What's Next Chic?
Adidas MiCoach, The Next Black
We are now living in an era where our lifestyles have evolved into using multi-functioning electronics with the performance to text, email, video, photograph, and web access… all in one device. Had it come across your minds that the apparel we are wearing may be able to do the same in the future?
A shirt that acts as a personal trainer. A jacket that is able to take photos with gesture movements. Materials that charge a cell phone or change color with a rub of a finger. Fabrics that boost energy, reduce cellulite and moisturize your skin with spa treatments. Actually these are just a few of the trends in textile innovations that are becoming available in sports apparel. (Emily Walzer, 2013)
Sports Apparel Industry
According to Euromonitor’s latest research report, a total of US$1.7 trillion was spent on apparel and footwear by consumers worldwide in 2014. This amount is roughly equivalent to the entire gross national income of Canada or Russia!
Figure 1. Apparel and footwear market sizes
It is also reported that there was a surge in consumer interest and participation in sports, boosting up global retail sales of sportswear by 7% in 2014 compared to the previous year. Sportswear is also dominating the category ranking and is achieving the highest sales growth compared to other categories in the apparel and footwear field. (Rob Walker, 2015)
Figure 2. Apparel and footwear annual growth
Given the data, we see that retail sales of sportswear is moving towards an upward trend and it is forecasted to be a growing threat to mainstream footwear and outerwear.
The Future of Sports Apparel
Traditionally, textile manufacturers focused on designing sports apparel with cooling effects, light weight, water/stain-resistant, UV-protection etc… Now, the emerging trend in the textile industry especially in sportswear is moving towards ‘wearable’. In years to come, wearable electronics will look nothing like even your smallest iPod or mobile phone today. Not only will such devices be embedded on textile substrates, but an electronics device or system could become the fabric itself. (Michael Berger, 2008)
Figure 3. Wearable e-products categories
Figure 4. Smart textile market revenue overview
‘Wearable’ is becoming increasingly prominent in our daily lives and everything around us will eventually become ‘smarter’. In the textile industry, smart apparel is the next big thing. One of the disruptive emerging technologies that is playing an important role in impacting the textile industry is ‘Nanotechnology’.
What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers, whereas it is really hard to imagine just how small the nanotechnology is. One nanometer is a billionth of a meter, or 10-9 of a meter. Here are a few illustrative examples:
• There are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch
• A sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick
• On a comparative scale, if a marble were a nanometer, then one meter would be the size of the Earth
Nanoscience and nanotechnology involve the ability to see and to control individual atoms and molecules. Everything on Earth is made up of atoms - the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the buildings and houses we live in, and our own bodies. While, something as small as an atom is impossible to see with the naked eye. In fact, it’s impossible to see with the microscopes typically used in a high school science classes. The microscopes needed to see things at the nanoscale were invented relatively recently - about 30 years ago.
Are Nanoparticles New?
The ideas and concepts behind nanoscience and nanotechnology started with a talk entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” by physicist Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) on December 29, 1959, long before the term nanotechnology was used. In his talk, Feynman described a process in which scientists would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules. Over a decade later, in his explorations of ultra-precision machining,
Professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term nanotechnology. It wasn't until 1981, with the development of the scanning tunneling microscope (SEM) that could “see” individual atoms, that modern nanotechnology began.
Figure 5. SEM image for
ZnO nanowire
Application of Nanotechnology in Apparels
Nano-textiles is an emerging and interesting application of
nanotechnology. It involves dealing with nano-fibers at the atomic and
molecular levels in order to tweak their properties. Some of the finishes based
on nanoparticles brought the highest strength, the breathability and soft hand.
This novel technology can give rise to incredible functional clothing such as water-resistant and dirt-free clothes, odor-less socks, and intelligent clothes that can perform climate control and kinesthetic monitoring for you.
The nanomaterials can be applied to textile by coating using various other components and by different technology of coating. Here listed in below are some of the possible applications in textile:
· Wrinkle and soil
resistance
· Water repellence
· Self-cleaning
· Anti-bacterial property
· Antistatic Properties
· UV Protection
· Smart Sensor for Biomechanical Analysis
Smart Textiles and Wearable Nanotechnology
Smart textiles are materials and structures of textiles, which can sense and react via an active control mechanism for the environmental conditions called stimuli. They are capable of showing significant change in their mechanical properties (such as shape, color and stiffness), or their thermal, optical, or electromagnetic properties, in a handy manner in response to the stimuli. They are systems composed different apparatuses and materials such as sensors, actuators, and electronic devices together.
Good examples are fabric and dyes that will change their color with changes in pH value, and clothes made of conductive polymers, which give light when they get electromagnetic signals, as well as fabrics, which regulate the surface temperature of garments in order to achieve physiological comfort. The picture in below shown a wearable smart textile that is woven by normal fibers and tiny threads, with sensitively responding to the body movement, trace current could be generated and stored into the soft battery, which is equipped onto the fabric.
Figure 6. Wearable e-textile
Piezoelectric materials (nano-materials) are popular in the kinesthetic monitoring cloth, which a fabric-like wire is woven directly into a breathable base layer garment to monitor players’ body activity. Strain sensors made from this kind of piezo materials can conduct biomechanical analysis to provide wearable kinesthetic interfaces to detect posture and movement. The conductivity of these textiles is affected by stress and strain applied to the fabric.
Figure 7. Piezoelectic materials working mechanisam
Figure 8. Carbon-loaded elastomer-sensorized garment for kinesthetic monitoring
Industrial Giant-Adidas Group
Adidas is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports apparel, shoes, and accessories. The company is based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and it offers its products primarily through three major brands: adidas, TaylorMade and Reebok.
Figure 9. Adidas group general information
Source: http://www.adidas-group.com/en/group/profile/#/adidas-goes-all-in-to-make-you-a-better-athlete/
Adidas’ Strategic Approach in Adopting Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies
Adidas loves to compete. One of the corporate six strategic pillars is
leading through innovation. “Cutting-edge design in our products is essential
to achieving sustainable leadership in our industry. This is what our consumers
are looking for and expect from us. But innovation is not about products only.
If you establish and nourish the right basis, it can spring anywhere. This
attitude feels very natural to the adidas Group as it has always been driving
us since adidas’ founder Adi Dassler developed the first shoes back in the
1920s. Each and every employee of the adidas Group is responsible for driving
innovation. We foster a culture of challenging convention and embracing change,
and require all areas of the Group to generate at least one new meaningful
innovative improvement per year. Believe us, it feels great to work in such an
inspiring and forward-looking environment.” (Strategy overview)
Based on clear missions and visions, Adidas places significant resources
and attention to product development, process technology and consumer insight
research to develop products with innovative and distinctive features by
devoting high investments on R&D. Adidas spent E128 million (approximately
$170 million) in FY2013 and FY2012 and E115 million (approximately $152.7
million) in FY2011 on R&D.
Innovation happens when different areas of knowledge or insight come
together. When the unique competencies, perspectives, and experiences of
different individuals come together through collaboration, the results can be phenomenal.
(Required Reading Enterprise
In addition to its internal R&D efforts, adidas also collaborated with
R&D expertise from established research partners, including University of
Loughborough (England), the University of Calgary (Canada), the University of
Michigan (the US), the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the University of
Freiburg (Germany). This strategy allows a greater flexibility and faster
access to know-how as compared to substantial time and resources required if
developed within the company. (Datamonitor, 2015)
“Customer Experience. This dimension considers everything a customer sees, hears, feels and otherwise experiences while interacting with a company at all moments. To innovate here, the company needs to rethink the interface between the organization and its customers.” (Required Reading, The 12 different ways for companies to innovate) It is all about creating value. Adidas put their entire dedication and brainpower into creating as much value for all consumers as possible. Apparently, great efforts yield sparkling fruits.
Figure 10. Adidas'
miCoach Elite System
Source: adidas.comAdidas' miCoach Elite System
Sooner rather than later, you will see more and more sensors in more and more clothes. And not just in sports, in everyday life as well. - Matt Hymers, Project Manager, adidas
In the sporting realm, clothing is evolving from simply being indicative of team membership to a tool to improve overall field performance. A fabulous new product from Adidas that is revolutionizing the soccer sports is the “micoach Elite System” which allows the coach to instantly monitor the workload of an individual player, compare one with another or view the whole team to gain a complete picture of the squad. The main components of the system include:
The system is a state-of-the-art innovation that tracks on-field data in real-time and enables both coaches and players to play faster, stronger and smarter. (Superhero Chic, 2013)
- the TECHFIT ELITE (a base layer, a smart textile worn by athletes that tracks heart rate);
- the PLAYER_CELL (a small sensing device inside the base layer that measures speed, distance, acceleration, pace, power and position);
- the miCoach ELITE BASE (a water-resistant, portable receiver that collects data from the PLAYER_CELL and relays it to an iPad in real time); and
- miCoach ELITE DASH (an iPad app for live-monitoring of collected data of athletes across multiple metrics).
The system is a state-of-the-art innovation that tracks on-field data in real-time and enables both coaches and players to play faster, stronger and smarter. (Superhero Chic, 2013)
Beginning in the 2013 season, all 19 MLS clubs will use the data-tracking technology from adidas, providing coaches, trainers and players with real-time performance metrics including heart rate, speed, acceleration, distance, field position and, for the first time, power.
In 2008, Adidas also made a move by acquiring Textronics Inc., a leader in the development of energy-activated fabric technology which enables “intelligent clothing" for use in fitness monitoring. One of the key product lines that came along with the acquisition was NuMetrex line of heart rate monitoring apparel and electronics. In 2014, Adidas launched the “miCoach Seamless Sports Bra” which is an innovative "smart fabric" that incorporates special sensing fiber electrodes knit directly into the garment.
As we can see, the company takes strategic approaches in innovation and innovation management by adopting knowledge transfer and knowledge translation through intensive internal R&D, partnership with universities and acquisition of other companies, creating added-value products to athletes and end consumers.
Adidas and Nanotechnology—SWOT analysis
Strengths & Opportunities
The strong and powerful R&D background definitely paves the way to conduct sustainable innovation. Close cooperation with outstanding research partners and acute marketing trend positioning will help Adidas embrace future challenges. Of course, opportunities come from challenges.The company's strong focus on R&D has allowed it to uphold the technological leadership in most of its product segments.It is clear that continuous advanced innovation not limited to current stage is vital to the increasing market growth if Adidas desire to seek solid industry leading position.
Nanotechnology opens another door to explore the future trend in textile industry. Besides all above mentioned finished products such as repellency/stain-resistance, odor control,etc,we are looking forward to seeing more crossover nanotechnology applications being commercialized into real products. In the fierce competition, only the player with unique strength can survive. For Adidas, it is the same truth.
Adidas has sponsorship agreements with major associations for sports events across the world.Such agreements help in increasing the brand awareness and increase customer base.(Marketline,2014) High exposure to the sports world absolutely allow the company hear more realistic voices from the frontline and thus get much easier acccess to design fittable products which will exert influence on sports world.
Weaknesses & Threats
The use of nanotechnology in consumer products continues to grow at a rapid and consistent pace, however, questions still remain. It will take a lot of time and money to research and develop products in this field. Today’s technology may fail to support enough resources to commercialize the products. Since most of the up-to-date technology is under publication, it is still a long way to go. How to make the investment worthy and leave other competitors behind is considerable to the company. It is not just a technology race, but also a time race.
In addition, competitors are spending vast amounts on the R&D in this new field, therefore there will be tough competition and some patent issues may be occurred as well. Due to the fact that there is no existing regulation in place now, the potential products could be impacted hugely by regulation in the future.
As to the nanotechnology itself, it may involve many other metal substances and other crossover technologies such as gene manipulation, concerns to human health may be raised as well. Although Adidas claimed that they reviewed their standards and policies on restricted substances on annual basis, the product and consumer safety issue is an imperative. Due to the tiny characteristics of nanotechnology, company need to monitor the products through rigorous testing prior to production. Adidas enjoys the responsibility to ensure the safe and environmentally sound products before releasing into the market.
Overview
To summarize, we cannot deny the fact that such advanced smart technology will inevitably reshape our lifestyle. During the process from immature to mature stages, the promising future of nanotechnology utilized in sports apparel industry is foreseeable. When technology and sports fashion begin to meet, what can we expect? Let us welcome the smart era. Apple Watch is widely entered into our daily lives with surpises and it hit the new trend of wearables technology. Can smart textiles initiate next hot fashion trend and trigger a new cycle of innovative products? We do believe that day is coming soon.
References:
- Sports Apparel: Trends in High-Tech Fabrics (2013, May 18).
Retrieved from:
http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2013/05/18_sports_apparel_trends_in_hi.html
- Rob Walker (2015, March 25). New Apparel and Footwear Research:
Sportswear Surge Heats Up The Category Battlegrounds. Euromonitor.
- DATAMONITOR: adidas AG SWOT Analysis. (2014). Adidas-Salomon AG
SWOT Analysis, 1-9
- STRATEGY OVERVIEW. Retrieved from: http://www.adidas-group.com/en/group/strategy-overview/
- Superhero Chic: Tomorrow’s Wearable Technology (2013,May 21). Retrieved from: http://www.thegenteel.com/articles/design/superhero-chic-wearable-technology-of-tomorrow
- Smart nanotextiles: A review of materials and applications (2007)
- Report on Nanotechnology & Textiles. Medical Textiles, Sport/Outdoor Textiles (2010, May)
- The news service for textile futures (2012, September). Retrieved from http://www.technical-textiles.net
- Marketline: adidas AG SWOT Analysis.(2014).
- What is Nanotechnology? Retrieved from: http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition
Hi Team Diva! I found you blog very nice as alwasy! Well, I like sport so much and thus I think your topic is good to me. For an athlete, what he/ she always concerns is how to have a better performance and there are two ways to go: 1. training and own potential (endogenous capacity); 2. equipment (external force) like nutrition supplement and, as you have mentioned, accoutrements.
ReplyDeleteFor the former, endogenous capacity, that actually cannot be changed a much as everyone has his/her limits. Therefore, the latter becomes an important issue to the one who wanna have a breakthough on performance. I realise that apart from Adidas, others are also keeping eyes on their product innovation with application of nano-teach.
My own concern is that, somehow, in sport industry nowadays is much more fastidious about the equipment rather than the athlete him/ herself. Assuming that in a match that everyone has the same capability but those with better and hi-tech equipment can finally win out against the rest with poor equipment. So the problem is now we are not competiting by the potential of oneself but the equipment. Once you have more resource/ capital, you, probably, are the winner as your competitors cannot affort too much to buy nice equipment. Does fairness no longer exist?
But if just for personal training, not competitions or matches, of course that would not be a big deal.
Anyway, here again thank you so much for your blog!
Student ID: 53793261
ReplyDeleteDear Team Go Diva,
Your blog was very interesting and easy to read....great job! I think you did an exceptionally good job at incorporating relevant literature to support your arguments throughout the blog.
Nanotechnology is definitely a fascinating topic and I was not aware of its uses in the sports apparel industry. For this reason, reading your blog was also surprisingly refreshing to me.
I think there is a lot of potential for nanotechnology in the sports world. Let's take high altitude mountain climbing for example. Mountaineers who go high altitude climbing on Mt. Everest and other high mountains are exposed to many dangers. Some of these dangers include subzero temperatures, strong winds, avalanches, bad weather, and lack of oxygen in the air. In fact, many climbers end up suffering from hypothermia due to the extremely cold environment. With new advances in nanotechnology, perhaps clothing will have some sort of built in heating mechanism to offer additional warmth. Additionally, such mountain clothing could have a built in device which is easily detected by GPS so that in the event of an emergency, being rescued becomes more likely because the climber's position can be accurately spotted. I can see the same possible applications of nanotechnology being used in ski and snowboarding apparel in the future. The point is: when people expose themselves to risky situations on mountains then emergencies can happen quickly. Hence, rescue must also occur quickly. Therefore, I think that companies such as Adidas can use nanotechnology to develop even safer, more advanced clothing apparel.
Hi Team Go Diva,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the clear analysis on Adidas's adoption of nanotechnology. I like the way you guide your readers step by step to the idea of knowledge translation and transfer. You have demonstrated the application of in-class knowledge to the analysis of real-life example.
Nanotechnology is such a disruptive technology to our world and it brings tremendous impact to all industry. As the technology used on apparels may even function as phone, music player and health monitor, will those appliances such as smartphones be replaced in the near future? We will be having dirt-free clothes with this disruptive technology, so we do not need laundry machine in the future? Or it will bring opportunity of collaboration across industries making dominant industry players further ahead and eliminating those SMEs?
According to Statista, Nike is the dominant industry player in 2013-14 with total revenue of US$27.8 billion comparing to Adidas’s US$19.95 billion (http://www.statista.com/statistics/241885/sporting-goods--sportswear-companies-revenue-worldwide/). Will Adidas be able to threaten Nike’s position with nanotechnology? How about the M&A with companies pursuing research in this area? Just similar with the French cosmetic giant, L’Oreal, does?
Zulfiqar Ali 53675601
ReplyDeleteHello Team Diva
Thank you for your efforts to draw a clear picture about the emerging technology: nano technology and its adaptions by Apparel industry.
The adoption rate is very high in apparel industry and the present size of the global smart fabrics and interactive textiles market is estimated at around US$1 billion, which will grow to US$ 2.6 billion by 2017, according a report by Global Industry Analysts. “Growth in the market is set to be predominantly driven by radical developments in material science and fibre technologies, i.e. nano-fibres, conductive pressure-sensing fabrics and other hybrid fabrics, growing miniaturization of electronics, increasing use of electronic textiles in emerging generation of wearable computing smart products and rapid expansion into newer application areas .
Also in future the trend is to connect your gadgets with your clothes, With over a billion Bluetooth enabled devices on the market, ranging from smartphones to set top boxes, and new technologies such as energy scavenging or piezoelectric energy generation being made possible by the use of nanotechnologies , there are opportunities for the textile industry to merge and embrace with Nano technology.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the team sharing of Nano technology via Apparel Industry. It's a very detail and easy understanding of Nano technology applied to Apparel Industry.
Nowadays people is more health conscious and Human life expectancy is getting longer & longer. I think if Adidas can explore the opportunity for Elderly that would be another high potential market. Though the nano technology, value added more features to help understand the elderly health condition and needs or remind them for doctor consultation or take medicine etc.
Thank you for your team sharing about Nano techology in Apparel Industry. It is very interesting. In past few years, I always heard that how this technology to be applied in Apparel especailly for the competition which help the athlete to aquire a better result as well as to reduce the sport injury.
ReplyDeleteIt is greatly appreciated team 12 to share such interesting topic on nanotechnology in textile industry.
ReplyDeleteNanotechnology can be applied in “smart textiles”, which has a great influence in the field of garment. It allows textiles to become multifunctional and produce fabrics with special functions, including UV protection antibacterial, self-cleaning, water and stain repellent.
Totally agreed with team 12 citation from Project Manager, Adidas “you will see more and more sensors in more and more clothes. And not just in sports, in everyday life as well”, smart fabrics are fabric that can not only sense the environment, but also react it. They enable us to wear sensors comfortably to trace our physiological signals and changing environmental conditions at anytime, anywhere which would positively influence the health of patients and the training of athletes.
Meanwhile, there is public concern that some properties of these tiny particles are unknown, and potentially harmful to human health, apparel manufacturers should try to tackle the public concern about possible health and environmental implications by conducting in-depth R&D before launching new nano related apparel to the market.
Thanks team diva for your great sharing. It is very informative however easy to understand at the same time. Like you mentioned earlier, Nanotechnology is not something that new. I still remember that years ago it was once such a hot topic that I could read something about it almost every day. Then it became quiet for a while. So my impression about nanotechnology still stay at that time. However, your sharing have brought a lot of new stuff and ideas to me, especially on the combination of nanotechnology and wearable smart textile. It's really interesting and sounds very promising to me. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for Team DIVA presenting an interesting story about nanotechnology application in textile. Technological innovation brings convenient and change our lifestyle. And nanotechnology is even a more emerging technology that can be instilled in our daily life.
ReplyDeleteI was once working for a sports brand in clothing industry and nano fabric was being used in making functional outfits. Being one of the users, functions such as anti-bacterial property and water-repellent are useful, especially when I was wearing these functional outfits for sports like jogging and ski. Following with more innovative enhancement, I am impressed that now the nano fabric can even record people’s physical condition during sports.
Apart from the usage of nanotechnology, the side effect of such technology applied on apparel is still unknown and not being regulated. Since the size of nanoparticles is really small, when the apparel is directly covered on human skin, the potential side effect is still uncertain. Although the story is interesting and detailed, it would be more informative if the team can further elaborate on the potential hazard of applying nanotechnology in apparel.
Thank you DIVA team for sharing about how Nano technology affect Apparel Industry.Your content is fascinating and contain lots of information. What’s more, your article use very simple English sentences to let me know about how Nano technology affect the apparel industry.Just as you mention in the beginning of the article, nano technology applied on apparel industry really help people a lot, your article use a lot of chart to prove it, it is quite good.
ReplyDelete“This novel technology can give rise to incredible functional clothing such as water-resistant and dirt-free clothes, odor-less socks, and intelligent clothes that can perform climate control and kinesthetic monitoring for you.” I have my own experience about this . I like sport very much especially running and playing basketball. When I wear training clothes using nano technology, i will feel it is very light and comfort .Some nano fabric wear can record athletes’ physical condition. It can greatly improve athletes’ training performance.
In the middle of your article ,you mentioned adidas, the giant sportswear provider. Let us now clearly about nano technology really affect Apparel industry and create some product. In the end of your article you use SWOT analysis tells us every coin has two side. Your article also listed the weaknesses and threats of Adidas and nano technology which is beyond my imagination. In my opinion I think nano technology is promising and we can use it to create more fascinating apparel products.
Thanks DIVA team for sharing. Sportswear and footwear market have huge business in it.
ReplyDeleteThe Nanotechnology has the emerging trend in the garment industry to design the wearable electronics. Form your presentation, I have learned that it is not only embedded the electronic devices on the textile substrate, but also make the fabric itself as the electronic device and system. The Wearable Nanotechnology is a amazing idea to improve the sport safety and performance.
Thanks for sharing so interesting blog to us! Your blog shows a very detail and clear information about nano technology. The pictures and diagrams helped better understand your topic. Sports apparel industry is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteHey DIVA,
ReplyDeleteIt's a great article, I learned a lot from it!
I want to add some weaknesses for your SWOT analysis. Included in the list of disadvantages of this science and its development is the possible loss of jobs in the traditional farming and manufacturing industry. You will also find that the development of nanotechnology can also bring about the crash of certain markets due to the lowering of the value of oil and diamonds due to the possibility of developing alternative sources of energy that are more efficient and won’t require the use of fossil fuels. This can also mean that since people can now develop products at the molecular level, diamonds will also lose its value since it can now be mass produced.
So as we can see, sometimes, new technology may change the structure of our society. If the system of relative law and regulation is imperfection, we must pay attention to ourselves behavior, you know, the results of the butterfly effect is really serious.
And 50208187 also mentioned since the size of nano-particles is really small, when the apparel is directly covered on human skin, the potential side effect is still uncertain. We must watch out.
Anyway, great job!