars, and when the protective features are added, it reaches up to 30 dollars.
Ünlütürk reminded that it is not mandatory in the occupational safety legislation for companies to provide workplace uniforms according to workplace conditions. Ünlütürk noted that if there is a legislative arrangement in this field like in developed countries, technical textile will grow in the coming years. Ünlütürk; “For the companies that are early to the game, there is an opportunity for this field in the coming years”.
TEKSMER “We want to reduce foreign dependency”
Sabri Ünlütürk stated that they are working hard for added value production; and said that they have several projects in this area. Ünlütürk said that Turkish textile manufacturers are trying to make production using the fibers developed by foreigners and continued as follows; “We want to strengthen the fiber development infrastructure of companies working in the field of technical textiles. We want to eliminate dependence on China, Germany and USA in the production of technical textiles. We are taking action in order to develop the raw material R&D of companies in the textile industry”. Ünlütürk predicted that if companies in İzmir and surrounding regions focus on value-added products this region will become the center of technical textiles.
TEKSMER Coordinator Devrim Göktaş Başer said that; Turkish technical textile exports in 2017 was worth 1.5 billion dollars in her speech. Başer; “Technical textiles are not only in clothing. They have begun to be used in all areas from construction to the automotive. China, USA and Germany share the first three places of the global technical textile industry. In 2017, the first three markets for technical textile exports of 1.5 billion dollars were Germany, France and Italy. Turkey had realized 1.6 billion dollars of imports technical textiles in 2016”.
EİB Secretary General, Cumhur İşbırakmaz expressed that they would like to realize Development of International Competitiveness (UR-GE) projects for the development of technical textiles in the Aegean Region; and invited companies in textile industry to participate in UR-GE project.
At the meeting; TEKSMER experts and managers gave information about the latest trends in the world and in Turkey; related to technical textile production and export; evaluated activities for 2018, and plans and goals for 2019.