Enterprise and Innovation

SmarTex

"Using innovation and business support to help Leicestershire's textile industries survive amidst stiff competition in the global marketplace"

The project will give Leicestershire textile businesses access to a portfolio of specialist technical and business resources, required for the development of new knowledge intensive products in order to be globally competitive.

Organisation: DeMontfort University

Completion Date: 31/03/2007

Location

Leicester and Leicestershire

Project Description

Our joint efforts (DMU and M Wright) have made it possible for M Wright to engineer woven webbings which show inherent capabilities of Infra red reflectance. M Wright has successfully created several structures that are undergoing further trials and it is envisaged that this will lead to new contracts.

Simon Marshall,Development Manager, M Wright & Sons Ltd

Textile industry background
Textile businesses are critical to the continued prosperity and vitality of Leicester, with the East Midlands forming the second largest textiles cluster in Europe (Ref emda Report 2001). Textile enterprises provide significant employment opportunities, particularly within socially disadvantaged wards and contribute to the distinctive character of Leicester.

Effects of globalization
However, competition from emerging economies and the global economic downturn are resulting in severe pressure on Leicestershire textile enterprises. Extremely low labour costs allow overseas competitors to undercut Leicestershire textile businesses in their traditional markets, resulting in the loss of employment and skills in critical areas. Urgent action must be taken to support the vital textiles sector by providing a textiles business growth infrastructure allowing enterprises to develop new products and diversify into new high value technical textiles markets.

Benefits of SmarTex

• The SmarTex programme will give Leicestershire textile businesses access to a portfolio of specialist technical and business resources, required for the development of new knowledge intensive products.
• It will enhance the Leicestershire textiles sector, safeguarding employment and developing high value skills.
• Through a market-driven approach, SmarTex will directly respond to the technical textiles business development needs of Leicestershire SMEs.
• Smartex will examine the innovation and business growth needs of individual SMEs and deploy technical and business development resources to directly address these requirements. It combines in-depth, technical textiles research and development resources with business support required to implement specific innovations.
• SmarTex will afford Leicestershire textile businesses access to new high value technical textile markets. Areas of diversification will include medical textiles, engineering and technical composites.
• SmarTex would also reduce the risks for businesses engaging in innovation, through early engagement with supply chain representatives.
• SmarTex will provide the Leicestershire textiles cluster with access to the world-class technical, scientific and knowledge resources required, within an integrated programme that will ensure innovation and technical developments are realised, by providing in-depth technical textiles business development support.
• SmarTex will provide a complementary but differentiated support to other regional business services, including the Manufacturing Advisory Service, InnoRed, the East Midlands Innovation Factory and Envirowise.

Outcomes

Laboratory

• Direct Technological and scientific support to businesses via establishing a Technical Textiles Laboratory.
• It will provide dedicated testing service to analyse and evaluate the performance of innovative textile products.
• It will also support diversification and innovation activities through companies innovation action plans.

Direct Business support

• A dedicated textile technology specialist will directly engage with targeted textile companies to ensure that technical innovation and development opportunities can be realised and brought to the market.
• An Intensive seven days' packagen will be provided, including technology auditing, opportunity identification and development of an innovation action plan.
• The SmarTex programme will result in the direct creation of three new, high added-value positions, through the engagement of a dedicated textiles practitioner, a textiles technician and a project administrator.

Project Contacts

Project manager:
John Williams
Contact Angela Davies
Tel: 0116 207 8575
E-mail: smartex@dmu.ac.uk
Website: www.dmu.ac.uk/smartex

LSEP contact:
Niloofar Sarkari
Tel: 0116 257 5678
E-mail: niloofars@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk