While fashion apparel grapples with supply chain volatility and tariffs, engineered fabrics in the technical textiles segment are silently integrated into heart stents, firefighter gear, military uniforms, smart agricultural shade nets and even astronaut suits. The market is also home to “smart textiles.” Think wearables and other advances, which are being pioneered by Nike, Adidas, Google and Microsoft.
Technical textiles is a market that prioritizes performance over aesthetics and one that is rapidly expanding as industries focus on lightweight durability, sensor integration and environmental compliance. There’s also growing demand for more consumer-related applications such as UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) clothing, which measures a fabric’s ability to block harmful UVA and UVB rays.
And it is big business.
Researchers at Future Market Insights (FMI) said in a recent report that the global technical textiles market is set to experience robust expansion and reach a valuation of $241.5 billion by 2035 from $230.9 billion now. This reflects a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2 percent. The report’s authors said the market is driven by growing applications in industry sectors such as healthcare, construction, automotive, aerospace, agriculture and military.
“Technical textiles are engineered fabrics designed for performance rather than aesthetics,” FMI said in the report. “These textiles offer high durability, superior mechanical strength, thermal resistance and chemical stability, making them indispensable across multiple industries. Increasing investments in R&D, advancements in fiber technology and demand for sustainable solutions are transforming the industry.”
Analysts at FMI said with the rising adoption of smart textiles, fire-resistant materials, antimicrobial fabrics and biodegradable fibers, “technical textiles are at the forefront of modern industrial evolution. Government initiatives, environmental regulations and industrial advancements further fuel market growth, pushing manufacturers to innovate sustainable, high-performance materials.”
Notably, nearshoring, automation and high-value domestic manufacturing are shifting investments from low-margin fast fashion to high-margin industrial applications. There are also manufacturing advances driving the market. Much of it sounds like science fiction and includes breakthroughs in 3D weaving, 3D knitting and non-woven electrospinning that enable complex structural geometries without seams. According to a Grand View Research report, the 3D weaving segment currently garners the largest market share in the technical textiles industry at 23.4 percent.
Smart textiles, wearables and wellness
One segment in the market that is seeing ongoing expansion is wearables, IoT and so-called “smart textiles.” This trend centers on a transition from passive fabrics such as moisture-wicking material to ultra-smart and active textiles, which feature embedded electronics, conductive yarns and carbon nanotubes. There are even “energy harvesting fabrics” where the textiles capture ambient kinetic, thermal or solar energy to power micro-sensors.
There are also notable advances in biometric and performance wear, fabrics that track muscle activity, heart rate and fatigue levels in real time. Another key segment is military and defense uniforms that feature smart camouflage, heat regulation and real-time vital monitoring for soldiers in rugged environments.
According to data from Roots Analysis Business Research and Consulting, the global smart textiles market is projected to grow from $6.61 billion this year to $67.62 billion by 2035, which reflects a CAGR of 26.17 percent, far outpacing the total market’s 6.2 percent CAGR.
Authors of a recent market report from Roots Analysis said smart textiles, also known as electronic textiles or e-textiles, “are innovative materials that incorporate electronic components, such as sensors and actuators, enabling them to sense and respond to environmental stimuli.” And its use is broad. The report noted that these advanced fabrics are increasingly being utilized across various sectors, “including healthcare for monitoring vital signs, sports for enhancing athletic performance, fashion for creating interactive garments and automotive applications for improving comfort and safety.”
Regarding the robust growth rate, the report’s authors said it is driven by several factors that include an increasing demand for wearable technology textiles, advancements in material science and nanotechnology, as well as the rising popularity of IoT devices. They also said there’s a growing consumer focus on health and wellness.
“Moreover, the integration of smart textiles into everyday clothing is being accelerated by textile innovation and technology that enhances functionality while addressing sustainability concerns,” the report stated. “As technology continues to evolve, smart textiles are set to revolutionize how we interact with our clothing and environment, offering enhanced capabilities and personalized experiences.”
Melanie DiSalvo, founder of A Look Behind The Seams consultancy, told Sourcing Journal that health and wellness is a key growth area in technical and smart textiles due to strong consumer demand. “Right now, the textile that’s asked for the most by my clients is UPF fabrics,” she said. “I have long seen this trend in Asia, but it’s really picking up steam in the United States right now. People want everything from UPF fabrics to protect them from the sun to organic fibers that aren’t toxic to even more high-tech textiles that embed health benefits into them.”
DiSalvo said comfort is an important factor and is in demand, “but now I think durability and the cost of a garment being justified by using premium textiles have become even more important.”
Making it green
Another notable trend in technical textiles is the goal of escaping petrochemical dependency through green chemistry, bio-fabrication and circular textile systems. This is where next-generation bio-fibers play a role. Here, structural materials are derived from mycelium, hemp, algae and organic agricultural waste. Dovetailing this is closed-loop fiber recycling, which involves advanced chemical recycling processes that are capable of separating blended technical fibers such as poly-cotton or elastane composites.
“Major players in the technical textiles market are increasingly concentrating on product innovation, particularly in developing sustainable products to enhance their portfolios,” said analysts in a report from Research and Markets. “Sustainable products are designed, produced and utilized in ways that minimize their negative impact on the environment, society and the economy throughout their entire lifecycle. Sustainable technical textiles often incorporate eco-friendly materials, such as recycled fibers, organic fibers or bio-based materials.”
The report noted that these materials help reduce the demand for new resources and lessen the environmental impact of production, but not while skimping on performance or versatility. “For example, in July 2024, Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel, a U.S.-based supplier of innovative technical textiles, announced the opening of a state-of-the-art thermal insulation factory,” the report’s authors said. “This facility focuses on producing Comfortemp, Freudenberg’s well-known high-performance thermal insulation material, which aims to enhance both fashion and sportswear apparel.”
Other trends and key players
Another large corner of the technical textile market is in construction and protection wear. This area is where climate resilience, urbanization and workplace safety laws are fueling demand for heavy-duty technical fabrics. It includes advanced personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders and industrial workers.
Demand for PPE is growing across a wide range of fields, far beyond just medical settings. Analysts and industry consultants say the major reason is that safety standards in construction, manufacturing and mining have become much stricter, pushing companies to invest heavily in proper protective gear to prevent injuries and stay compliant with regulations.
At the same time, the healthcare sector continues to use vast amounts of disposable gear such as gloves and masks as populations age and hospitals focus heavily on keeping infections from spreading.
Another big factor is that protective gear has simply gotten much better and more comfortable to wear. Manufacturers are designing items that fit better, breathe easier and even include built-in sensors to track things like heat stress or toxic fumes in real time. On top of that, many businesses and governments learned hard lessons from past supply chain shortages, so they now keep larger stockpiles on hand and buy more from local suppliers to make sure they never run out during an emergency.
Major companies that are operating in the technical textiles market include Asahi Kasei, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, DuPont de Nemours Inc., Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Freudenberg & Co KG, Low & Bonar Group plc., Milliken & Company, 3M Company, Johns Manville Corporation, Fiberweb PLC, Strata Geosystems, Ibena Textilewerke GmbH, Officine Maccaferri S.p.A., Duvaltex Inc., GSE Environmental Inc. and the Polymer Group Inc., among others.
In the smart textiles segment, key players include Adidas, AiQ Smart Clothing, Alphabet, Ambiotex, Applycon, Clim8, Clothing Plus, DuPont De Nemours, Microsoft, Nike, Ohmatex, Peratech Holdco, Schoeller Textil, Sensoria, Sensing Tex, Texas Instruments, Textronics, ThermoSoft International, Toray, Volt Smart Yarns, Vista Medical, Wearable Technologies and Zalando, among others.
In the global sportswear segment, Nike and Adidas are accelerating the integration of smart textiles as well as adaptive fabric technology into athletic performance wear, which is bridging the gap between traditional apparel and wearable electronics.
Nike’s portfolio emphasizes both active hardware integration and responsive material engineering, which is highlighted by the company’s motor-controlled Nike Adapt self-lacing footwear as well as high-tech heat and compression recovery gear developed in partnership with Hyperice. Nike also offers moisture-reactive AeroReact fabrics that physically alter their weave structure to regulate airflow during exertion.
Adidas centers its smart textile strategy on dynamic compression, biometric feedback and targeted muscle stabilization. This includes Techfit that is enhanced with reactive Rheon polymers. This remains soft during low-energy movement but stiffens upon high-impact force. The company also developed bio-sensing yarns under its miCoach ecosystem. The brand leverages body-mapped micro-weaves to optimize athlete recovery and energy transfer.
From here, innovations and advances in technical textiles are expected to continue making its way into the market. R&D in this area is not slowing down. And as new uses are realized for these materials, the market will further expand.
