Innovation Creation in Textile Industry

          It is widely known that competition in textile industry is very intense, especially competition with foreign countries. According to the study by the institute and textile specialists, there must be serious research and development as well as the ability to further the research and develop new products in order to make Thai textile industry able to compete. In the past, both public and private organizations have ignored research and development for a long time because they have produced as order for over 20 years. Now, the form of business operation has changed and entrepreneurs become willing to improve research and development. However, major problems are the lack of human resources, the lack of budget and technology promotion and especially the lack of pilot plant for testing new products which most competitor countries have. The institute is aware that serious and continual research and development will increase the ability to meet the demand, increase value, decrease capital and create product variety and innovation so that Thai textile industry can compete in the long term.

          In July, 2004, the institute organized the meeting to gather ideas from industrial section, researchers and organizations supporting funds for public research. From the meeting, it was found that Thai textile industry wanted the following researches to be done: Nanotechnology, Textile Design Applications, Energy Saving in Textile Process, Bi-component Fiber Technology, Textile Design Technology, Functional Textiles and Technical Textiles. These researches cover all level of industry, from primary to tertiary as well as pilot plant being able to test and develop new products like most countries such as China Textile Academy in China, The Bombay Textile Research Associations, Manmade Textiles Research Association, Northern Indian Textiles Research Association in India, Taiwan Textile Research Institute in Taiwan, Korea Textile Development Institute in Korea and The Philippine Textile Research Association in the Philippines. Pilot plants are very important because they function as a tool in research and developing model products which have higher value as well as a tool in developing human resources.

          In the private section opinion concluded from the brainstorm meeting and interviewing entrepreneurs in the textile cluster on the Petkasem Road. It is found that entrepreneurs in the cluster have a low level of research and development because they think that research and development cost is high but has slow result or it is not worth doing. Instead, they choose to import technology because it can solve problems quickly but it is not sustainable.

          Some entrepreneurs are interested in research and development but have no pilot scale equipment. In case of primary and secondary industry, entrepreneurs think that it is not worth doing because these industries need to have machines functioning continually to reduce cost but in research and development, the machines must be stopped to do experiment. Therefore, there is little systematic product improvement and development and new innovation in textile industry cannot be created. Most entrepreneurs suggested that the government should found a textile research and development center in four-province cluster such as in Ratchaburi. In the center, there must be a pilot plant operating primary, secondary and tertiary industry because innovation needs the whole process improvement. Starting with fiber industry, a pilot fiber spinning plant must be built in order to create fiber having special quality such as high tenacity, hydrophilicity or hydrphobicity and anti-virus quality. Spinning industry needs a pilot yarn spinning plant in order to crate special thread having fancy yarn and special blended yarn such as cotton silk and silk wool as well as having more yarn fineness. Bleaching and dyeing industry needs a pilot finishing plant in order to develop finishing process which will increase so much value such as improving water repellant quality by using siliconized atmospheric plasma treatment and anti-microbial and selfcleaning quality by using Titanium Dioxide Nano Particle. The entrepreneurs are willing to pay service fee for using the pilot plant and the government might appoint the Thailand Textile Institute to be in charge of the pilot plant.

          Therefore, pilot plant is essential to textile industry in Thailand. The institute has pushed to have pilot plant founded which will build a connection between public organizations such as ministries, educational institutions and the Thailand Textile Institute, and private organizations. About 50% of pilot plant operation time, it will be used by member companies, so institutions, universities and interested people can take this opportunity to cooperate in develop new products with following projects proposed to the government. Vision: Pilot plant which is the center of textile research and development

Objectives

          To make a clear picture of pilot plant, it is divided into business model, operation model and financial model as follows.

Business Model

Operation Model

Objectives

Pilot plants in general

Primary industry components

Financial Model

Budget for founding pilot plant
Year 1 : 250 million baht
Year 2 : 200 million baht
Year 3 : 50 million baht

Benefit: Patent rights and trading benefits

Sponsorship: Sponsors can be divided in three types.

Type A : Center sponsors who will receive dividend from the center.

Type B : Project sponsors who can choose the project to sponsor and receive dividend from the project they sponsor.

Type C : Technology Membership Sponsor who will receive report of the research project.

          Furthermore, textile can be used in not only garment industry, but also in automobile industry, medical industry, agriculture industry, building industry and sport industry, so developing products suiting each category which are called “technical textile” will be able to enlarge the market. Thai textile industry, therefore, needs research and development. Textiles have broad connections with other industries which are chemical fiber industry, chemical industry, textile industry, apparel industry as well as automobile industry, construction industry and agricultural industry. Textiles made of fiber and thread can be adjusted to be suitable quality materials for three main groups of products which are clothing, interior and home textile and technical textile. Clothing products are divided into fashion and functional clothes. Technical textile can be used in automobile industry, building industry, medical industry, agriculture industry.

          With these reasons, pilot plant setting should be divided into two phases. In the first phase, research and development should emphasize on fabrics with specific quality for functional and apparel fabrics and functional home textiles. Then, in the second phase, research and development should emphasize on technical textiles which can enlarge domestic textile market as well as reduce imports.

          Pilot plant is the tool leading Thailand textile industry to the future by developing new products to be able to compete with competitors in world market. It functions as hardware and human creativity such as specialists’, researchers’, businessmen’s and students’ functions as software to develop products continually. These products will lead to new business, stimulate the market, strengthen the industry as well as let buyers from around the world know that Thailand textile industry still keep growing. Therefore, the government should begin to build pilot plant for the industry and let them get the most benefits with continual support.