Otis Robinson, Industry 4.0 lead and editor, WTiN, reports on trends in digitalisation for sustainability,
growing consideration for human/machine interaction and the budding but uncertain metaverse
Digitalisation in the textile, apparel and fashion removed from the chemical processing part of
industries presents vast opportunities and the supply chain.
as new technologies come to the fore, Ultimately, digital technologies can support
stakeholders throughout Asia must be aware of sustainability in a time where atraditional,
how it can positively- or sometimes, negatively conservative industry must prove its
- impact the supply chain. Below are some of commitment to the environment.
the key conversations around digitalisation in
the global industry. Metaverse
Meanwhile, the metaverse is a burgeoning
Sustainability network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social
The textile & apparel (T&A) industry is still connection- and it can reportedly generate
struggling to break away from its conventions sales and exposure for fashion brands.
of mass production and fast fashion,especially Fashion in the metaverse is developing fast and
in key textile hubs in Asia.This is particularly is expected to be worth US$50bn by2030.The
empowered by digital production technologies fashion metaverse has the potential to massively
and systems. Yet, digitalisation also acts benefit both consumer interaction and brand
as a potential escape route from these awareness. Many big-name fashion brands have
unsustainable traditions. launched digital collections,virtual stores,digital
Since the manufacturing of T&A products avatars and non-fungible tokens (NFTs)in aim of
provides the largest contribution to the exposure to digital-native audiences.
industry’s carbon footprint, it is in production But concerns exist over intellectual property
that digitalisation presents the needed theft in a boundaryless virtual world, while its
opportunity to reduce consumption patterns. impact on the industry at large remains to be
The use of connected machines and smart determined. For example, it may be too early to
factories allows the gathering of big data- reliably predict the impact of the metaverse on
this informed data allows goods production physical clothing sales -virtual environments are
to become more productive and efficient used very differently in a variety of geographies
throughout the supply chain. under myriad circumstances, meaning the
Elsewhere, energy management, efficiency fashion market may not have yet fully absorbed
monitoring and predictive maintenance its singular purpose.
open doors for reduced energy usage, while
intelligent sensors and digital platforms can Industry 5.0
highlight opportunities to slash water and Despite these positive steps within Industry 4.0,
chemical usage. Not only this, but digital an undeniable shift towards the Fifth Industrial
machines themselves can replace traditional Revolution is on the horizon in the T&Aindustry.
processes. For example, in using laser, CO2 Reflected in new ethical considerations and
or plasma technologies, chemicals can be a shirking of economic focus in favour of
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2022 Show Daily Newspaper -Issue 2-20 November 2023