The global sportswear market is worth over $100
billion a year and the competition is fierce. As opposed to the old days when it was absolutely
uncool to be seen in tracksuits on the high street,
athletic apparels have become both a lifestyle and
fashion statement in recent years. Yet, that means
sportswear customers are savvier than ever – expecting
more not only in style and look but also in
functional performance such as heat stress,
cold stress, compressional stretch and pressure comfort,
injury prevention, performance enhancement and
maintenance of physiological health. The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and
Apparel (HKRITA) funded a research team in the
Textile Bioengineering Research Center (TBRC)
hosted in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
who have devised comprehensive computational software
and engineering database to design and simulate the
thermal performance of functional textiles and
garments from physiological stresses and psychological
comfort points of view. The research team is now
looking for investors to commercialise their various
inventions with huge business potential in the
fast-growing clothing market.
Sports, a new religion.
The emergence of so-called ‘sports luxe’ – such as couture
trainers and designer joggers with hefty price tags – has
permanently changed the landscape of fashion and
ready-to-wear industry. People are generally more aware of the health benefits of
working out than before and are happier than ever to wear
athletic clothing that looks fashion-forward and chic. Sports lovers now expect affordable sports products that
offer better quality, better design and higher performance.
And for ultimate performance, the key is to keep the athlete
cool and dry while offering support to the right muscles.
That explains the birth of sweat-wicking, heat-dissipating
and stretch compression fabrics. Experts at TBRC did systematic investigations on sports
physiology and used multi-scale computations to design
all-rounded garment and fabric. They mapped out body heat
and moisture distribution to determine which part of the
clothing needs to dissipate more heat or draws more moisture
than others. The biomechanical aspects of each sport also informed
patterning and design. Optimal level of support or
compression is applied on the key muscles for optimal
arterial and venous blood flow, and hence, improved
stamina and faster recovery. With the platform they designed, functional performance
of each fabric and garment can be analysed with respect
to specific combinations of sport activities and external
environments. They also incorporated human lifestyle activities, living
environments and anthropological characteristics of human
populations with fibre materials, fabric structural features
and garments structural design into the clothing functional
CAD system for quantitative technical design and simulation. In fact, the team have custom-designed a series of
performance sportswear for Olympic elite athletes and
functional uniforms for firefighters, medical workers and
construction workers to improve wear comfort, enhance
performance, reduce thermal stresses and increase protection
while minimising the risk of injury. The inventions from TBRC have been successfully commercialised
and sold to more than 33 countries and developed as the national
testing standards in USA and China (the ‘Moisture
Management Tester’) and become the authorised product
by Hong Kong Hospital Authority (the ‘Nano Facemasks’).
The high performance sportswear designed and developed by
TBRC team has been utilised to support elite athletes in
major sports competitions in the world, including the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympics.
The opportunities.
The TBRC team is now looking for partners and investors
from around the world to commercialise their inventions.
One or more spin-out companies could be set up and possible
scopes for commercialisation include:- Novel smart anti-cancer and anti-infection biomaterials,
nano particles nanofibres and medical devices for regenerate
medicineNew functional textile fibres and fabrics Original and creative functional garment innovations (products) Innovative medical protective product innovations such as
respirators and personal protective clothing and equipment (PPE) Coud computational technology platform for technical design
of functional textiles and apparel products and for e-business
platform in terms of testing certificating functional performances
of fibres, fabrics and apparel products Development of e-technology-based lifestyle oriented &
customised product interactive functional design and manufacture
services to global consumers. Business plans, patents, designs, registered copyrights and
scientific papers are available for review and discussion. Contact information: david.baghurst@isis.ox.ac.uk • This article is part of the ‘ITF Projects Commercialisation
Programme’ hosted by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks
Corporation (HKSTP) in conjunction with Isis Innovation, the
technology transfer company of the University of Oxford.
The programme aims to expose Hong Kong innovations to
international audiences and hence, facilitate commercialisation
via the network of Isis. For information on all projects in
the programme, please visit http://file.hkstp.org/mh4h4uk3f5u62a6p/Marketing/ITF%20Projects%20Commer... This project is organised by Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks
Corporation.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed
in this material/event (or by members of the project team) do not
reflect the views of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, the Innovation and Technology Commission or the Vetting Committee
of the General Support Programme of the Innovation and Technology Fund.
See more at:
http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/trade-floor/tech-biotech-
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