Textile production

4.4. The role of textile universities and academic research institutes in the process of innovation
As has been seen, most of the major innovations in textile materials and technologies have, with some notable exceptions, come from the textile industry itself rather than the academic sector. However, this does not mean that academic research does not have a critical role to play in innovation for new product development, particularly in supporting SMEs. It is well known that the great majority of traditional textile companies are SMEs with limited resources of their own to pursue innovation. These companies rely to a large extent on the information provided by their suppliers of fibres, yarns, fabrics, machinery, chemical and dyestuffs, etc. Their information about new innovations in products and processes is often obtained at various types of textile-related exhibitions, as well as via trade magazines and trade organizations. Larger and technically stronger textile SMEs need to source innovation not only within their own R&D laboratories, but also to an even greater extent in non-competitive research projects in universities and research institutes. Globalized innovation sources are eradicating geographic boundaries between the supplier and user of application-driven knowledge.
What can textile universities and research institutes do for the textile and clothing industry? The European textile industry, for example, must rely on advanced technologies and materials delivering added value products to succeed in today’s competitive world. Much of the intellectual capital of a country has a direct or indirect connection to the major research institutes/university departments and to the research laboratories of the bigger technology companies. The task of all national textile universities and research institutes must include the upgrading of textile companies’ capabilities to produce high quality products. Currently all major academic institutes involved in textile-related research are making strong efforts to interact with textile companies, on an individual or a collective basis, in order to effectively contribute towards knowledge and technology transfer.
New knowledge is being continuously created in the laboratories of many textile universities and research institutes worldwide. The dissemination of this knowledge mostly takes place in the form of scientific papers presented in journals and at conferences. One also notices a steady increase in patents issued to scientists working in the above laboratories, but it is unclear today to what extent these inventions have reached successful commercial uses. One can, however, discuss whether or not in all these research establishments there is the right organizational structure and work environment, capable of handling the commercial exploitation of new ideas. Textile research institutes and university departments should have an organizational structure that facilitates a suitable environment for their creative staff members to transfer ideas to successful products in the marketplace.
An invention made in an academic research laboratory, with strong potential to become an innovative product or process at the industrial level, would need to get the support of some industrial partner willing to conclude a licence agreement with the university/institute. Alternatively, the inventor might need to leave the academic world temporarily and either join or start a commercial enterprise to bring an innovation to market. These types of knowledge transfer mechanisms are currently missing or poorly developed in many academic research institutions.
The ‘knowledge-based economy’ has changed the traditional educational and research role of universities and research institutes to become centres for economic development, contributing innovations to industry and society. To successfully meet these new expectations, universities in general, and textile universities and institutes in particular, must first adjust their educational and research systems and programmes to be compatible with this role, and then develop mechanisms and opportunities for commercialization of their intellectual property. An effective management of innovation will result in a dynamic research community which will eventually benefit industrial growth.