Thought Leadership

Smart Fabrics
White Paper
Executive Summary

This white paper gives an overview on smart fabrics technology and the
upcoming developments both on technological and economical scale.
After some pioneering prototypes and presence of functional clothing
everywhere the time has come for enhanced, active and connectable
functionality becoming part of what we wear at work and at home in the
coming years.
Although the development of smart fabrics for 2022 is hard to predict with
precision, the development of integrated micro-electronics, the research
and advances in smart materials, the growth and technical advances in
IoT (Internet of Things) and finally the incredible advances in machine
learning, is paving the way to the fast development of integrated smart
fabrics, that are able to combine functionality and fashion, to enhance the
human capabilities.
We believe that the emerging smart fabrics will become a fully integrated
member in the connected eco-system built by IoTs, smartphones and
watches, edge- and cloud-services to deliver a new and direct user
experience during work and leisure.
In this paper a short historical overview will be given followed by state of
the art introduction and a closer view on the application areas. In the final
part the current market with the main players in this area is introduced.

About the Atos Scientific Community About the Authors

Publically launched by Thierry Breton, Chairman and CEO of Atos, Luis Lancos @InnovatorRider
and sponsored by Hubert Tardieu, the Scientific Community has 135 Wolfgang Thronickle @WThronicke / Atos C-LAB CTO
members from all geographies where Atos operates, representing a Santi Ristol @sristol / Director Mobile Competence Center
rich mix of skills and backgrounds. Its aim is to help Atos anticipate
and craft its vision of upcoming technology disruptions and the future Acknowledgements
business challenges that will be faced by the markets it serves. By The authors would like to thank the following members of the Atos
making this vision available to its clients, and by investing in areas Scientific Community for their review of early drafts of this paper:
related to the findings, Atos intends to help its clients make informed Blanca Jordan, Ana Juan, Nicolas Kozakiewicz, Neil Milliken and
decisions regarding the future of their Business Technology solutions. Purshottam Purswani.
Follow the Atos Scientific Community
on atos.net/blog and atos.net/Scientific-Community

02 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Contents

04 Brief story of Smart Fabrics

05 Introduction to Smart Fabrics
Challenges

07 Smart fabrics, state of art

Typical architecture
Classification

09 Potential business cases and opportunities

Market Analysis
Main Sectors and use cases
Industrial
Military
Wellbeing & Healthcare
Sport & Fitness
Transport
Home
Fashion

13 Overview of main players around the world

and by areas
15 Conclusion
16 Appendix I - List of Main Players

Smart Fabrics 03
Brief story
of Smart Fabrics
Although the basis for integrated smart fabrics started many centuries
ago when artisans embedding fine metals, such as gold and silver, within
the fabrics threads1, the main story of Smart Fabrics can be traced to the
end of the 19th century where designers embedded electrical items
into garments and jewellery, resulting in the creation of illuminated and
motorized necklaces, hats, broaches and costumes.2 3

It’s interesting to note that there is not a The second stage, 1998 to 2001, is Since 2015, started a transformation period
common historic time-line agreed for Smart characterized by the joint development with a shift of focus from wearables (as
fabrics, so we decide to adopt Minyoung Suh4 of smart fabrics by the Fashion and textile wearable computing) to Smart Fabrics,
approach that classifies the modern history sectors, with an increasing number of allowing make technology invisible and
of Smart Fabrics in four stages, where the collaborative projects appearing in the embedded into the garment itself. This trend
first stage cover the period from 1980s to market, such Levi’s Ready-to-Wear clothing, a is also merging wearable technology into
1997. This is the period where the idea of a collaboration between Philips electronics and clothing and moving it away from the original
wearable computer born and where clothing Levi Strauss. Although applications become concept of wearable computers and attached
would provide a platform to computing more wearable and embedded with fabrics, gadgets approach7.
devices. Examples of this is the work by technology was still underdeveloped and the
MIT, wherein the mid-1990s a team of MIT products would not meet the requirements We believe we will enter a fifth stage, with
researchers led by Steve Mann, Thad Starner, to enter the mass market. integrated smart fabric and with increasing
and Sandy Pentland by their pioneer work on intelligence, by connecting the smart fabrics
wearable computers. 5 The third stage, 2002 to 2005, was more with cloud services and with the increasing
focused on evolving the technology to the right adoption of cognitive technologies as part of
Relevant in this period as well is the level, with a significant effort in miniaturisation the eco-system, and significant advances on
development of initial technics to embedded of electronics and better technics. nanotechnologies and smart materials.
electronic into fabrics such as the work of
Harry Wainwright, that in 1985, created the The fourth stage goes from 2006 till present
first animated sweatshirt, and later in 1997, where miniaturisation and smart materials are
together with a Herbert Selbach he went under intense development and where there
on creating the first CNC machine able to is significant governmental effort to advance
implant fibre optics into any flexible material. the research on smart clothes such as the
In this stage fabrics would provide a platform EU6. This is also the stage were wearables
and the concepts were exploratory only. entered in the market and gained maturity.

1. https://www.revolvy.com/topic/Goldwork%20(embroidery)&item_type=topic
2. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9503E3DA1138E033A25755C2A9629C94659FD7CF&legacy=true
3. https://www.revolvy.com/topic/E-textiles&item_type=topic
4. Critical Review on Smart Clothing Product Development (http://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/JTATM/article/download/702/728 )
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_computer
6. http://faculty.mu.edu.sa/public/uploads/1333566865.309eu_sfit_projects_opportunities_and_challenges.pdf
7. http://www.wired.co.uk/article/smart-fabrics-beat-smart-devices

04 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Introduction
to Smart Fabrics
According to Maslow’s Human Needs Hierarchy, clothing is part of the
basic biological and physiological needs. In fact, clothing was one of the
first wearable extensible used and developed by humankind.

Clothing evolved over thousands of years are used to combine “wearability” and Smart Fabrics are in fact result of a multi-
covering fashion, protective and functional function ranging from increased sturdiness to disciplinary approach (for investigation,
needs and becoming the most natural the well- known equipment for policemen and collaboration and joint developments) in
extension to our bodies which has reached firemen. It is no surprise that with the growing various fields: 9
the first functional apex with specialized work- use of digital services and devices and the
• Textile chemistry
clothing for safety and protection In a digital advances in material science the fabric
world, the next step in is then to enhance itself becomes a part of these eco-systems • Fibre technology
clothing by adding smart functionality and evolving into smart fabrics. • Cloth manufacturing technology
intelligence to include the aspects of digital
working and living for its wearers. Lacking an agreed formal definition, Smart • Material science
Fabrics, also known as smart garments, • Electronics and instrumentation
Smart fabrics and clothes have a high smart clothing, electronic textiles, smart
• Communication (including Mobile
potential to extend human physical, social textiles, or E-textiles, can be defined as
Technologies that will act as gateway for
and cognitive abilities, keep us connected fabrics that can sense and react to external
sending information).
and adapt their functions with situational environment via a pre-defined control
awareness. The marriage with fashion allows mechanism or cognitive driven behaviour. 8 • Artificial intelligence
the smart clothes to be objects of desire This definition includes both the integration • Molecular biology and organic chemistry
while delivering the function. It is a powerful of electronic logic and the use of advanced
combination. materials with novel mechanical, chemical and • Molecular engineering and
electrical properties. Smart textiles become nanotechnology
In the area of work special clothing mostly connected and intelligent sensorial and • Biotechnology
for protection and support are commonly reactive devices integrated with our senses
accepted and necessary. Specific materials and capable of enhance our natural abilities. • Information technology

8. Smart Textiles and Nano-Technology: A General Overview – Research Gate

9. http://www.technicaltextile.net/articles/sport-textiles/detail.aspx?article_id=2592&pageno=1

Smart Fabrics 05
Introduction
to Smart Fabrics
Challenges
Smart Fabrics are very promising, especially when working together with the fashion industry to join the function with fashion.
The possibilities are immense but there are some challenges the industry needs to overcome, the key ones are:

Durability – this is a key aspect that needs to Washability - Washing clothes it’s a fact of Eco-design – Sustainability must be a driver
be addressed, especially because the fabric life and a great challenge to Smart Integrated for any new products and technologies
is the platform for integrating intelligent Fabrics. How to develop and incorporate entering the market. Designing the product
electronics. This is related to washability (see sensors, conductive subtract and electronic based on renewable energies and designed
below) but also to mechanical stress that devices that not only are flexible but they can to re-use, re-manufacture and recycle its key
fabrics are exposed like any standard clothing. be washed and endure a significant number to create a sustainable Industry and maintain
Although being a high-tech product it has of wash cycles. Currently the accepted the growth.
to provide a sturdiness that is suitable for standard for minimum numbers of wash
long work cycles and frequent usage even in cycles is 20. Cost – Smart fabrics are complex and multi-
demanding application domains. disciplinary and finding effective design and
Communication – Smart clothes will become architecture and cost-effective manufacture
Energy – Sensors and actuators require edge computing devices, and they typically technics and process is the key to drive
energy to function and especially to create will be integrated with back-end services on market adoption and growth, beyond the
the necessary connectivity. Technologies like the cloud, that allow to deliver a functional few early adopters. The business model must
energy harvesting through special fabrics and intelligence level that would not be clearly show the added value that repays the
which can turn kinetic energy into electric possible on smart clothes isolated. The investment for smart fabrics.
energy or collect other types of energy have availability and development of efficient and
to be integrated. Aging of batteries is also low-power communication protocols are Security, Privacy & Safety – From the
a critical point. Super capacitors could be a essential to drive more use cases and the moment that we can interact with smart
sensible alternative when used in garments. adoption of the technology. fabrics to get data from a person or to display
This denotes how carefully functionality and the data in the fabric itself, this brings a
energy consumption have to be balanced. Fashion & Comfort – Transforming fabrics significant number of implications around
into smart fabrics it’s not only about security, privacy and safety that will have to
Flexibility – Currently most of the micro- electronics it’s about having the ability deliver be properly considered.Everyone will lose if
electronics is integrated within the fabric function with style and comfort. The industry the data generated and used by smart fabrics
using a rigid substrate. Significant research is only starting to understand how to balance isn’t kept private and secure.
effort is in place to develop flexible electronic the requirements betweek technology,
subtracts and components that would allow fashion and comfort.
to be integrated and maintain the natural
flexibility of fabrics.

In the following section of this paper a closer look into the state-of-the art and the structure of smart fabric based applications will be given.
The versatile application in different domains is presented showing the opportunities. The paper is completed with an overview of companies
and their products and developments related to smart fabrics.

06 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Smart fabrics
state of art
Typical architecture
Smart fabrics of the first generation10 have driving the development. And there is as well Conductor - Conduct electricity.
been used mainly as conduits, serving as the the garment like attachment of “traditional” There are different materials used:
connecting backbone between garment-like electronic components hooking onto • Metals, like silver and copper are the most
elements attached to the fabric. conductive fibers possible. With flexible conductive materials
With advances in material design organic electronics like foldable displays and
the second generation11 allowed an even other electronic parts being designed we will • Polymers are organic materials that can
deeper embedding of sensors, but they face even more smart fabric based systems transport electricity
remain well distinguished from the fabrics. as soon as they have matured from the labs • Carbon has also good conductivity
With organic conductive materials and into the market.
advances in nanotechnology now in the Central processing unit (Hardware+Software)
third generation12 the fabric itself becomes The architecture of smart fabrics consists
an element of the wearable. So, the sensor, of the typical elements of a cyber-physical • Carries out data to the different sensors
actuator, energy generator or energy storage system: sensors, processing units, and decides action on the basis of the
is part of the fabric itself.13 14 But in the end the connectivity device, conduits and actuator results. It might include storage of data.
available energy defines the capabilities of elements complemented by an energy supply • It is a complex structure of electronic
intelligent clothing. for its functionality. circuitry that executes stored or integrated
program instructions
The big difference with the architectural The key artifacts are:
• Silicon and organic electronics are the most
design of a smart fabric based wearable Sensor - Transform a signal into another common materials to implement these
is that it is not possible to separate the signal. Some examples: integrated circuits.
physicality of the fabric from its function and
location. While you can carry a powerbank • Thermal sensor
everywhere, electricity generating fabrics • Pressure sensor
work best where there is the most movement
involved, like the elbows. For monitoring vital • Humidity sensor
signs there are also preferred placements for • Chemical sensor Sensor Actuator
the positioning of sensors in the apparel.
• Bio/vital sensor
In fact there are currently the following • Magnetic sensor
fabric-based elements available to architect a Conductor Processing Unit
wearable solution: sensors (vital parameters, Actuator - Respond to a signal with an action.
environmental, position, input control), Some examples:
actuators (colour, release of substances, • Chromic actuators: change color
heating, cooling), connectivity elements
like antennas, RFID like structures, small • Electroluminescence actuators: emit light in
printed circuits). This list is ever increasing, reply to change of voltage
because there is a lot of active research • Shape actuators: change to a previous shape

10. https://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/smart-textiles-and-nanotechnology-a-general-overview-2165-8064.1000181.php?aid=40254
11. https://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/smart-textiles-and-nanotechnology-a-general-overview-2165-8064.1000181.php?aid=40254
12. https://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/smart-textiles-and-nanotechnology-a-general-overview-2165-8064.1000181.php?aid=40254
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_textiles
14. Smart Textiles and Wearables - Markets, Applications and Technologies. Innovation in Textiles (Report). September 7, 2016

Smart Fabrics 07
Smart fabrics
state of art
Classification
Smart textiles can be classified into three big groups according to their typology15

Types of Sense the environment React to stimulus Programmable (sensors,

smart textiles (sensors) (sensors and actuators) actuators, central processing unit)

Passive X

Active X X

Intelligent X X X

Passive: The first generation of smart textiles, third generation the fabric itself becomes If we consider the integration level of
where fabrics were used mainly as conduits, an element of the wearable. So, the sensor electronics into textiles, then Smart textiles
serving merely as the connecting backbone or actuator or energy generator is the can be classified in four types:
between garments like elements attached to fabric itself. An intelligent textile essentially • Removable – The electronic device is
the fabric. consists of a unit, which works like the brain, added to the textile in such a way that it
with cognition, reasoning and activating can be removed from it without affecting
Active Smart Textiles: The second capacities. The production of very smart the textile.
generation has both actuators and sensors textiles is now a reality after a successful
and allowed an even deeper embedding marriage of traditional textiles and clothing • Attached – The electronic device is
of sensors, but they remain well separated technology with other branches of science attached to the textile in such a way that
from the fabrics. Active Smart textiles use like material science, structural mechanics, it cannot be removed from it without
extensively smart materials such as shape sensor and actuator technology, advance destroying the textile
memory, water-resistant, hydrophilic/non- processing technology, communication, • Mixed – The electronic device has at least
porous, heat storage, thermo regulated. artificial intelligence, biology etc. The smart one component made of textile combined
fabric is sensitive to the ambient state and can with other electronic components.
Intelligent: With organic conductive materials automatically adjust some of its functional
and advances in nanotechnology now in the parameters accordingly. • Full integration - All components of the
electronic device are made of textile.

15. State of the art in Smart Textiles and Interactive Fabrics (https://studylib.net/doc/15335838/675 )

08 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Potential business cases
and opportunities
Market Analysis
Moving from gadget based approach to integrated smart fabrics, Market prediction for Smart Textiles 2014-202417
hand in hand with the fashion industry creates substantial
opportunities at the global level. According to Global Market Insights16
the market for Smart and Interactive Textiles will surpass $6.5 billion 10000
by 2024, where Europe will account for more than a fifth of the global 9000
smart and interactive textiles market. It’s expected strong and fast 8000
growth in the regions of North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. 7000
6000
The tech-savvy population of China, Japan, and South Korea will propel
the Asia Pacific smart and interactive textiles market growth, moreover 5000
it is forecasted that Military projects in the U.S., China and South Korea 4000
can have the effect of boosting the growth in these regions. 3000
2000
Another analyst (Ameri Research Inc.) predicted an even higher growth
1000
(x13) of the global market for smart textiles, raising from USD 674,8 Million in
2015 to reach above USD 8980 million by 2024 as we can observe in
the following figure in which it can be observed the growth by regions. 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
This change of speed in the growth of this market, as compared to the
North America Europe Middle East & Africa
recent years, is mainly motivated by the significant investments of large
companies and their quick release of commercial products. Latin America Asia Pacific

The Smart Fabric sector has emerged during the last years thanks to as we have today. In this evolution, new value chains will be created in
the sensing devices that can be integrated into smart materials and their order to allow moving from some prototypes as we have today to a
connectivity options giving them more and more IoT characteristics. massive production.
These eTextiles provide advanced functions thanks to their capacity to
sense and react to the environment and they are taking advantage of From business case perspective, we can refer Smart Fabrics to multi
the miniaturization of electronics in combination with the decreasing sided market with brands, customers, manufacturers, retailers coming
costs for the manufacturing of these high-tech materials. This together to create an economy to make this cost effective.
evolution allows them to be used in very diverse scenarios ranging
from individuals and occupational groups with the need of fabric-
based services to military professionals for safety and protection. Evolution of Smart Fabrics according to the authors
Phase 1: Phase 2: Phase 3:
Healthcare and the need for global telemonitoring programs will be Innovation Development Maturity
one of the areas that will drive the growth for smart interactive fabrics
Passive smart textiles Active smart textiles Intelligent smart textiles
in the coming years. This will be speed up by the needs from doctors (sense the environment) (react to stimulus) (programmable textiles)
to have better sensors integrated in textiles in order to have better
prevention systems.
Vision & Strategy

Mixed electronics
According to these market trends, we predict that this growth can Progression in
energy harvesting
be organized in three different phases aligned with the evolution of and storage Fashion
Maturity & Control

the technology and its adoption by the market as it is detailed in the meets electronics
From units production
following figure. Obviously, all use-cases (all needs) do not have to go Removable or to industrialization
through all these phases, in many cases, something attached to the attached electronics Healthcare & Industry
Opportunism

fabrics will be sufficient. Military, Wellbeing initiatives Military Full integration of

& Fitness initiative consolidation electronics Massive
production Fully
Early adopters will be people that have a specific usage of these washable Healthcare,
Industry, Sports &
textiles like military people or athletes. The evolution will be similar Fitness consolidation
to the one we observed in the mobile industry, evolving from big
and heavy devices in the seventies to smart devices like the iPhone 2014 2020 2025

16. https://www.gminsights.com/pressrelease/smart-and-interactive-textiles-market
17. https://www.ameriresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Smart-Textile-Market-2024-1.png

Smart Fabrics 09
Potential business cases
and opportunities
Main Sectors and use cases Industrial
The global smart textiles market can be segmented in different sectors according to the There are different usages of Smart Textiles
applications that are going to succeed in the coming years. Some areas like Industrial, Military, in the Industrial sector mainly related to
Healthcare, Sports & Fitness, Home, Transport and Fashion are going to concentrate most of Manufacturing and Construction areas
the demand for this type of wearables in the coming years. where most of the workers have a working
place in which safety and information need
Main Markets for Smart Fabrics to be reinforced in comparison to the office
workers:

Wellbeing & Healthcare 1. Sensing - Augmenting the senses of a

person is a key to detect environmental
hazards, control vital signs and posture and
Industrial Military collecting other context infor­mation like the
position on the shop floor.

2. Communication - Feedback like alerts,

Main Smart corrective tactile or haptic information,
Sport & Fitness Textile Markets Home integrated microphones and loud­speakers
eliminate the need of handling smart­phones
simplifying hands-free operations. Even the
integration of flexible displays is possible
Transport Fashion
3. Safety & Security - Provide new security
and safety means, combined with location, is
key for lonely workers and workers exposed
to risk in their workplace like firemen.

Military
The military sector, although they are the most difficult to serve because they have low volumes and extremely hard constraints, has been
one of the early adopters of Smart Fabrics during these years and one of the sectors dominating the market of Smart Fabrics. Some areas are
especially relevant for this sector:

1. To improve security => detection of injuries and hazards in the battlefield - Soldiers in the field of combat and emergency response services
need to adapt to dangerous situations in any type of environment. Like in the Industrial sector, improvement of their security is one of the main
objectives for these profiles. In this case, it is key to monitor their vital signs (Ex. detect injuries) and the environment (Ex. detect toxic substances)
from a central team that could attend them immediately in a safe way. An example are the new combat uniforms developed by the US Defense
Department that might communicate and change color, signaling friend or foe to help prevent deaths by friendly fire, or uniforms filled with
optical sensors to make a soldier invisible to an enemy’s night-vision goggles

2. To facilitate operational tasks - Another use case is to improve the charging and powering of different electronic equipment (batteries,
sensors, displays, GPS, …) that soldiers have to wear in the field of combat. This has been solved by introducing conductive yarns in soldiers
clothes to facilitate all this charging and power via USB connections.

10 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Potential business cases
and opportunities
Wellbeing & Healthcare Sport & Fitness
One of the prominent uses of smart fabrics is through the skin. One new development Sport & fitness have an overlap with
in the area of healthcare and related domains. analyzed the creation of artificial knittable healthcare because they are measuring
Simply because this smart material is in direct muscles as textile actuators which might similar features with the main difference that
contact to its wearer’s skin it offers the most in the future lead to exoskeletal support they do not require to go through regulatory
direct access to vital or non-vital parameters structures for patients or to create new issues because they are not medical
of a body. While also very popular for fitness assistive devices. products. This is facilitating their quick
and sports applications where smart fabrics development and a higher penetration in
can replace attached or worn sensor devices An example is Wearlumb18 solution developed the market applying smart textiles to t-shirts,
their importance in the medical domain by Worldline that assesses the risks of bodies, sockets, shoes, jackets, sport bras and
increases steadily. incorrect postures at work, preventing lumbar other sportswear.
problems and pain. This is a key problem
The appeal of smart fabrics in healthcare is to since 100 million European citizens suffer The market for Sport & Fitness predicts to
reduce the amount of visible sensor devices from musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) with reach 196 billion dollars in 202019 mainly
necessary and the acceptability by patients. a annual economic impact of € 240,000 motivated to the increase of people practicing
The most basic use is to monitor vital data million. It is based on a Smart elastic body sports and their interest enhance their
of patients during normal daily activities: equipped with motion sensors, adaptable to performance while becoming healthier.
heartbeat, ECG, carotid pulse, respiration, different morphologies (non-invasive) and
breathing pattern, skin temperature, skin connected to an expert system that analyzes
impedance and physical activity. This allows the posture and supports decision making,
empowering individuals to manage their correcting the user’s posture. It applies
own healthcare needs promoting preventive OWAS (Ovako Working Analysis System)
healthcare (from illness diagnosis to wellness methodology to implement precise posture
monitoring). Smart clothing will have a corrective measures in real time according to
key application in remote monitoring of ergonomic studies and reduces 40-50% the
chronically ill patients or with those going evaluation time/cost by experts with better
rehabilitation especially in tele-medical quality of results. The OWAS methodology
applications. allows the assessment of the physical load
derived from the postures adopted at work,
With active materials rehabilitations can be and one of its main characteristics is its ability
supported by movement detection and to globally assess all the postures adopted
correction or medication administered during the execution of a task

Wearlumb Smart Body (from design to final product)

18. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4v94gz
19. Technavio Research

Smart Fabrics 11
Potential business cases
and opportunities
Transport Fashion
The Transport industry is also exploring the Designer brands and well known clothing manufacturers are teaming up with major
usage of smart fabrics to improve the safety technological giants to create new wearables based on smart textiles. Can you imagine a cloth
and comfort of the traveler with control that illuminates or change colours in certain conditions? Or a cloth displaying real time text or
panels allowing activating heated seats, emoticons associated to your mood or your social activity? New designers are now applying
airbags, etc. The vital data can be used to their creativity to take advantage of these possibilities to develop the fashion of the future that
detect early signs of fatigue to warn the driver. we might see very soon in fashion shows.

A clear example is the company BeBop Some examples are provided hereafter:
sensors, which has manufactured a smart • Nike is cooperating with Google to launch gym shoes, which could track real-time footprints
fabric sensor technology loaded with by use of Google Earth.
what it’s calling the Automotive Occupant
Classification System (OCS). These sensors get • Moon Berlin, designer of luxury clothing, is currently exploring soft-circuits to enhance the
pressure information and movement from the visual style and use of smart fabrics.
entire seat in real time. They are able to collect • Google is partnering with Levi’s in project Jacquard to create a collaborative innovation
data points for all aspects of physical contact where both parties put in their expertise where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
between the occupant and the seat, including A first result available from October 2017 is the jacket with a smart sleeve to control
leaning forward or back, left or right, crossing your smartphone.
legs, occupant size and weight. This can be
used to activate airbags based on weight or • Aspinal of London has started to make handbags with built-in battery chargers.
to remain which seatbelts need to be locked
when a person is seat and not when an object Additionally some of these clothing brands are also exploring alliances with healthcare
is placed in the seat. suppliers in order to provide additional usages to their current products:
• Lingerie brand Victoria’s secret has launched a functional bra combined with a Heart Rate
Monitoring band that could check for heart rate concurrently.
Home • Ralph Lauren has developed a sports shirt that monitors heartbeat, respiration
and stress levels.
Smart textiles are also going to be integrated • Madura from India has released Icetouch series shirts, which can react to lower body surface
in our home furnishings during coming years, temperature by five degree and play a function of intelligence temperature control.
moving from academic pilots to commercial
solutions. Blankets, carpets, sofas, curtains,
towels, cushions, pillows and many other
textiles we have at home will be smart
providing additional features to the ones they
provide today. A key element for these new
solutions will be their adaptability to the user,
textile will change adapting to the need of
each particular user in a concrete situation.

SpinTales has launched smart textiles to

entertain and educate children at home. They
transform a normal carpet to augmented
storytelling combining it with a tablet.

12 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Overview of main players
around the world and by areas
The global market for Smart Fabrics can be distributed in different regions
as shown in the figure with North America and Asia Pacific (mainly China
and India) leading the current development. Europe keeps some key
expertise around industries like automobile but the production is moved
in most of the cased to Asia due to costs. Europe has a significant R&D
activity thanks to the Framework Program Horizon 2020 investments
from the European Commission.

Europe
• Linked to automobiles market

North America • Production moved to Asia due to costs

• Leading player • R&D activities growth thanks to Horizon

2020 inverstments
• 45% of the market in 2015
• Linked to IT companies
• Healthcare
• Transport

Japan
• Linked to electronics industry

Asia Pacific
• 2nd player Smart textiles
• CAGR over 35% from 2016
Latin America to 2024

• Minor activities • Lead by China & India as

manufacturing hub due to
low materials cost
Africa Middle East • Construction
• Minor activities • Minor activities • Healthcadre

Main players can be classified by different roles as detailed in the following table. Some of these players have several roles, in this table they have
been assigned to the role that fits better with their main activity related to Smart Fabrics. In Appendix I a detailed list can be found with all these
players and their main activities.

Smart Fabrics 13
Overview of main players
around the world and by areas
Role Description Main players

Smart Clothing Manufacturers of • Germany: Adidas

Manufacturers clothing for mass • Taiwan: AiQ Smart Clothing
market
• UK: Cute Circuit, Speedo, Visijax
• USA: Nike, Levi´s, Kimberly Clark, O’Neill. MyZone, NuMetrex (Adidas Group), Owlet
Smart Materials Manufacturers • Canada: Crailar FTI
Manufacturers of materials that • Japan: Spiber
have one or more
properties that can • Netherlands: TenCate
be significantly • Switzerland: Schoeller Textiles
changed in a
controlled fashion • UK: Auxetix, Eleksen, Peratech, Odegon Technologies
by external stimuli, • USA: Exo2, ThermoSoft International, Gentherm, Dropel Fabrics, Marktek, Milliken &
such as stress, Company, Nanex, Noble Biomaterials, Outlast Technologies LLC
temperature,
moisture, pH, electric
or magnetic fields
Textiles Integration of • Canada: Hexoskin, OM Signal
& System Integrators electronics with • China: Fibretronic Limited
textiles
• Denmark: Ohmatex ApS
• Finland: Clothing Plus Germany: Interactive Wear, BASF
• France: Cityzen Sciences
• Germany: Interactive Wear
• Italy: Smartex
• Netherlands: Nieuwe Heren
• Switzerland: Forster Rohner
• UK: BAE Systems, Intelligent Clothing
• USA: BeBop Sensors, Globe Manufacturing Company LLC, Intelligent Textiles Limited,
International Fashion Machine, Mimo, Sensoria, Textronics, Vivonoetics
Product Development of new • Finland: Tampere University of Technology
Development products & testing of • Switzerland: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
& Testing Smart Fabrics
• USA: North Carolina State University College of Textiles,
R&D Research & • Canada: 3lectromode Studio, whispers research group Simon Frasier University
Development • Finland: Tampere University of Technology
activities around
Smart Fabrics • Germany: Fraunhofer IZM TexLab, RWTH Aachen Institute of Textile Technology
• Japan: Toray Industries
• Portugal: Center for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials (CeNTI)
• Spain: AITEX, EURECAT (former CETEMMSA), LEITAT, ASINTEC
• Sweden: Arcintex, Rise Interactive Institute, Smart Textiles Design Lab, Swedish Foundation
for Strategic Environmental research (MISTRA).
• UK: Nottingham Trent University
• USA: E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Georgia Institute of Technology, Google,
Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection at Philadelphia University, MIT, Switch
Embassy, University of Texas, Virginia eTextiles Lab, Wearable Computing Group (Oregon)
Art Applying Smart • USA: Studio subTela Concordia University
Fabric to arts

14 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Conclusion

Smart fabrics are combining new materials with adjustable properties

with typical IoT features. This combination allows to carry elements of IT
directly on the skin which brings technology one step closer to the human
body. In some areas smart fabrics have barely left the labs while in others
there is already a strong push into the markets especially when it comes
to healthcare and sports, but also in dedicated work scenarios.
The list of companies (see Appendix I for details) which are actively
pursuing this new technology proves that this will become part of
daily applications in the next years and may perhaps call in the time of
augmented clothing after the smartphone and smartwatch wave.
The authors of this paper strongly believe that there will be confluence
of existing smart technologies with smart fabrics which will evolve the
connected landscape and services. This will as well be challenging IT
companies, because the closer the service gets to the body the higher are
the requirements on safety, security and privacy will become.
This can also be part of the risks of smart fabrics: Up to now it is unclear
how the prolonged contact to nanocoated materials or electrical
components on the skin affects health. As always the benefits of the new
technology must outweigh potential hazards and address unsolved
problems or problems where smart fabrics are the better answer creating
a connected wearable solution.
Related services for smart fabrics will need to be more resilient and
perhaps require novel approaches for platforms and integration.
Nevertheless, the options to interact in a connected world will expand
and bring new elements throughout IT applications where the human is
the focal point in application scenarios. This is expected to evolve existing
services and platforms in Atos offerings to fully support solutions with
smart fabrics involved.

Smart Fabrics 15
Appendix I List of main players
The following table includes main players identified at the moment of the writing of this paper.

Name Category Description

3lectromode Studio, Fashion, R&D Smart fashion electronics atelier dedicated to avant-garde fashionable technologies.
Concordia University

Adidas Group Smart Clothing Exploring the use of smart textiles for sport clothes and shoes.
Manufacturers

AiQ Smart Clothing, Smart Clothing Aim to create fashionable, functional, comfortable solutions smart textile solutions.
Inc. Manufacturers

AITEX R&D Since its creation in 1985 by the regional government of Valencia through the
Valencian Institute of Small and Medium Sized Industries (IMPIVA), AITEX has
become the leading centre for research, innovation and advanced technical
services for textile and clothing companies in Europe.

Arcintex ETN R&D Deals with electrostatic energy harvesting in textiles.

Auxetix Smart Materials Material composites.

Manufacturers

BAE Systems Textiles & system Military Smart Fabrics. They started to work together with Intelligent Textiles Limited in the next
Integrators generation of connected clothing.

BASF Smart Materials BASF has been developing self-cleaning and antimicrobial coatings.
Manufacturers

BeBop Sensors Textiles & system Explores the use of Smart fabrics to build elegant and advanced sensors.
and Sensoria Integrators

Center for R&D CeNTI’s role is to drive new materials and devices in order to contribute for product or
Nanotechnology innovation through all the necessary stages of development.
and Smart Materials
(CeNTI)

Cityzen Science Textiles & system Specializes in the design, creation and development of connected fabrics. With a Business
Integrators to Business approach, Cityzen Sciences integrates its innovative technology to brands or
companies to create a true added value to finished products.

Clothing Plus Ltd. R&D Textiles & system Integrators

(Finland)

Crailar FTI Smart Materials Sustainable advanced fibres.

Manufacturers

Cute Circuit Smart Clothing Smart Fashion designer. Using Smart fabrics and electronics to build
Manufacturers the next generation of fashion.

Dropel Fabrics Smart Materials Hydrophobic fabrics.

Manufacturers

E. I. Du Pont R&D Research lab working on advanced materials for textile. The company is behind major
De Nemours advances in printed materials for smart fabrics and stretchable electronics inks.
and Company

Eleksen Smart Materials Company working on electro-conductive fabrics.

Manufacturers

EURECAT R&D Cetemmsa (integrated into Eurecat) is a technology centre with over 19 years of experience
in carrying out applied research on Smart Materials and Smart Devices.

EXO2 Smart Materials Pushing the envelope in thermo smart fabrics, combining integrated smart fabrics, conductive
Manufacturers fibres and electronics into their products.

Fibretronic Limited Textiles & system Hong Kong based - Fibretronic smartwear innovation.
Integrators

16 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Name Category Description

Forster Rohner Textiles & system Textile Innovations offers cost efficient production of electronic textiles in small,
Integrators as well as large serie.

Fraunhofer IZM R&D Research in textile integrated electronics, covering integrated sensors, Lighting and displays,
TexLab, Berlin wireless sensor nodes, fibre-reinforced composite materials, Textile RFID transponders,
Interactive evening dress and activewear, Anti-theft and anti-fraud protection in clothing
and textile and Occupancy sensors.

Gent University R&D CMST develops technologies to make elastic electronic devices,
- Centre for mainly for integration into textiles.
Microsystems
Technology

Georgia Institute R&D Research in advanced textile materials. Recently they did become notorious for developing
of Technology a fabric that can simultaneously harvest energy from both sunshine and motion.
in Atlanta

Globe Manufacturing Textiles & system US company specialized in clothes for fire-fighters and working on integrated fabrics
Company, LLC Integrators and wearable’s platforms for these niche.

Google R&D Project Jacquard - makes it possible to weave touch and gesture interactivity into any textile
using standard, industrial looms.

Hexoskin Textiles & system Hexoskin develops connected Health Platform offers Body-Worn Sensors.
Integrators

Intelligent Clothing Textiles & system Intelligent Clothing is an emerging paediatric and maternal-foetal health
Ltd. Integrators tele monitoring company.

Intelligent Textiles Textiles & system Advanced smart textiles for military. A two-person firm operating from a small workshop in
Limited Integrators Staines-upon-Thames, Intelligent Textiles has recently landed a multimillion-pound deal with
the US Department of Defence, and is working with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Interactive Wear AG Textiles & system Working at the forefront of smart fabrics and electronics with focus on connectivity
Integrators and integration.

International Fashion Textiles & system Tries to marry textiles, electronics and design together, by incorporating electronics directly
Machine Integrators into fabrics.

Laboratory for R&D Create smart create garments that protect servicemen and women against battlefield hazards.
Engineered
Human Protection
at Philadelphia
University

LEITAT R&D LEITAT is a non-profit Spanish Research Technology Organisation (RTO) recognised by the
Catalan Government and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. With a history
of more than 100 years, LEITAT develops R&D activities in the areas of materials sciences,
environment, surface treatments, biotechnologies and renewable energies with deep
knowledge and experience in technological transfer to several industrial sectors.

Levi’s Smart Clothing

Manufacturers

Marktek, Inc Smart Materials High tech EMI shielding and conductive, resistive,
Manufacturers and microwave-absorptive materials.

Milliken & Company Smart Materials Advanced textile materials.

(US) Manufacturers

Smart Fabrics 17
Appendix I List of main players
Name Category Description

Mimo Textiles & system Sensor technology for Baby monitoring.

Integrators

MIT R&D MIT has been actively looking into the advanced textile materials and smart fabrics.
Recently examples as the partnership with DoD to develop smart-fabrics and the
creation of Advanced Functional fabrics of America (AFFOA) Institute.

Myzone Smart Clothing Fitness and sport wearables.

Manufacturers

Nanex Smart Clothing Nano materials and technology.

Manufacturers

Nieuwe Heren Textiles & system Smart clothes for fighting air pollution.
Integrators

Noble Biomaterials, Smart Materials Biomaterials, Advanced textile materials and fibres and solutions for conductivity
Inc. Manufacturers and biometric monitoring.

North Carolina State Product

University College Development
of Textiles & testing

Nottingham Trent R&D Advanced Textiles Research Group (ATRG) develops research Activities in two main topics
University Electronic Textiles and Yarns and Flexural Materials.

NuMetrex Smart Clothing Makes garments with heart-rate-monitoring technology knitted directly into the fabric.
Manufacturers

O’Neil Smart Clothing

Manufacturers

Odegon Smart Clothing Advanced nano-textile materials.

Technologies Manufacturers

Ohmatex ApS Textiles & system At the forefront of integrated sensors, electronics encapsulation and integration, conductivity
Integrators and connectivity in textiles.

OM Signal Textiles & system Focused in developing smart clothes that help people to be active.
Integrators

Outlast Technologies Smart Materials The company develops smart advanced fabrics. They have been working with NASA
LLC Manufacturers on the astronauts’ wearables.

Owlet Smart Materials Heath wearables, with a product in the market for pulse oximetry, miniaturized into a snuggly
Manufacturers Smart Sock for babies.

Peratech Smart Materials

Manufacturers

RISE Interactive R&D The goal and mission of Smart Textiles is to stimulate fundamental renewal and high
Institute AB technology in the textile industry in order to create first-class foundations for economic
development in the region

Schoeller Textiles AG Smart Materials Sustainable development and production of innovative textiles and textile technologies.
Manufacturers

Sensoria, Inc Textiles & system The company is specialized in sport and fitness wearable’s. It has been innovative
Integrators integrating sensors in the clothes and more recently starting to mix AI
and Smart fabrics.

Smart Textiles R&D Smart Textiles Design Lab turns textile traditions and concepts upside down through
Design Lab experimental research on new, expressive materials and construction methods.

18 Atos Thought Leadership White Paper

Name Category Description

Smartex s.r.l Textiles & system EC funded as part of the smart fabrics research, the company has been actively
Integrators working in Smart integrated textiles and wearables.

Speedo Smart Clothing Advanced fabrics to improve sport performance.

Manufacturers

Spiber Smart Materials Research in advanced protein materials such as synthetic silk stronger than steel.
Manufacturers

Studio subTela, Art & Smart Fabrics/ Wearables and smart textiles in art installations
Concordia University Wearables

Swedish Foundation R&D Development of smart materials, smart textiles and wearable technologies.
for Strategic
Environmental
Research (MISTRA)

Swiss Federal Product

Institute of Development
Technology & testing

Switch Embassy R&D Switch Embassy an aesthetically and socially-driven fashion technology lab that helps
brands make electronic fashion and displays with cutting edge smart fabrics
and textiles.

Tampere University R&D

of Technology

TenCate Smart Materials Focus on innovating on smart textiles and Digital printing of textiles.
Manufacturers

Textile Technology R&D Recently creates the Dream2Lab2Fab / Research centre specialized textile technology
at RWTH Aachen in cooperation with Korea.
University

Textronics, Inc. Textiles & system The company goal is seamlessly integrate micro-electronics with textile structures.
Integrators

Toray Industries, Inc. R&D Actively researching in smart clothing and nanofibers.

University of New R&D Work on smart and nano-materials and sustainable production processes.
South Wales

University of Texas R&D Working on advanced nano-materials, recently created ultra-strong, powerful,
at Dallas shape-shifting yarns.

Virginia eTextils Lab R&D The focus on advanced research in Smart Electronic Textiles.

Visijax Smart Clothing High visibility clothes, using integrated electronics

Manufacturers

Vivonoetics Textiles & system body-worn monitoring and analysis solutions.

Integrators

Wearable Computing R&D Focus on miniaturized mobile and flexible electronics, thin film technology
Group and smart textile, as well as on signal processing, sensor fusion, machine learning
and sensor platforms.

whispers research R&D Research to create collaborative and communication between wearables.
group, Simon Frasier
University

Smart Fabrics 19
 About Atos
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with approximately 100,000 employees in
72 countries and annual revenue of around
€ 12 billion. European number one in Big
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Computing and Digital Workplace, the Group
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