Smart and Interactive Textiles

Report Highlights

• The U.S. market for smart textiles was worth an estimated $70.9 million in 2006. This figure is expected to reach $78.6 million in 2007 and $391.7 million in 2012, at a CAGR of 37.9% between 2007 and 2012.
• Consumer products accounted for the bulk (98%) of U.S. smart textiles sales in 2006. However, the projected rapid growth of military, biomedical, and vehicle safety and comfort applications for smart textiles is expected to have a major impact on both the size and structure of the market.
• Sales of conductive fabric products are expected to more than double each year between 2007 and 2012.

INTRODUCTION

Smart textiles are able to sense electrical, thermal, chemical, magnetic, or other stimuli from the environment and adapt or respond to them, using functionalities integrated into the textile structure. They do not have a fixed set of characteristics, but are an active element that works with its own control and response mechanism.

The subject of this report represents a relatively new type of textile technology. It will have a potentially broad, as yet unforeseeable impact on the market for protective clothing, medical textiles, and other textile products and applications.

The U.S. military historically has been the leader in developing smart textile technologies and applications in such areas as body armor, artificial muscles, biochemical hazard protection, physiological status monitoring, location, and embedded communications and computing. Many of these same technologies also have potential civilian and commercial applications. Indeed, the commercial sector has been ahead of the military in commercializing smart textile technologies.

SCOPE OF STUDY

This report contains:

• Descriptions of various types of current and potential smart textile technologies
• The current market status of smart textile technologies, trends, and forecasts of growth over the next 5 years for the U.S. market, along with an assessment of their global context
• A discussion of factors that will influence long-term market development
• An examination of applications and end users with the greatest commercial potential through 2012
• A comprehensive patent analysis, plus company profiles of leading players.

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

The specific methodologies and assumptions used to develop the market projections are provided as detailed market estimates and projections. This section includes some general observations concerning:

• This report's approach to estimating the market for developmental technologies whose commercial potential generally has not been demonstrated.
• Estimating the market for smart textile applications rather than smart textiles per se.

ESTIMATING THE MARKET FOR DEVELOPMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES

• AVM056A Lightweight Materials in Transportation
• EGY053A Advanced Materials and Devices for Renewable Energy Systems
• NAN015E Advanced Ceramics and Nano Ceramic Powders
• ENV007A The U.S. Market for "Green" Building Materials
• NAN031B Nanotechnology: a Realistic Market Assessment
• AVM053A Materials and Devices for High-Performance Sports