The future of the e-textiles market

The IDTechEx Research report has a particular focus on the narrow definition of those entirely reliant on e-fibres for electronic, electro-optic and electrical functionality. Today, only conductive weavable fibres are widely available commercially. Include in that embroidery and other interleaving technologies using ribbon or fibre.

IDTechEx finds that most of the research is done in the USA. At present it looks as if progress will be modest for a few more years and a market of the order of $1bn (USD) may emerge in ten years when rapid market growth may begin. For that to happen, there needs to be a much wider choice of functions and good interconnection technology all surviving demanding wash cycles. Batteries on a fibre would store more electricity than supercapacitors do but they are less favoured due to cost and reliability when on a fibre.

There are two additional factors which may hasten market growth. They are sectors that have been very different because these fibres have not been weavable and rugged to the necessary extent but that is changing. Firstly the old fibre optic cable, useful for sensing and optics, not just data transmission, is starting to be woven and secondly the impediment short length of carbon nanotubes and nanorods such as those of the dielectric, piezoelectric and semiconductor zinc oxide is being managed in some recent woven structures. Of course, almost all electronic and electrical textiles today have iron-on or stitch-on functional patches or inlays but some have extremely tiny conventional components like integrated circuits and LEDs trapped by the fibres. These interim technologies are also covered in the report which analyses the evolving options, pros and cons and applications.