Research Challenges and Innovation Trends

While design and other aesthetic product features represent a significant and sometimes dominant value adding component to the consumer goods in question and crucial competitive asset to the companies providing them, many research and technology-related challenges are also important drives of business success in these sectors. In a preliminary analysis carried out by the Textile, Footwear and Sports Technology Platforms four such key challenges/trends have been identified which indeed constitute Strategic Research Themes (SRT) believed to apply to all consumer goods sectors:

1. Advanced (multi)functionality of products for specific end applications and use scenarios

2. Intelligent manufacturing and the smart value chain

3. New design & product life cycle concepts

4. Customisation, personalisation and consumer empowerment

These challenges require substantial innovation efforts by the industry and provide formidable research opportunities for the scientific community and technology and service providers. 

Preconditions for the industry to carry out and succeed in these research and innovation efforts are:

• The preservation and enhancement of specialised knowledge and skills of company staff and external service providers

• The access to sufficient financial resources to make the necessary research and innovation investments

• A generally business-friendly and innovation-conducive economic, regulatory and legal framework to rapidly market and effectively protect innovative products and services

An overview of these key research themes and innovation conditions completed with concrete topics is provided in the following table. For possible action points see here.