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SMART TEXTILES FOR A BETTER WORLD THROUGH TEXTILE INNOVATION

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SMART TEXTILES – A PART OF

EDITORSSusanne Nejderås and Angelica Därnlöf, Smart Textiles. Pia Silver, PWR Communication.

LAYOUT & PRODUCTIONPWR Communication. www.pwr.se

COVER PHOTOMODEL Christoffer LindheCLOTHES Stayhard

PHOTO/TEXT/STYLE, unless otherwise stated: PHOTO Anna SiggeTEXT Angelica Därnlöf, Ann-Catrin KlingSTYLE Younique

PUBLISHERSusanne Nejderås, Smart Textiles.


Smart Textiles is the driving force behind textile innovation with a unique breadth – from basic research and prototyping to the commercialisation of products. We create results in partnership with academia, the business community, research institutes and policy-makers.

Smart textiles are the future. That’s not something we’ve made up ourselves.

When The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) identified four national areas in which the utmost competence is essential to strengthen-ing Sweden’s competitiveness on an international level, sustainable textiles was one of them. The IVA considers Sweden to have unique competence in this area, and has stated that there are excellent opportunities to achieve a position among current international leaders. The other three areas that were highlighted were computer games, digital health and smart urban housing.

At Smart Textiles, we have identified three important areas within textile innovation: Sustainable Textiles, Health and Medicine, and Architecture and Interiors. Thus, Smart Textiles has been proven correct as regards our research areas, and we know from

experience that the solutions reached through textile processes can be successfully applied in many industries with fantastic results. One example is our exciting collaboration with Södra Älvsborg Hospital.

But successful solutions cannot simply be plucked out of thin air. An innovation environment such as Smart Textiles is completely dependent on strong involvement on the part of the business community, academia, research institutes and the public sector. For us to be able to develop the innovations that will contribute to a sustainable future and which are capable of improving the lives of many people, more decision-makers must be made aware of the advantages. We need to help them in finding new solutions. Smart textiles are an important part of a sustainable future, and we hope that becomes clear as you continue to read.

Welcome to our world. SUSANNE

SUSANNE NEJDERÅS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SMART TEXTILES FOR A BETTER WORLD THROUGH TEXTILE INNOVATION TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

Smart clothes that keep an eye on your health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9Playing around at the dining table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12Textile coaxial cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Charge your mobile phone on the tablecloth! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

THOMAS WALLÉN CEO of Södra Älvsborg Hospital THERE’S DIZZYING POTENTIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17Södra Älvsborg Hospital’s collaborative projects with Smart Textiles . 17

A flexible alternative to arthrodesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Always the correct pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Chill out – with textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19How do you walk, exactly? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19No more cold feet on the ski slope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Artificial muscles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Wundies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20A new and more user-friendly piece of radiation protection equipment for healthcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

ABOUT SMART TEXTILES Clothes that monitor your health or measure your movements. Technology that makes it possible to recycle and reuse textile fibres. Smart textiles that revolutionise our lives. . . . . . . . . . 22-23

Three focus areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

LENA-MARIE JENSEN Head of Smart Textiles Business Innovation A MASTER OF INGENUITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26

The world’s first garment made of recycled cotton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Textiles back to textile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29Locally grown textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31Made from air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33Fashion – a return ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34From wet to dry – textile printing without waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Plastics 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37

DELIA DUMITRESCU Head of Smart Textiles Design Lab PASSIONATE ABOUT THE LIBERATION OF CREATION . . . . . . . . . . 38-40

Embarrassing silence in the elevator? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41ArcInTex shows the way towards the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Bioplastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Weaving with light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45Textrinium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Formable knits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Unpredictable PVA textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463D printed textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47The glove that can talk to robots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Knitted forms in movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Irreversible dynamic textile patterns/plant dye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51What does sound look like? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Dreaming vase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

CHRISTOFFER LINDHE Founder of Lindhe Xtend17° THAT MEAN THE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52-55

Decreased pain and increased mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Yarn from possum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Pjama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

SMART TEXTILES PROTOTYPE FACTORY Full-scale laboratories with first-class expertise, creativity and networking, set in an open and innovative environment. The Prototype Factory is a natural centre for the realisation of ideas and development through prototype construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58-61

MATS JOHANSSON Head of Smart Textiles Prototype Factory KEEP IT SIMPLE MAKE IT RAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62-64

Environmentally friendly functional garments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Beatrice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Dry jacket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Tacit CAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67The textile greenhouse effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68-69A strong lightweight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Lighter steel with textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Weaving in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Concrete reinforced with textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Biomimetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72The textile way of purifying water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72An easy-to-construct, portable biogas reactor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Naked in 2030? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

CLEMENS THORNQUIST Professor and Head of the Fashion and Textile Design Programme VIVIENNE AND BOB WERE MY ART SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74-76

Come and dance! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Textile patterns and effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78To make clothes that matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Mobility – the common thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-83

TEXTILE FASHION CENTER A meeting place for creative activities in fashion, textiles and design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84-89

THE UNEXPECTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90-93Iman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90The pine dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Dress in Wettex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Electra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Mollii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Unpredictable PVA textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

THE SMART TEXTILES SHOWROOM displays cutting-edge research, consisting of very real textile prototypes, material samples and products – all of which are available on the market and have been developed under the umbrella of Smart Textiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94-97

The Smart Textiles Steering Group . . . . . . . . 98Financiers . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

17° that mean the world – The idea to create better, more flexible prosthetic feet forms the foundation for our company, Lindhe Xtend. This is easier said than done, however. Now, after many prototypes and much hard work, we have a solution that has received an amazing response from all of the test

patients, founder Christoffer Lindhe says. 52-55

Artificial musclesImagine making textile muscles that can contract and relax of their own accord. Through a textile process in which threads and fibres are knitted or woven together, the flexibility and functionality of our own muscles is

replicated. Researcher: Nils-Krister Persson. 20

Made from airClothes made from greenhouse gases and air are not science fiction, but a reality. Why settle for producing clothes in as environmentally friendly a way as possible, when we can simply make garments which quite literally make a positive contribution to the environment!

A collaboration between Smart Textiles and Dedicated Institute. 32-33

Mobility – the common thread Forget front and back pieces, shoulder seams and straight grain pattern pieces. Rickard Lindqvist’s innovative framework for garment construction turns

the traditional way of measuring bodies and constructing patterns on its head. And flexibility and movement

is exactly what the new matrix is all about. 80-83

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Smart clothes that keep an eye on your healthWe all use clothes, so why not use them to prevent diseases and promote our well-being? A comfortable and close-fitting tank top with discrete sensors may become part of the healthcare of the future.

The integrated sensors measure heart rate and breathing, then send signals to an electronic device. The information can be used in several ways; for self-diagnosis, as a basis for doctors’ diagnoses, as an alarm for breathing problems and within the world of sports to measure development and performance. The garment may become part of the smart homes of the future, in which the house itself actively works with the residents.

Li Guo, researcher at the Swedish School of Textiles, has explored the field in her thesis, Textile-Based Sensors and Smart Clothing System for Respiratory Monitoring.

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Smart clothes that keep an eye on your healthWe all use clothes, so why not use them to prevent diseases and promote our well-being? A comfortable and close-fitting tank top with discrete sensors may become part of the healthcare of the future.

The integrated sensors measure heart rate and breathing, then send signals to an electronic device. The information can be used in several ways; for self-diagnosis, as a basis for doctors’ diagnoses, as an alarm for breathing problems and within the world of sports to measure development and performance. The garment may become part of the smart homes of the future, in which the house itself actively works with the residents.

Li Guo, researcher at the Swedish School of Textiles, has explored the field in her thesis, Textile-Based Sensors and Smart Clothing System for Respiratory Monitoring.

Clothes that interact with their surroundings

may become part of the healthcare of the future

Here, playing around (even literally) at the dining table is only positive! This is because, between courses, you are given the ability to let your creativity loose and play both drums and piano, which are printed onto the tablecloth!

The flowered tablecloth in a retro pattern contains both a drum set and piano keys which are fully functional, although they are only printed on the fabric! The secret is textile sen-sors. The cloth features a yarn that is embroidered based of conductive fibres and which converts touch into electrical signals. These are transmitted to a programmed chip, which in turn produces the sound of your favourite instrument – or

Playing around at the dining table!

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whatever sound you like! At the weddings of the future, you could, for example, record the sound of a knife clinking on a glass, and simply press the tablecloth in front of you to call for attention.

The technology behind textile sensors is at present far from fully developed, but will find its way into a near-infinite num-

ber of application areas in the future – from garments which record and transmit data, such as ECG monitors, to aids for the visually impaired. Even better, incorporating sensors into textiles offers several notable advantages: The surfaces are soft and comfortable, in addition to attenuating sound, and the textiles themselves are easy to transport and store as they take up very little space. »

Playing around at the dining table!

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The idea for the musical cloth originated with Smart Textiles researchers Li Guo and Mats Johansson. As early as the 1980s, Mats had experimented with, among other things, piezoelec-tric buzzers – small electrical components – sewn into jeans which functioned as wearable drum sets. All you had to do to start a concert was slap your hands on your thighs! Since then, an idea has been in the back of his mind; an armchair with a seat cushion having an integrated digital drum set underneath. When you are tired of resting you can get loose and play.

Li Guo wrote her doctoral thesis on textile sensors made of conductive fibres, and her research involves, among other things, integrating them into garments in order to monitor a person’s health. When Mats’s idea met Li’s research, it grew from a rhythmic armchair into a musical tablecloth, which is easier to both produce and transport. In addition, the piezoelectric buzzers were replaced with Li’s advanced sensors, which stem from the technology behind conductive coatings.

A tablecloth that one can play may seem to be purely for fun, or to show what it is possible to achieve. There are, however, many future application areas which are far more significant. Textile sensors may come to be used in pedagogical contexts, including preschools and schools, as well as in assistive devic-es. Imagine patting a piece of sheepskin and it bleating, just like a sheep. For children challenged by, for example, autism, the combination of touch and sound adds an additional dimension to their learning. When a child curls up in an armchair, a fairy tale begins to play, or the TV turns on and the armchair is thus the remote control, reacting to touch! Using sensors, one can listen to music and turn the heat up or down. One can even use the technology to create positive stimuli – a map which sounds when the pupil points to the correct or incorrect place, or a tool which pronounces a certain word correctly to aid in language acquisition.

A textile sensor would also be able to receive signals and sense touch, and in turn emit a warning sound. In relation to the areas of elderly care and social care, it would be possi-ble to create a carpet that automatically sets off an alarm and makes a call to a pre-programmed number if someone falls on it. Sensors react to change, and can even detect moisture; thus, they can also trigger an alarm if someone falls into water.

Textile sensors will be available in a large number of applica-tion areas, and many of these will change our ways of using textiles and technology, as well as perhaps our attitude to-wards them. However, Mats Johansson is certain of one thing: That, one day, the armchair with a drum set on the underside of the seat cushion will become a reality – whether it is useful or not!

RESEARCHERS AND PRODUCT DEVELOPERS: Li Guo and Mats Johansson. MATERIAL IN THE CLOTH: Digitally printed polyester weave. 100 percent polyester. Textile weaving, metal knitting/embroidery, printing and laminating were performed in the labs of Smart Textiles/The Swedish School of Textiles.GRAPHICS/ILLUSTRATIONS: Lisa Nelson, Josefine Björkman

A flowered tablecloth in a retro pattern which contains both a drum set and piano keys that are fully functional, although theyare only printed onto the fabric!

How does one sew cables into clothing in an easy way? Using textiles, of course! The idea – surrounding the cable with braided textile material – is both easy and brilliant. It is then easy to sew using the textile itself, which protects the cable to a certain degree.

A unique coaxial cable, made entirely of textiles and which can also be washed! Coaxial cables can transmit radio waves and are often used as antenna cables for TVs. Unlike traditional cables, which have a conductor of thick metal, the textile coaxial cable is thin and flexible. This is made possible because all of the parts, even those that conduct electricity, are made of yarn which makes it pliable and bendable. The construction is also easy to integrate into garments. In the future, when you will be able to stream a YouTube clip to a screen that is integrated in your clothes, it will be done using a textile coaxial cable!

RESEARCHER: Li Guo

Textile Coaxial Cable

Charge your mobile phone on the tablecloth! Energy is transmitted directly from the textile surface to the phone. Simply place the device

you would like to charge on the tablecloth – on the breakfast table, in the break room or at a restaurant – and your mobile phone is charged, without you having

to look for a charging cable or power socket!

A project within Smart Textiles Technology Lab.

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From the railway bridge, the water in the Vanå River looked almost black. Did Thomas suddenly shiver for a second up there? Ashore it was a glorious July day, but three thousand metres of cold swimming – at times against the current – is a quite different experience. The swimming competition Vansbrosimmet is a challenge, even for someone who is fit and in perfect health.

The problem was that Thomas suffered from advanced bron-chitis, and was operating on only 70% lung capacity. He had been forbidden to participate by his doctor. Most of us would have listened to reason and backed out, putting health before honour. Reduced lung function is, after all, not to be trifled with. But not Thomas. The day before he was feeling a little better, and thus ignored the doctor’s orders; when one is a CEO (and, simultaneously, a doctor oneself), that’s just how it goes. So he adjusted his wetsuit and jumped into the water.

– Much of it is in my head. If I’ve decided to do something, I see it through to the end, Thomas says, without sounding the least bit boastful. If you’d asked me twenty years ago, I’d have said ”never in all my life”, but now I realise that I can’t wait another twenty years.

At the age of 56, Thomas Wallén, CEO of Södra Älvsborg Hos-pital, decided to, without any previous experience, complete

En Svensk Klassiker (’A Swedish Classic’) – Vansbrosimmet (swimming), Vasaloppet (skiing), Vätternrundan (cycling) and Lidingöloppet (running) – within a year. He had never partic-ipated in any of the competitions before; in fact, he hadn’t even tried any of the sports, or even practised any form of endurance training before.

– Well, I’ve always kept my body ticking over with some light fitness training and jogging and suchlike, but never at this level.

Despite this, he completed the competition, in a time which was really rather respectable. Such single-mindedness is, perhaps, an essential trait when one is the CEO of a large hospital. To achieve results, one cannot back down in order to save face. No, one must work persistently and methodically so as to achieve improvements and make changes. No wonder he’s very enthusiastic about the collaboration with Smart Textiles; it’s rather like if one were to suddenly have access to diving flippers during Vansbrosimmet.

– In ten years’ time, our collaboration with Smart Textiles will be known internationally, and our expertise will be sought after all over the world. The potential is enormous and so far it’s an unexplored area, even in a global context, Thomas observes. »

THOMAS WALLÉN CEO OF SÖDRA ÄLVSBORG HOSPITAL THERE’S DIZZYINGPOTENTIAL TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

He is of the opinion that it is unique to have such a close collaboration, where the hospital is a testbed for smart textiles as part of everyday operations. The exciting new element in this is that it is no longer only the researchers who come up with innovations, as there is also input from the healthcare side. The collaboration thus represents an intricate and fruitful interplay between the hospital’s needs and the research being carried out.

– We have a number of innovations that we very much believe in, and which have moved past the pilot studies stage; now, the plan is for us to go all the way, so that they reach the healthcare sector itself. Unfortunately they’re still confidential, so I can’t say any more, although I’d very much like to. To be quite honest, however, we could launch fifty projects that would be just as exciting, if only our resources permitted.

In contrast to the majority of traditional research, the projects will result in commercially viable products and be of immediate benefit to healthcare. At the same time,

Thomas thinks that we need to be patient, as the rules which regulate the healthcare sector are rigorous. This is why it will be at least five years before the first inno-vations reach the market, but demand is already great and will only increase with time.

– I’d very much like to see a larger investment on the part of the government. One often speaks of ”the new normal” – the population becoming ever-older, while at the same time suffering from yet more simultaneous and chronic diseases. It’s good that today we survive diseases that were untreat- able twenty years ago; on the other hand, though, this places great demands on the funding of the healthcare sector. It’s a societal problem of gigantic proportions.

One part of the solution may be to free up resources through textile innovations. Thomas is of the opinion that in the future, a large proportion of social care will take place in the patient’s home or in special accommodation. As an exam-ple, garments could perform measurements and monitor a

Thomas Wallén sees only opportunitiesonce he’s made up his mind to do something.

That’s what happened when, in mid-September, he struck the race Lidingöloppet from his En svensk klassiker list, and that’s also the way it will be with the textile innovations in the healthcare sector.

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patient’s health remotely, and in so doing relieve the pres-sure on trained personnel. – Today, developments within healthcare are almost always related to purely medical research, but why stop there? One can make patients feel better through changes to their en-vironment, colour, form and materials. It has, for example, been proven that care time can be reduced by up to 20% if the patient has a picturesque view of nature from their room!

Here, Smart Textiles has an important part to play, Thomas says. Huge amounts of resources can be freed up through textile innovations which may improve patients’ lives. If one looks to the international growth potential, the perspective becomes dizzying. There are incredible improvements to make here. Thomas Wallén sees only opportunities once he’s made up his mind to do something. That’s what hap-pened when, in mid-September, he struck Lidingöloppet from his En svensk klassiker list, and that’s also the way it will be with the textile innovations in the healthcare sector.

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Södra Älvsborg Hospital’s collaborative projects with Smart TextilesFABRIC FOR ANTIBACTERIAL SUPERFICIAL WOUND TREATMENT – FASTThe aim of the project is to develop a fabric for antibacterial wound treatment. This is a collaboration between the Clinic of Infectious Diseases at Södra Älvsborg Hospital and Smart Textiles.

PLIABLE, FUNCTIONAL PROSTHESIS SOCKET WITH THE DESIRED HEAT- AND MOISTURE-REPELLENT CHARACTERISTICS.The purpose of the project is to establish a benchmark for the future of prosthesis sockets, taking as its start-ing point the amputee’s basic day-to-day needs and using the latest technology in smart textile materials. The project is a collaboration between the prosthesis company Lindhe Xtend AB, the Orthopaedic Clinic at Södra Älvsborg Hospital, Smart Textiles, Swerea IVF and the Swedish School of Textiles, Borås.

MATERIAL FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE NEED FOR ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN FOOT AND INSOLEThe project is a collaboration between the Ortho-paedic Clinic at Södra Älvsborg Hospital and Smart Textiles, and is one part of the larger collaboration between the two partners.

DEMO PRODUCT FOR BIOMATERIALS IN HEALTHCAREThe purpose of the project is to create a prototype which meets the healthcare sector’s needs and requirements, in order to demonstrate that there exist alternatives to products currently in use. Through an active collaboration with the county councils’ health care departments, the project will also show the impact of the future development of bio-based materials on the healthcare sector. The goal is to inspire and motivate the Swedish healthcare sector to accelerate the rate at which the share of biomaterials in the healthcare sector increases through both a con-tinuation of a dialogue with the county councils and physical demo products. The project is a collaboration between Smart Textiles, Innovatum, Organoclick, Wargön Innovation, Stockholm County Council and Södra Älvsborg Hospital, among others.

PREVENTION OF PRESSURE ULCERS A pilot study has been initiated to investigate the possibility of preventing pressure ulcers with textile solutions. The pilot study is a collaboration between Smart Textiles, Södra Älvsborg Hospital and MedTech West.

’THE PSYCHIATRIC CARE QUARTER’In order to combine psychiatric care for both children and adults under one roof, Södra Älvsborg Hospital is to commence work on a new building. Through the collaboration between Södra Älvsborg Hospital and Smart Textiles, the possibility of including textile solutions in the project will be investigated.

A flexible alternative to arthrodesisTextile spinal discs tailored to the individual may come to replace arthrodesis procedures for people with injured backs. This would have several advantages: a spinal disc that builds on textile technology can withstand heavy loads, and is flexible in some directions but rigid in others – just like an organic spinal disc. In addition, it would be formable and easy to insert between vertebrae, simplifying the surgical procedure.

The medical technological company Ortoma, which is headed by the entrepreneur Dr Matts Andersson, is working in collaboration with Smart Textiles on the development of this product.

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Always the correct pressure

The difficulty in wrapping a bandage is that it needs to be applied with a specific pressure in order to ensure fast and optimal healing. PressCise is a great help to those who undergo compression therapy related to, for example, varicose vein surgery, venous leg ulcers or a sprain. The unique textile material of the bandage in combination with the clear markings makes the process simple. When the line on the bandage is straight, it has been wrapped with the correct pressure, regardless of the size and shape of the leg, or who is wrapping. PressCise is the result of interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers in vascular surgery, mathematics and technical textiles, and is available on the market today. The project is a collaboration between PressCise and Smart Textiles.

CHILL OUT – WITH TEXTILES Textiles with active cooling or heating properties have become reality

thanks to Smart Textiles. Electrical components, integrated into the fabric, create convection cur-rents that work like a textile refrigerator, drawing heat out. The technology could be applied, for example, within healthcare, and in other scenar-

ios in which there is a need to quickly and easily change the temperature.

How do you walk, exactly?A sock that measures steps and foot placements and then, via an accom-panying device, wirelessly sends the information to a smartphone application. The fibers senses the load and movement when the fabric of the sock is stretched which generates a voltage change. These changes are monitored, and data is converted into feedback on the way the user walks – which can say quite a lot about their movement patterns and state of health. This will provide the healthcare with data with which to diagnose diseases and tailor treatments. The sock can also be used in sports in order to, for example, optimise running technique.

RESEARCHER: Karin Rundqvist, Nils-Krister Persson

The sock features piezoelectric fibres, which have been developed by the researcher Anja Lund in collaboration with the research institute Swerea IVF.

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WUNDIES look like normal ladies’ briefs, but have built-in incontinence pads that can absorb up to 40 times their own weight in liquid. The briefs help women who suffer from stress incontinence to continue to live an active lifestyle

involving exercise, travelling and social activities, all in a stylish and safe manner. The women’s briefs, along with an accompanying pair for men, are already available on the market. The products are developed by the Wundies company,

together with Smart Textiles.

Artificial musclesImagine making textile muscles that can contract and relax of their own accord.

Through a textile process in which threads and fibres are knitted or woven together, the flexibility and functionality of our muscles is replicated. In terms of materials, textile processes have been combined with organic electronics, which involves different kinds of

electrically conductive polymers. The final product could be used in several different ways in the medical world; to sew blood vessels, repair limbs or redirect blood flows.

The vision for the product also, of course, includes replacing entire muscles.

RESEARCHER: Nils-Krister Persson, in collaboration with Linköping University

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No more cold feet on the ski slope

A smart alpine sock with a textile heating element that keeps the foot warm in really cold weather. The heating element consists of a conductive metal yarn,

knitted into the upper side of the sock and connected to a small, portable battery. Using an application in the wearer’s smartphone, heat can be regulated separately

for each foot and the predicted battery lifespan for the current setting can be checked. The sock has been developed by Seger Europe and Inuheat, in collaboration with Smart

Textiles.

www.inuheat.com | www.seger.se

A NEW AND MORE USER-FRIENDLY PIECE OF RADIATION PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FOR HEALTHCARE The radiology apron is designed to increase ventilation, weigh less and be more flexible than current radiation protection equipment. It has been approved for patent application, and is being developed through a collaboration between Smart Textiles and the company 10MD.

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452RESEARCH- AND COMPANY-DRIVEN PROJECTS

3 910SQUARE METRES OF LAB SPACE

213PARTNERS

14 031VISITORS IN SMART TEXTILES SHOWROOM

SMART TEXTILESClothes that monitor your health or measure your movements. Technology that makes it possible to recycle and reuse textile fibres. Smart textiles that revolutionize our lives.

Licentiate/PhD theses 40

Products 60

Prototypes 197

Companies 51

MADE, CREATED AND STARTED WITHIN SMART TEXTILES

Architecture& Interiors 22%

Medicine& Health (incl. sports& PPE)42%

In the future, the industry will move from being a supplier of fabrics to a part of the development of society. Textile innovations that improve people’s everyday lives and benefit the textile industry, healthcare and the environment.

However, innovations are not developed in a vacuum. They require an open environment in which people from different backgrounds cross paths and openly exchange ideas in order to arrive at desired and unexpected solutions. Smart Textiles is that innovation environment in Northern Europe.

Academia, the business community, research institutes, and the public sector meet today to discover tomorrow’s solutions. As Smart Textiles offers a complete solution including everything from basic research to prototyping, it is the natural partner for realizing textile ideas or meeting a need with textile technology.

With more than 450 research and company-driven projects since the start in 2006, Smart Textiles is not only a recognized engine of the Swedish textile industry but an established and important player on the international arena.

Sustainable Textiles 28%

Misc. 8%DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECTS

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SMART TEXTILES is an environment that consists of a close collaboration between the University of Borås, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Swerea IVF and the Incubator in Borås. The primary funders are Vinnova, Region Västra Götaland and Region Borås/the Sjuhärad Association of Local Authorities. Smart Textiles is also funded by Sparbanksstiftelsen Sjuhärad (the ‘Sparbanken Sjuhärad Foundation’) and other research funders.

HEALTH AND MEDICINE (including SPORTS & PPE) Textile materials with medical functions, applied within and outside of the body, both on the skin and incorporated into garments. The connections to sports are extensive, as there is a clear connection between a healthy lifestyle and a decreased need for medical care.

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES New sustainable solutions for the textile industry with regard to raw materials, pre-treatment, production and use are an expressed need of society. We see sustainability from an environmental perspective which is connected to long-term use.

ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS Here, we are looking for possibilities to express the complexity that smart textiles offer through taking textile thinking as a starting point; textile space, textile movement, textile interaction and textile complexity. We also see clear links to technical challenges in solving issues relating to interior environments connected to, among other things, sound absorption and air filters.

THREE FOCUS AREAS

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When Lena-Marie Jensen was three years old, she cut her mother’s dress into pieces. The intention was good; her mother was going to make it into a skirt, and Lena-Marie only wanted to help.

Even though her assistance did not result in exactly what her mother had in mind, it was perhaps in that moment that a seed was planted, which eventually blossomed into a life-long love of textiles – and an interest in and aptitude for recy-cling. These two things are still very important to Lena-Marie today, in her role as Coordinator of Smart Textiles Business Innovation.

– This is the world’s most rewarding job, and it often results in amazing products - which makes it even more rewarding! We procure textile research expertise for companies that come to us with ideas or seeking support, and we help them along the way with guidance, research, funding and assistance in finding the right partners, drawn from our extensive network.

Let us, however, start from the beginning. After a long and varied career in the industry, encompassing many differ-ent areas but with a strong focus on product development, Lena-Marie returned to the University of Borås in 2011, the Textile Management programme of which she had graduated from 20 years earlier. It was, of course, fun to complete the cycle, but Lena-Marie would be hard-pressed to say that it was according to her original plan.

– As a 15-year-old, I was entirely sure that I was going to become a designer. I had always sewn my own clothes and been interested in fashion, so that was the big dream that was going to come true.

To achieve her goal, she began working at Aspens konfek-tionsfabrik AB (a ready-made clothing factory in Trollhättan) straight after she graduated from high school. »

LENA-MARIE JENSEN HEAD OF SMART TEXTILES BUSINESS INNOVATION A MASTER OF INGENUITY TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

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Although she was quickly offered a position within the de-sign department, which would mean working on collections, something didn’t feel quite right. As a result of the experience that Lena-Marie had obtained through her work, her eyes were gradually opened to the fact that there was more to the textile industry than design.

– I was fascinated by the knitting department of the factory and learned more and more about materials development. New vistas unfolded before my eyes, with so many possibili-ties and techniques. Put simply, materials became my thing.

With her appetite whetted, she began to study for a degree in Textile Management at the Swedish School of Textiles in 1989. By the time she graduated, however, it was the devel-opment of products, rather than the economic and manage-ment aspects, that had once more become her focus. Since then, Lena-Marie has acquired a broad experience of the in-dustry and worked with the whole chain, from yarn to qual-ity assurance. She’s dealt with everything from the transfer printing of ‘bingo dresses’ in polyester to textiles for car in-teriors. All of this has led to a perfect mix of contacts and problem-solving experience for her position at Smart Textiles Business Innovation.

– It was like coming home, only everything had become so much bigger and better at the Swedish School of Textiles, which is in the same building. When I graduated in 1991, the industry was in crisis and people were offering their sympa-thies for my choice of career. Twenty years later and it was the opposite - thumbs up from all!

Lena-Marie Jensen is a very positive person whose energy and interest in people and their ideas is contagious. She says that the best thing about her professional role is that it offers her an outlet for her ’ingenuity’. She thrives on the kind of challenging problem-solving that she is faced with on a daily basis. And the meetings, of course. And all of the smart, and sometimes crazy, projects that people come to her with.

– One never knows what ideas will lead to. Sometimes, the most improbable ones are those which, in the end, are the most successful. This is why one has to try to disregard one’s

own prejudices and preconceptions. We are more than willing to work with textile innovations that are the result of high ambitions and the desire to make a difference, which means that we have to be skilled in listening and thinking along en-tirely new lines. Although there is huge potential for smart textile innova-tions in a number of different areas, Lena-Marie chooses to particularly stress the exciting possibilities of sustainable resource usage and medical technology. She points to the large healthcare challenges that society faces as the pop-ulation lives ever-longer. Textile innovations can both relieve the pressure on healthcare personnel and make users feel safer, as with, for example, medical monitoring instruments which are part of a soft fabric.

– At the beginning, I was surprised by how important the projects that Smart Textiles works with are. Innovations are often at the core of the things that improve our lives, from enviro-smart materials which bind carbon dioxide and thus reduce, rather than increase, emissions, to garments with built-in electrodes which alleviate muscle spasms in people suffering from related diseases.

“Cellulose as renewable raw material”, “identifying cyclic flows”, “user-friendly medical textiles” – when Lena-Marie finds her feet and gets going, it is sometimes difficult for a layman to keep up, but the essence is very clear; she is pas-sionate about her work.

– I’m in the habit of borrowing a classic Kamprad [Founder of the Swedish furniture company IKEA] quote: “Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!” That is what it feels like when one’s work involves contributing to making the world a better place to live. That is, in fact, what we try to achieve with our textile innovations – to make society more ecologically sustainable, to make people’s everyday lives easier and improve healthcare.

One has a feeling that the three-year-old Lena-Marie would have looked up from her mother’s dress and, with her scissors poised, nodded approvingly.

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Recycled textiles and the Swedish forests are being combined to assist in revolutionising a whole industry. With the world’s first pilot facility for a complete value chain of textile recycling about to open, this marks the dawn of a new way of producing, recycling and consuming.

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The clothes of the future will be recyclable. In 2014, the world’s first garment made of recycled cotton was knitted – a unique breakthrough that showed that it is possible to create a cycle of textile fibres using completely new tech-niques. The next generation of these textiles has been devel-oped – a material mix of recycled cotton and cellulose from Swedish forests, which means that, as Swedes, we are now able to talk about ‘locally grown’ textiles.

The project, in which technology, recycling and production are combined, is called ‘Textiles back to textile’, and is an important step on the path to a textile cycle and a circular economy. This is because textiles may be fully recyclable in the future and, just like paper, consist of a mix of old and new fibres. This also entails adjustments to the industry as early as the design stage, as one has to plan for recycling by, for example, using fewer different materials in a garment.

The first test facility for the creation of new textile fibres through recycling is to be built in Kristinehamn. Here, the collection, sorting and pre-treatment of worn-out textiles will form a complete value chain that will result in new textile fibres.

It is through a new technique, developed by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Greenhouse Labs, that for the first time, makes it possible to recycle fibres from cotton clothing into perfect, new textile fibres. The cotton is recycled chemically, and the fibres are turned into ‘textile pulp’ prior to once again undertaking the journey through the textile chain in order to become new fibres that can be used in production. The world’s first garment made of recycled cotton – ‘The Yellow Dress’ – was made of old jeans that underwent the chemical treatment, resulting in a sun- yellow dress. With this unique breakthrough, Sweden is given a fantastic opportunity to participate in a new and grow-ing textile market with new companies and sustainable, environmentally friendly services and products. Thus, the technology to recycle cotton means endless possibilities.

The project is a collaboration between: Smart Textiles, re:newcell, Wargön Innovation/Innovatum, Nudie Jeans, Södra, the Swedish School of Textiles, Klättermusen, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, IL Recycling, Swedish Red Cross, Ragn-Sells, University West, Innventia, Vänersborg municipality, Akademiska Hus, SKS Sweden.

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A TEXTILE CYCLE THAT IS 100% PAPERThis dress is made from knitted paper yarn – an alternative to cotton of the future. The paper dress is also recyclable so, when it is worn out, it will be put in the paper recycling or on the compost heap. In this way the circle is closed; it becomes fertile matter in which new trees can grow, and from there be turned into paper.And yes, it is washable!

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Locally grown textiles‘Locally grown’ extends so much further than fruit and vegetables – for example, to Swedish forests. The idea is that wood is to be one of the raw mate-rials for producing locally grown textiles, which are then converted into various kinds of furnishing –anything from furniture to tablecloths. At the same time, a perpetual cycle is created, with the aim of making all furnishings recyclable.

When you grow tired of the table or the sofa is worn out, you just leave them to be recycled, and they are resurrected as new paper or cardboard products. According to this principle, a resource cycle is created in which we, instead of throwing away raw materials and textile fibres, use them over and over again.

The initiative is run by Smart Textiles and called ‘Designed for Recycling’. The goal is to develop bio-based furniture and interior decoration elements using paper materials that can be recycled. One of the products that is currently being developed is a screen wall that travels through the entire chain – from paper to yarn, textile production, finished prod-uct and, finally, recycling.

The background of the project is the need for textile fibres, which is growing in step with the increasing world popula-tion. By 2050, the demand is predicted to be three times that of today. One explanation for this is that an ever-increasing number of populated centres are forming all over the world, the inhabitants of which are becoming better off and able to afford to consume more. The production of oil-based textile fibres, such as nylon and polyester, and cotton fibres will in time reach a maximum threshold, and simultaneously these materials are a burden on the environment. Because of this, it is necessary to find new, bio-based materials that are more environmentally friendly and which can be incorporated into a resource cycle, rather than being thrown away and new ones bought in their place.

The initiative ‘Designed for Recycling’ is a part of the ‘Establish locally grown textiles in Sweden’ project, which is directed by Swerea IVF and is a collaboration between that organisation and Smart Textiles, Bioisolator, Kinnarps, the Mid Sweden University, Munksjö Paper, Nordic Paper, OrganoClick, Sjuhärads-bygdens Färgeri, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Stena Recycling, Stora Enso Re-Board, SKS Sweden and Trikåby. The project is funded by Vinnova, Formas and the Swedish Energy Agency.

The project is part of the national venture ‘Bioinnovation’.

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Fashion – a return ticketA cool dress made of old blue overalls? By redesigning old garments, the Re:textile pro-ject wants us to extend the life of the clothes we have in our wardrobes. Today, we use our clothes for about two years before they wear out or we grow tired of them. Through new solu-tions for redesigning and innovative business models, such as clothing libraries, the project aims to create frameworks which will increase the lifespan of a garment to up to 10 years. The goal is for the sustainability perspective to be included already in the product development stage, and this may involve, for example, closely considering which materials the designer uses, or how the garment is put together in order for it to be easy to disassemble.

The Re:textile project is run by Science Park Borås together with, among others, the University of Borås.DESIGN: Anna LidströmPHOTO: Clara Lidström

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The purpose of the ‘From wet to dry’ project is to make the production of textile prints and the functionality of textiles more sustainable and cost-effective.

Current production methods are very resource-consuming but, with new technology and new thinking, the consump-tion of water, energy and chemicals can be reduced. In addi-tion, the amount of waste is minimised.– It’s a major paradigm shift, says Vincent Nierstrasz, Professor of Textile Materials Technology at the Swedish School of Textiles.

In order to make production more efficient, flexible and sustainable, a new system has been developed in Borås, in which a digital inkjet printer is used in place of the tradition-al printing roll. This reduces the chemical usage to the low-est possible amount necessary for successful pattern print-ing, and rids the process of superfluous ink which would otherwise be washed away by repeated water-baths. It also makes it more economically feasible to produce smaller quantities.– We simply make it possible to produce only what is need-ed, Vincent says.

Curing water-based ink can make it water-insoluble. In addi-tion, it is possible to print coatings, and there already exists, for example, a system for UV curing.

The textile industry has shown a great deal of interest in the unique printing system and the possibility of reducing both production costs and environmental impact. The system also facilitates the precise construction of complex patterns or structures in multiple layers, all at industrial speeds. In turn, this fusion of design and technology stimulates inno-vation and creativity.

The research project is carried out in collaboration with several industrial partners. The Swedish School of Textiles contributes with, among other things, the development of functional ink. The technology has proven to be excellent for both functional and smart textiles. At the time of writing, a single-stage process isn’t viable, but the goal is for the inkjet printer to dye and provide functionality in a single run, which would save considerable amounts of time.

At the Swedish School of Textiles’ labs, there are two mod-els of smaller printers which actually fit on a desk. In the future, a full-width printer will be developed by industri-al partners, which will make it possible to produce textile prints in small, as well as large, formats – all according to what is in demand.

RESEARCHERS: Vincent Nierstrasz, Sina Seipel, Junchun Yu, Mats Johansson

From wet to dry T EX T I L E P R I N T I N G W I T H O U T WAST E

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Mikaeal Skrifvars has been interested in polymers ever since the years he spent working in a chemical factory. At present, he is a Professor of Polymer Technology, and has for several years led a research team at the University of Borås, where seven researchers work to find solutions to various problems and challenges. It’s not only plastics that the research focus-es on, but also what one can do by combining, in a labora-tory setting, various materials which have different proper-ties – plastics, yarns and textiles, for example. In that way, an entirely new material with new properties is created; a composite material.

– One can use composite materials instead of metal in many products, as they have such a low weight, excellent mechani-cal properties and good strength, Mikael Skrifvars says.

Composite materials are of interest to many industries. They allow for a fast production process with few steps, making it possible to produce complex products in a cost-effective way. This, in combination with their low weight, good strength and the possibility to tailor their properties, makes these materials highly desirable in, for example, the aviation and automotive industries, which are always on the lookout for opportunities to reduce weight and thus fuel consumption. The research team in Borås works, among other things, on developing composite components for cars in order to make them both lighter and more environmentally sustainable. One of the projects that the group has successfully worked with under the umbrella of Smart Textiles is reinforcement

materials made of textiles. By using heat and pressure, hy-brid yarn is converted into a composite material, which is then usable as textile reinforcement in plastics. The result is a much lighter product, but with the same strength as com-posite fibreglass.

Mikael’s team’s research falls under the ‘Resource Recovery’ research area. Through the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable composite materials, they explore recycling solutions. There are connections to both textiles and fashion through investigations into how bio-based ma-terials can be utilised and recycled for use in entirely new products. Mikael Skrifvars predicts that in the future, both the degree of recycling of various polymers and their value will increase simultaneously.

– Recycling in the future will mean that we take care of ma-terials in order to make sure that we increase their sustaina-bility and lengthen their life-span as compared to today, Mi-kael Skrifvars says. It may involve, for example, making fibres from textile waste and recycled plastics.

Converting the enormous amounts of textiles which are to-day discarded from the large industrial laundries of Sweden into new products is one of the challenges that the research team is working on. By adding plastics and compressing the textile with large amounts of pressure, a biocomposite mate-rial is produced; this can be used in entirely new application areas, such as furniture and building materials.

Plastics 2.0With research projects such as furniture made from recycled clothes and the reinforcement of plastics, Mikael Skrifvars’s research team is well on their way towards reaching one of their goals: to upgrade the status of plastics to something valuable!

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– I came here when I was quite young, and in manyways I’ve grown up with this group. It’s very reward-ing to see how we have developed over the past ten, fifteen years, she says and smiles.

The group Delia Dumitrescu is talking about consists of the research students that she met at the Smart Textiles Design Lab when she arrived in Borås from Romania. It was during those initial conversations that she realised that she had in-deed come to the right place.

– It was a fantastic group to become a part of as a new PhD student, there were people from all kinds of backgrounds – product design, architecture, textile design, interaction design and fashion – which led to many interesting conversations, of-ten until late in the night. Mostly we talked design, but we also became friends. And of course we still are.

As early as during her architectural studies, Delia had come to understand that collaborations and relationship-building were things that she liked and was good at. She likes to be part of this group, where the synergies almost create themselves.

– Design can be quite challenging, with late nights and much deliberation. It may also, however, be a process which is in-herently social and developmental, in which you, as part of a group, find worthwhile solutions. The latter is something that we try to pass on to our students – that they should be open to collaboration, and to seeing the possibilities in their surround-ings.

Before getting onto the topic of the students of today, however, we must rewind, to a time before Borås. A little over ten years ago, Delia had just graduated and taken a position at a prom-inent architectural firm in Bucharest. The job was everything she had dreamed of when she had begun studying architec-ture in her home country, but there was something that wasn’t one hundred percent right. She liked the creative process, with everything that came with it, but something was missing.

– I knew that the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås had a very interesting research environment as regards the devel-opment of new materials and techniques. »

DELIA DUMITRESCU RESEARCHER AND HEAD OF SMART TEXTILES DESIGN LAB

PASSIONATE ABOUT THELIBERATION OF CREATION TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

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Perfect! I resigned from my position at the architectural firm and applied to the Master’s programme at the Swedish School of Textiles.

Unlike her new classmates, she didn’t know anything about textiles, so there was nothing for it but to start from scratch. Delia thinks that she was lucky that the education was very practical, meaning that she could advance rapidly. With her conceptual background in architecture, she approached pro-jects in a somewhat different way. And obviously she had something to contribute, as it all went well – so well, in fact, that today she is an employee of the Swedish School of Tex-tiles, one of its researchers and the Head of the Smart Textiles Design Lab.

– I love being able to push the borders of what is possible to ac-complish, and to be able to be completely free when creating.

Delia emphasises the fact that she works with foundational research. This largely involves the design of interactive sur-face materials, which are then used in architecture. Imagine a science fiction scenario – glowing arrows on the floor of the pharmacy, suddenly showing you the way to the right shelf be-cause you told the sensor station which product you’d like to buy. Wouldn’t that be neat? In order to turn that vision into something practical, a number of basic questions require an-swers.

– In what way should a room react to human presence? How does one design materials so that they react in different ways to different kinds of stimuli? How do we perceive the results of these reactions; the lights turning on, the colours changing, the patterns appearing?

To a layman, there is something almost touching and amusing in this universal, near-philosophical endeavour to be seen and understood. But from a design perspective, it’s often nothing but hard work – a long and arduous process that requires a researcher of extraordinary curiosity and tenacity.

– You have this fantastic idea, you know exactly how it’s going to work and everything is great. But then it has to be real-ised, and reality starts to make a fuss because, in the physical world, your idea falls flat on its face, Delia says and smiles. This is when you have to have the stamina to fight on and find new ways. It may be frustrating, but this often leads the pro-jects in unexpected and exciting directions.

And, as we are on the topic of exciting new directions: Smart Textiles has just been awarded EU funding via Marie Curie Actions for a new international research programme in textile interaction design. The 37 million SEK will, among other things, give 15 doctoral students the opportunity to conduct research into how textile design can contribute to an environmentally sustainable future. The project will run for four years, and is a collaboration between the University of Borås and six other European universities.

– We’re so excited about this. The doctoral students will work with new scenarios relating to how society may work in the future, and textiles play a major role in this development. The fact that a design project has been given funding from such a prestigious body shows that it’s an important research area. It’s unusual for design to be allocated resources of this magnitude.

The rewards of this project will be far more than just honour and glory for the participating researchers and their higher education institutions, however. Among other things, the ex-change programme will provide design students with fresh inspiration, which is something Delia appreciates.

– When our students go into the workplace, they are the ones who can really make sure that the knowledge that our research generates reaches the right people and places. It’s a very important network for us, and of decisive significance for how research, in the long term, trickles down to society.

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EMBARRASSING SILENCE IN THE ELEVATOR? Elevator Stories is a design concept which is intended to alleviate the tension that often arises in

an elevator full of strangers. The large textile has eight head-sized holes, and the occupants of the elevator each put their head through one. The idea is

for the hiding of the people’s bodies to create a sense of equality, as all are concealed by a common surface. In addition, the textile encourages

conversation through fibre optics, which are embedded in the surface, are voice-controlled and light up when someone speaks.

WORKSHOP: Smart Textiles, the Swedish School of Textiles and Umeå Institute of Design.

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ArcInTex shows the way towards the future

‘BUTTERFLY LACE’ IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE RESEARCH CARRIED OUT WITHIN ARCINTEX A textile lace which exists on the border between traditional handicrafts and smart textiles. It took shape during a collaboration which was run simultaneously in three different countries. With the help of Skype calls, email conversations and workshops, an electrical-ly conductive lace that reacts to touch by changing its colour was created. All of the threads in the yarn function as separate sensors which, through their responses to pressure, tempera-ture and direction, register whether a specific area is touched. The conductive yarn reacts by heating the touched area, in turn causing the temperature-sensitive pigment which the lace has been dyed with to change colour as the temperature changes – to purple, grey, orange and yellow.

RESEARCHERS: Kristi Kuusk, Marjan Kooroshnia and Jussi Mikkonen www.arcintex.hb.se PHOTO: Farhang Alemzadeh

ArcInTex is an international network in which textiles, architecture and interaction design are linked together in common research projects. The purpose of these is to develop techniques, methods and design programmes that can provide new perspectives on housing and lifestyles. Examples of research areas include exploring textile technology from artistic perspec-tives, investigating the interplay between textiles and archi-tecture and researching textile interaction design. Smart Textiles is one of the founders of the network, which consists of international universities and companies.

ArcInTex is the network that shows the way towards the future, by testing limits and breaking new ground in the uncharted spaces between textiles, design and architecture.

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BIOPLASTICS This project is currently investigating ways of designing with biocomposite materials through the integration of textile methods.

For example, substances with gelatinous structures have been used. Incredible colour effects are created using different pigments,

and patterns have been designed using block printing and form moulding techniques.

RESEARCHERS: Delia Dumitrescu, Marjan Kooroshnia, Riika Townsend, Linda Worbin

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Barbara Jansen’s textiles require darkness in order to fully experience them. In the dark a new world appears, with colours and shapes that change colour or writhe, creating shadow plays. An evocative landscape appears in the meeting between textiles and technology.

The focuses of Barbara’s research are textiles, optical fibres and LEDs, which she allows to merge in an innovative way. The illuminated threads are made of the optical fibre PMMA, and the techniques vary from weaving to knitting and braiding.

– In smart textiles, new working methods are constantly developed, and these create new visions for what one can do regarding the textile design of the future, Barbara says.

Materials that interact with the user, for example by reactingto movement or other changes in the environment, open up for entirely new application areas for the textiles of the future. These may be practical, such as systems which warn of changes in surroundings, or more design-related ones, which may explore the idea that an object need not remain static in terms of its visual appearance. At the same time, light is so much more than art and installations.

Weaving with light

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Designing with luminous light screens may, for example, relate to a functional aspect of an open-plan office in which there are few windows to let daylight in. Light can also re-late to notions of rest and recovery, as with Barbara Jansen’s Light Shell – a small, soft textile room which stimulates the senses through visuals, tactile surfaces and the option of sit-ting within the space. Light Shell has integrated optical fibres which radiate light, promoting recovery and relaxation.

Instead of using two-dimensional textiles with a single pattern, Barbara has worked with light which creates movements, colour-changes and rhythms, which also re-

sult in multiple pattern compositions as they change. In her textiles, optical fibres and LEDs have been integrated as an active part of the textile structure.– New textile expressions can help to change preconceived ideas and give entirely new insights and interpretations of textiles, Barbara Jansen observes.

And in the atmospheric darkness, where light, sound and movement form a whole which becomes an experience for all of the senses, it’s not difficult to imagine that many observers actually gain a whole new perspective on what textiles can be.

Weaving with light

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TEXTRINIUM is an installation in which textiles interplay with their surroundings and react to touch, movement patterns, carbon dioxide levels, light and sound. The production of the installation involved the use of, for example, conductive yarns and thermochromic inks, which change their appearance depending on the temperature.The project is a collaboration between Smart Textiles and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

FORMABLE KNITS If one knits with water-soluble PVA yarn, wool and metal threads, the result is a material with formable properties. By wetting the textile and then pulling on it, openings are created in the spaces where the PVA yarn dissolved. Doing so creates striking patterns, which in this instance has resulted in garments with wholly new appearances. RESEARCHER: Riikka Talman

UNPREDICTABLE PVA TEXTILES Textiles that disappear in warm water. A PVA textile dress that dissolves and changes its structure when it comes into contact with a fluid of over 20°C. If the wearer, for example, spills a cup of coffee, the dress receives an entirely new expression. RESEARCHER: Riikka Talman

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3D PRINTED TEXTILES are a fairly recent phenomenon. 3D CAD programs allow the design process to be undertaken in great detail, and the design itself can thus be adapted to various application areas before being printed. The Open Structures project explores the transformability of 3D printed textiles, and aims to discover if some of the openness that characterises the CAD-modelled digital form can also become part of the printed material’s qualities. The outcome so far consists of two experimental prototypes, the expressions and properties of which can be altered by physically manipulating how the structure is constructed, as well as which raw materials it consists of. RESEARCHER: Linnéa Nilsson, PHOTO: Jan Berg

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– We are at the prototype stage, but the unique combination of smart textiles and robots is a good example of the great potential that we are working with, Vincent Nierstrasz, Pro-fessor of Textile Materials Technology, explains.

The University of Borås’s expertise in textile technology and design and Skövde’s expertise in information technology are being utilised as researchers from the two universities col-laborate.

One exciting result is a glove, the manipulation of which con-trols a robot using textile sensors. Communicating through hand movements may look easy, but the road to get there was anything but. Anja Lund, Katharina Bredies and Gauss Lee have, with their knowledge of textile sensors, electron-ic textiles and robotics, put in significant amounts of work. Katharina says:– Gloves that communicate already exist, but in this area – human-robot interaction – it’s a relative-ly recent development. Textile sensors are easy to use, but they work in a different way from standard electronic com-ponents, which must be taken into account during development.

A communicating glove is also very complicated to develop due to the complex range of move-ment of the hand.

Smart textiles as a medium of communication between man and machine may find widely varying applications. In industry, robots and humans could work more closely if the robot were programmed to sense a human’s movements and maintain a safe distance, allowing the two to work side-by-side. Another scenario involves patients wearing garments with embedded textile sensors, which would sense movement and provide doctors with information about the patient’s health.

The research team are also at work on developing a skin made of smart textiles, which a robot could be ‘dressed’ in. This opens up for the possibility of creating a ‘soft’ robot, and for an increase in interaction between man and machine. The initiative is supported by Region Västra Götaland and involves design, textiles and sustainable development, among other things.

RESEARCHERS: Katharina Bredies, Anja Lund, Gauss Lee, Vincent Nierstrasz

The glove that can talk to robotsTextile gloves that control robots, and robots ‘dressed’ in soft textiles.The strategic research collaboration between the Universities of Borås and Skövde demonstrates exciting opportunities and impressive creativity.

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THE KNITTING LAB, THE SWEDISH SCHOOL OF TEXTILES 49

KNITTED FORMS IN MOVEMENT Imagine a wall that changes shape as you walk past it! Small, programmed

motors rotate under the textile’s surface and react to movement in the surroundings. RESEARCHERS: Delia Dumitrescu, Hanna Landin

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IRREVERSIBLE DYNAMIC TEXTILE PATTERNS/PLANT DYE Sea water and local plants yield natural dyes for textiles. No colour-fast chemicals or salts have been used, and so over time the colours change permanently, just like the seasons, giving them a changeable and living expression. Rather than trying to imitate nature with a static and final appearance, it is designed so that nature becomes an integral part of the textile. RESEARCHER: Linda Worbin

WHAT DOES SOUND LOOK LIKE? That’s what this jacket shows, by changing colour when the volume rises. One application area could involve warning people when sound in a room becomes too loud; another could relate to showing that the person wearing the jacket has recently been in a noisy and loud environment, and perhaps needs some peace and quiet. The jacket was developed during a workshop held with Smart Textiles, the Swedish School of Textiles and the Umeå Institute of Design.

DREAMING VASE Tired of how your possessions look? Let them change their appearance of their own accord. A dual-layer glass vase, inlaid with a patterned printed textile that contains photoluminescent pigments that give a variable experience. The outline of the pattern is identical in both day-light and darkness, but the pattern itself has a different expression in each. The pigment also has the ability to emit light without an electricity supply. RESEARCHER: Marjan Kooroshnia

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Life affects us all, sooner or later.Things don’t always go as planned – someone else gets the job we want, people who are important to us disappear from our lives, we still aren’t satisfied when we finally get what we’ve strived for.All of us meet with adversities, but what defines us is how we handle these trials. Few have been tried as harshly, and handled their ordeals as impressively, as Christoffer Lindhe.

– Logically speaking, I shouldn’t be alive today. The people at the hospital told me that ten entirely separate factors combined to keep me from bleeding to death on the railroad tracks. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was unusually cold that summer night, if I hadn’t been in such good shape physically, if the police hadn’t responded so quickly and recently under-gone a rescue training course...

In the summer of 2006, Christoffer was 17 years old and had, like so many others from Ulricehamn, travelled to Varberg with some of his friends. After a night out, he decided to hike back to the camp a bit earlier than the others.

He remembers being followed by three people, along with a sense of threat and hostility, but after that everything is black. When he woke up, ten days had passed and both of his legs and his left arm had been amputated.

We will probably never know exactly what happened that night, but it is likely that Christoffer managed to outrun his pursuers. His flight took him into the dark forest, where he tripped over the railroad tracks and hit his head, causing him to pass out. By then, the goods train was already heading towards him. Despite the fact that the people who pursued him haven’t come forward, Christoffer isn’t vengeful or even angry.

– They must have lost track of me, because if they had seen me lying there unconscious on the tracks they wouldn’t have left me like that, he says. That’s not something normal people would do. No, I was just extremely unlucky to both fall and land exactly on the railroad tracks.

Imagine being a 17-year-old, waking from a morphine-induced nightmare and suddenly unable to do anything at all. »

CHRISTOFFER LINDHE FOUNDER OF LINDHE XTEND 17° THAT MEAN THE WORLD TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

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One day an elite sportsman, the next unable to sit up of your own accord. A prisoner in your own body. All of your dreams and plans for the future crushed. How would you handle that?

The doctors’ prognosis was equally glum: It would take years of rehabilitation for Christoffer to be able to resume living a normal life, including studying and managing to some extent on his own. What they hadn’t taken into account was that Christoffer is a young man of exceptional resolve.

In the beginning he, understandably enough, descended into complete darkness, thinking he had nothing left to live for. One day, however, his father brought a film about a man who had suffered an accident similar to his with him to the hospital.

– Cameron Clapp has meant a lot to me, Christoffer says, in the film he showed that it is possible to live a normal life. To walk, run, drive a car, all of the things I took for granted before the accident. I thought that if Cameron can do it, so can I. It was that film that convinced me.

After only six months, his astonished doctors were able to discharge Christoffer from the hospital. He resumed his high school studies, and was able to catch up so that he graduated with his original class. Things went better than anyone had dared to dream. And then there was his beloved swimming - he simply had to immerse himself in the water of the swim-ming pool, which had been such a large and important part of his life.

– My body instinctively adapted to moving in the water, and I managed all four strokes immediately, he says. Quite in-credible, really, but it made me very happy, and I immediately began to practice hard.

That Christoffer exceeded his own, and even more so others’, expectations is something of an understatement. Less than two years after he awoke, helpless in a hospital bed and unable to sit up without assistance, he qualified for the Paralympics in Beijing. Four years later, in London in 2012, he finished in fourth place. An amazing, improbable achieve-ment.

– It was proof to myself that I had not let the accident limit me, that I had won. At the same time, the relatively poor con-struction of the prostheses that I used annoyed me. Indoors, I had learned to walk almost as well as before the accident, but as soon as I encountered uneven ground I had difficulty maintaining my balance.

After high school, Christoffer studied to become a develop-ment engineer at Halmstad University. This wasn’t really anything new, as he had always liked to tinker with his moped, but now he had a clear goal. His degree project was a study of balance in leg prostheses. His conclusion was that prosthetic feet are too rigid as compared to real feet: As a result of their inability to adapt to uneven ground, they are unable to assist the limb in absorbing the strain which, due to the leverage, is many times higher.

– The idea to create better, more flexible prosthetic feet forms the foundation of our company, Lindhe Xtend, he says. This is easier said than done, however. Now, after many prototypes and much hard work, we have a solution that has received an amazing response from all of the test patients.

The most critical of the testers is Christoffer himself, and he’s not afraid to subject the prostheses to anything from mountain hikes to paddling a surfing board. He talks about the new, flexible prosthetic foot, which offers the hard-to- attain ‘right feeling’ for balance. The first products were released on the market in early 2016 , but his ambitions do not end there.

– The future of prostheses is definitely in smart materials. As I’m from Ulricehamn which is close to Borås, I already knew about Smart Textiles and what they do, Christoffer says. When I contacted them with an idea in mind, it turned out that someone else had already come up with something similar. Together, we started a new, large project in collab-oration with Smart Textiles. Through its clear focus on the user perspective, the project will revolutionise the entire prosthetics industry – I’m sure of it.

During his 26 years on earth, Christoffer Lindhe has expe-rienced and achieved more than most of us will in a whole lifetime. In addition to everything else, he and his girlfriend Martina are expecting their first child in December. Isn’t he afraid that he’ll miss out on an ordinary life, between all the practice, the work for his company and the lectures that he gives?

– I was given a very clear reminder that life can end in an instant, and that’s why I want to do all of the important things right away – although I’m also aware of the fact that I’ve sacrificed a lot, he says. I always try to stay open to re-evaluating the things I do, and perhaps my priorities will change when the baby arrives.

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The accident has taken a lot away from Christoffer, and not a day passes when he doesn’t wish he had his legs and arm back. At the same time, however, the accident gave him a great deal, awaking in him an inner drive – to prove that the impossible is in fact possible, provided one keeps fighting and doesn’t give up.

– I’m not at all satisfied with the way prostheses work to-day. I’m positive our research will result in better solutions, which will mean helping prosthetics users to have a better life, in which they have more control day-to-day. If my story can inspire others while I’m at it, that’s fantastic, and I hope it will.

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Since its launch in 2012, the Mollii electrodress has improved the quality of life for many who suffer from neurological diseases and spasticity. The goal is now to make it available as an assistive device through county council healthcare departments.

At the end of 2012 the Mollii electrodress was introduced to the market, and has since helped 500 people all over the world. The three studies that were recently carried out of children and adults that suffer from spastic cerebral palsy showed that the majority of patients experienced an increa-sed quality of life through decreased pain and an up to 70% increase in mobility, regardless of age.

‘Mollii’ is Latin and means ‘soft’ or ‘flexible’. The name re-fers to the results of using the dress as regards relief from spasticity. It is a customised form of rehabilitation that takes the shape of a dress that uses electrotherapy, and is pro-grammed to meet the needs of the individual patient. The dress works by electrically stimulating muscles without cables and in the patient’s own home, and thus eliminates the need for regular hospital visits. The garment is used by people who suffer from cerebral palsy acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or stroke. Two hours every other day is enough to achieve increased mobility, and the effects last for up to two days.

One of the studies included 54 young people (between 0 and 20 years of age) suffering from spastic cerebral palsy (CP). The results showed that 61% gained improved mobility and, for several, muscle stiffness decreased and better stability/posture was achieved; these improvements contributed to increased well-being and joy in living for many of the children.

Half of the participants were able to discontinue other treatments, such as injections of botulinum toxin and surgery.

The idea is for the dress to be used to facilitate the every-day lives of people who suffer from spasticity and, in the long term, to lead to a decreased need for personal assistance services, medication and surgical treatments. Mollii is cur-rently available on the market, but is not yet part of the public aid programme. It is hoped that the dress will be available in the near future via prescription through the county coun-cils, and that this will help more people to lead a more mobile and higher-quality life.

Mollii is a collaboration between Inerventions and Smart Textiles. www.inerventions.sePHOTO: Inerventions

Decreased pain andincreased mobility

Experienced reduced spasticity

61% In general felt positively about the method

81% Over 50% were able to cancel, postpone or not schedule further appoint-ments for other types of treatment, such as injections of botulinum toxin or surgery

Experienced an increase in general mobility

48%

RESULTS A study of 54 young people (0-20 years of age) with spastic cerebral palsy (CP).

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Yarn from possum Making yarn from possum (a small, arboreal marsupial) fur may sound strange, but fact is that the fibre is both softer and warmer both than merino and cashmere wool. Several designers have become aware of the luxurious material that is usually called ‘New Zealand cashmere’, as the country is the largest producer of possum yarn. Just as with that of polar bears, the fibres of the fur of the possum are hollow, giving them a superior ability to retain heat. To be able to spin yarn of the fibre it is mixed with other materials, such as merino wool, satin or cashmere wool, and the final product is called ‘Perino’.

PJAMA is a product for children who suffer from nocturnal enuresis, commonly known as bed-wetting. At present, the pyjama trousers are sold world-wide. Since their launch in 2013, over 5000 pairs of trousers have facilitated the everyday lives of bed-wetting children and their families. The newest addition is a pair of pyjama shorts that make things more comfortable in high temperatures. Both models are produced using a material which efficiently absorbs and contains liquid, so that no bed linen becomes wet and needs to be changed. This means the freedom to go camping, on school trips and for sleep-overs at friends’ houses – without having to feel different. Pjama is made from tencel, a breathable, watertight membrane, and a super-absorbent material that ensures that urine remains in the trousers. The trousers come in both children’s and adult’s sizes. Pjama is a project within Smart Textiles. www.pjama.se

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SMART TEXTILES

PROTOTYPE FACTORYFull-scale laboratories with first-class expertise, creativity and networking, set in an open and innovative environment. The Prototype Factory is a natural centre for the realisation of ideas and development through prototype construction. In the workshops of the Swedish School of Textiles, experience from research and experimental activities is combined with an accustomedness to requirements for productification and production solutions. Interested parties apply, and the most exciting projects are selected and realised.

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PHOTO: Ida Lindström.

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PROTOTYPE FACTORY – OUR LABS

THE KNITTING LABThis is where elastic materials are developed on both circular

and flat knitting machines. Thanks to our dedicated techni-cians, there is no need to be an

expert in tricot in order to realise your ideas. Fabrics are made

using circular knitting machines and, in the Knitting Lab, we can assist you in developing double/interlocking Jersey with large and small patterns, as well as

rib-knitted, plush and single Jersey materials of varying

thicknesses. One of our latest additions is a circular knitting machine for very slim dimen-

sions. The lab also has a special machine, of which there are only five in the world, which can knit in stiff materials. The Knitting

Lab also has hand knitting machines for flat knitting,

allowing the testing of different constructions. Fully-fashioned prototypes of sweaters, gloves, synthetic blood vessels and oth-er items are made in flat knitting

machines.

Examples of what has been developed

Synthetic blood vessels, metal fabrics, implants, technical materials used in medical

measurement devices.

THE WEAVING LABIn this lab, new construction ideas are tested using both

computer-guided and manual looms, as well as with the many

weaving machines in our ma-chine park. Several construction and pattern-making possibilities are available, such as mechani-cal and electronic Jacquard and dobby machines. It is possible to develop anything from terrycloth and carpets to technical textiles,

and our skilled technicians will guide you in your choice

of materials and construction techniques. The lab gives you the opportunity to weave in almost any yarn on the market, from

cotton to optical fibres.


Products for medical applica-tions made of heavy materials, materials that glow in the dark,

phase-change materials (PCM).

PROTOTYPE FACTORYThe Prototype Factory is the

heart of Smart Textiles. Here, all of the parts and expertise of our

operations come together.

Researchers, designers and the business community can, from their respective starting points,

test and realise their dreams here. Consequently, the full-scale laboratory is what characterises and makes Smart Textiles unique in an international context, with

the opportunity to move projects all the way from vision to reality.

Businesses that do not know how or where their product idea

should become reality come here if they do not have the specific equipment required, or do not want to interrupt their regular

operations with testing. The most exciting projects are selected and realised, with the aim of

producing viable innovations that will eventually reach the market. It is also here that the experimen-

tal research carried out within Smart Textiles is tested in reality and students from the Swedish

School of Textiles obtain the relevant and advanced expertise which is later of essence to their professional careers. The tech-nical staff possess indisputable

expertise.

A world-class offer.

THE FIBRE LABA complete chain for the

development of both yarns and nonwoven fibre materials. In this lab, there are machines for sta-ple fibres that card, stretch and ringspin, and a needlepunching

machine for nonwoven materials. We can also develop thermo-

plastics through the compound-ing, extrusion and melt-spinning of fully-drawn fibres. The Fibre Lab is used both for research

and in various projects in which there is a need to, for example, develop yarns which are then

used in composites.The Fibre Lab also has a role in our work with sustainability, as it allows the ability to spin with

recycled fibres. It is an important link in the chain from fibre to

finished textile/garment.

Examples of what has been developedHybrid yarns for biocompos-

ites, new cellulose-based fibre materials, flame-proof synthetic

fibres, yarns made from new polymers.

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THE SEWING LABA sewing factory in miniature, with machines for all kinds of seams and materials; knitted,

woven, leather, fur, under-wear, swimwear. There are

also ultrasonic welders, taping machines and sewing machines for lock stitching, overlocking,

cover stitching, shuttle stitching, buttonholes, slip-stitching,

flatlock stitching and double lock stitching. An ultrasonic welder joins materials by melting their layers, no needle and thread are needed. The weld is completely

water-proof, and so smooth that it does not irritate the skin.

Experienced technicians with backgrounds in production are available to instruct and offer

smart solutions.


The custom production of various materials for the

healthcare sector and sports industry.

THE PRINTING LABIn this lab, developing a print is done either by screen printing,

transfer printing or digital print-ing. Digital printers use reactive

inks for prints on cellulose-based fibres, silk and wool. Transfer

prints are made by printing the pattern using a sublimation ink. The ink is then transferred using a heat press. In screen printing, a template is made from a sketch.

Long printing tables facilitate the planographic printing of

textiles of up to ten meters in length. There are a number of different printing techniques

available, such as ausbrenner, reservage and etch printing. If you are looking to develop

pleated materials, we possess a pleating cabinet that can be

heated to 140°C. After printing, it is possible to fix the prints in

a large oven, in which materials can be either hung on a rack or

fixed in a steam tube dryer.


Materials that change colour and pattern at different tempera-

tures.

THE FINISHING LABIf you are looking to develop

products and ideas within textile chemistry, the Finishing Lab pre-sents you with unique opportuni-ties. Among other things, you will

be assisted in performing pilot studies in a 25-55 cm wide sten-ter with two heaters, which has been adapted for industrial pro-duction. The stenter is equipped to coat materials using different techniques, such as knife-coating with paste or foam. It is possible to print a single-colour pattern through rotary screen printing.

The stenter is also equipped with a foulard, which is used for the water-proofing of textiles. There is also a dyeing machine

for the dyeing, pre-treatment and finishing of fabrics and garments

of smaller sizes and, using the smaller dyeing machines in our

lab, it is possible to apply the same treatments to textiles of up

to ten grams. There is also the option to water-proof small ma-terial samples with the foulard, and fix the textile in the stenter,

as well as to analyse colour through digital colourimetry.


Materials that change colour and pattern at different temperatures

and lighting conditions. Functionalisation, such as

waterrepellency, without the use of environmentally

harmful chemicals.

THE MEDIA LABIn this lab, the latest digital

technology is gathered, aiding in the development of advanced

and unique prototypes on a small scale. In this way, first-rate

research that attracts both national and international exper-tise in technology and design is conducted. The lab has a body scanner and a 3D printer that,

based on precise designs made using CAD software, constructs

and prints finished models. Laser cutters punch/cut exact patterns and details, and can also be used

for engraving. There are also InkJet printers that can use dis-persion inks for sublimation on polyester, and pigments on var-ious materials. Using supercrit-ical carbon dioxide it is possible to dye in a dry process, without water. Heat presses in different

designs are used in curing prints, thermal fixation, pleating, vacu-um forming and lamination. The Media Lab has a limited capacity

to accept external requests.


Pre-impregnated, semi-manufactured composites and

3D printed prototypes.

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– Yeah, it so happens that I’m 53 years old, butnever mind that – of course I’ll start a punk band if I feel like it. And I’ve kept all the instruments from the 1980s in the barn back home. Right now we call ourselves the Swedish Chefs – keep it simple, make it raw, Mats Johansson says and laughs.

There’s nothing wrong with that attitude - Mats has had it ever since his days in the local band Magnum 44. The punk movement was about taking things into one’s own hands and having the courage to trust one’s ability, without looking for approval from above.

– ‘Do it yourself’ is a damn good expression, Mats says. I think everyone sees things in their everyday lives and thinks to themselves: I could have done that better myself. The differ-ence is that I actually try to do so.

As a result, many things other than music are created in his barn. At present, Mats neither sounds nor looks like a typ-ical punk rocker. On the contrary, one is reminded more of an absent-minded inventor when he talks about the projects he carries out. Mats goes there when he’s dissatisfied with a piece of equipment, when he feels he needs to invent a better solution. This may result in a smarter tent construction, an innovative kayak sail or a portable, textile climbing wall. To a ‘mad scientist’ such as Mats, the barn is a haven, and a joyful extension of his work as Head of the Smart Textiles Prototype Factory.

– My hobby is my job, so I’m very fortunate, he says. Some-times I take on too many projects both at work and at home, which can become a bit strenuous. However, I benefit from a rather short memory, and I try to think that there is no such thing as losses, only successes and lessons learned. »

MATS JOHANSSON HEAD OF SMART TEXTILES PROTOTYPE FACTORY

KEEP IT SIMPLE MAKE IT RAW TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

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Mats graduated with the very first class to complete the Textile Engineering programme at the Swedish School of Textiles in 1985. He then spent almost 30 years working with the development of materials, processes and technology in various areas of the textile industry. For six years he ran his own company, which developed and produced cycling cloth-ing. His broad knowledge, including experience in everything from airbags to protective clothing, became an even bigger asset when, in 2015, he completed the cycle and became the Head of Smart Textiles Prototype Factory, and responsible for the Textile Engineering programme at the Swedish School of Textiles.

– I tell the students that we all see the development potential in things around us and, now that we understand the textile aspect, why not try to take that potential and run with it? It doesn’t always become better, but if one in ten projects results in an improvement, that’s really good. If two out of ten do, really fantastic - during your working life, you will score at least a couple of successes. Not bad at all!

Mats still has one foot in education, while at the same time working with research projects, where he is mostly involved in product development and testing: In short, how to make smart ideas into reality. In his opinion, one of Smart Textiles’ crucial tasks is to construct prototypes which can become commercially viable products.

To do that, one must know the whole production chain – and not be afraid to play around with it.

– Creativity is insanely fun, and I love pondering solutions to creative problems. I’ve worked with weaving, materials devel-opment, dyeing and pre-treatment. Well, all forms of func-tionalisation, really. I’m a jack of all trades but a master of none, and this leads to one searching for broader and perhaps somewhat unexpected solutions, Mats says and smiles.

He likes to talk about the need for change and improvement. Though the textile industry makes up only around two per-cent of the global market, it is responsible for 20% of global water consumption – an untenable situation. There is much to do to contribute to a better and more sustainable world. Mats wouldn’t be who he is if he wasn’t inspired by that challenge. There is no such thing as a half-empty glass.

– In fact, we run a number of dreadfully exciting projects, which really have the potential to produce things that will change the world! Many of them are focused on new ways of making textiles, Mats says. For example, there are processes for creating polymers which filter greenhouse gases from the air and, if we can make textile fibres from these plastic-based materials, it will be a complete sensation. Fabrics that de-crease the greenhouse effect – that would be something!

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A brand new technique allows the production of water-repellent functional garments, without the use of hazardous environmental toxins. The Swedish fashion brand Fillippa K was the first to launch a collection of clothing using this environmentally friendly technology.

Water-repellent treatments for textiles almost always involve the use of fluorocarbons, a group of chemicals which do not decompose naturally and can cause cancer and hormonal disturbances. The newly developed technique brings entirely new opportunities for using non-toxic materials, which are free from fluorocarbons and instead contain harmless components that are biologically degradable. Recyclable biomaterials also reduce the use of plastics and fossil fuels, which could save some 20 million tons of carbon dioxide per year! The technology is being developed by the company OrganoClick, in collaboration with Smart Textiles and Swerea IVF.

OTHER COLLABORATION PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT:Klättermusen, Haglöfs, Houdini, Bergans of Norway, Norrøna and technicians from the Swedish School of Textiles.

Environmentally friendly functional garments

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BEATRICE This Chanel-inspired suit is made of a technical textile from Engtex which is used as, among other things, protective clothing for power sawing. DESIGNER: Karolina Nilsson

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TACIT CAD The end of a shirt sleeve, produced using traditional pattern construction, has been recreated using 3D scanning and 3D printing, with both the surface and three-

dimensionality being constructed at the same time. RESEARCHERS: Karin Peterson

DRY JACKET A pattern construction that has its roots in the dynamics of the body in motion results in clothes that are pliable but still tight-fitting. The Smart

Textiles Prototype Factory has developed a garment which, due to its fit and waterproof construction that breathes, is excellent for kayaking and canoeing.

RESEARCHERS: Rickard Lindqvist, Mats Johansson

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PHOTO: Svensson68

The textilegreenhouse effectAmid the structural change of the 1970s, Swedish textile companies had to either close down production or find new ways to succeed. Curtain manufacturer AB Ludvig Svensson in Kinna managed to do the latter, and is now a world-leading producer of technical textiles for greenhouse farming. And now, climate screens are making the leap into the office environment.

Originally, it was intended to be a lawn. In the aftermath of the change of the 1970s, the grandchildren of the founder of Svensson were looking for an alternative to curtain produc-tion, which had formed the foundation of business during the history of the then near-century-old company. The existence of waste products such as polyester weave led to the realisa-tion that they could be used to cultivate pre-grown lawn turf. However, events took an unexpected turn when the garden-ing guru of the day – Sven Gren – learned of their plans and made them aware of the fact that greenhouse farmers all over the world were looking for ways to regulate light, shade and temperature for their plantations. As this occurred in the middle of the energy crisis of the 1970s, it was important that solutions that could save energy be found.

Razor-sharp product development and specialisation have since led to the present situation, in which Svensson is the world’s leading producer of technical textiles for greenhouse cultivation. Climate-controlling screens for greenhouses make up 70% of the company’s annual turnover, and the vast majority of their production is exported to countries with a large greenhouse industry, such as the Netherlands. The company has a number of unique patents for technologies that make it possible to regulate temperature, humidity and UV radiation with a high degree of precision. The screens also contribute by saving two million tonnes of oil in heating every year – the same amount of energy produced by three

nuclear plants – as they insulate buildings during cold nights by preventing heat from leaking out through the single-glazed windows of the greenhouses. In total, the company produces over 300 different kinds of climate screen – all of which have different functions, depending on the kind of cultivation and climate conditions. Some shut out light entirely, while others help to save energy or diffuse light – all in order to provide the plants with the right amount of light and so increase produc-tivity. The first screens were crocheted in polyester but, as time went by, the technology developed, and today’s screens consist of strips of aluminium foil and polyester which are coated in plastics. The outward appearance makes one think of a shiny, glamorous fabric – a far cry from greenhouses and farming.

It isn’t just the glamorous appearance that has made even designers and interior decorators sit up and take notice of climate screens. The capacity to maintain a good indoor climate is just as important for people as it is for plants. In large, modern office complexes with many windows, climate screens work excellently to regulate light and temperature, making it possible to save a great deal of (and on) energy. That textiles also attenuate sound adds an additional dimen-sion to the design of public environments.

Soon, Svensson – located in Kinna, just outside of Borås – will celebrate its 130th anniversary as a textile manufacturer; today, it is the founder’s great-grandchildren who run, and will continue to run, the company. The journey from tradi-tional curtain manufacturer to worldwide supplier of techni-cal textiles has been made with a detour via a specialisation in climate-controlling screens for greenhouses. Now, when designers and architects are beginning to look towards using climate-controlling textiles to make curtains, has the wheel come full circle?

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A STRONG LIGHTWEIGHT

A new type of lightweight material is under development

within the ‘Customized Carbon 3D Fabrics’ project: A three-dimensional re-

inforcement material made of carbon fibre, which can be used in load-bearing constructions

and components in, for example, the aviation and auto-motive industries, and which will reduce both fuel consump-

tion and environmental impact. The industry has displayed great interest, and Smart Textiles is a partial financier of the project, which

has the goal of converting the material into a composite component.

WEAVING IN 3D It is now possible to weave three-dimensio-nally – in one piece! The 3D weave has many application areas, which vary depending on which technique and materials are used, but can include, for example, car seats with integrated heating – with everything manufactured in a single process. By weaving electrodes into the textile a product could even perform an EEG, i.e. measure brain activity, on premature babies, who have very sensitive skin: This would be a marked improvement on the methods used today for EEG, which are complex, take time to apply and may cause pressure damage to these small and sensitive patients. With the help of the soft, springy textile 3D construction, comfortable ‘caps’ could be formed which could monitor a child’s brain activity around the clock. RESEARCHER: Siw Eriksson

LIGHTER STEEL WITH TEXTILES Many industries covet lightweight materials. Using a textile structure as the middle layer in steel products makes for a lighter material which can withstand high temperatures. In collaboration with the research institute Swerea IVF, Smart Textiles has developed a composite material in which a knitted textile made of stainless steel thread is surrounded by thin sheets of stainless steel. The material goes by the name ‘Metmask’, and the middle layer consists, as was mentioned above, of knitted metal. The method has also been tested in projects with Outokumpu and Lamera AB, among others. The project is a collaboration between Smart Textiles, the Swedish School of Textiles, Swerea IVF, Gestamp Hardtech AB, Outokumpu Stainless AB, Lamera AB and the Incubator in Borås.

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CONCRETE REINFORCED WITH TEXTILES Using textiles as reinforcement can counteract crack formation in the surface of concrete. Pliable textiles also provide opportunities to create more complex and imaginative forms. The textile that has been used in this project is a warp knit fabric, which can be used for the production of composites and technical textiles with excellent results, and is an example of one of the textile production techniques. The project is a collaboration between Smart Textiles, Engtex, Skanska Stomsystem AB and Danish Technological Institute.

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THE TEXTILE WAY OF PURIFYING WATER Inexpensive, portable and relatively uncomplicated – purifying water with the help of textiles has several advantages. Smart Textiles has developed two methods; one to remove microorganisms, and one to remove heavy metals. In the first, polluted water is channelled over a porous fabric coated with titanium dioxide; at the same time, the fabric is exposed to light (such as regular sunlight), kick-starting a reaction that destroys the cell membranes of the microorganisms and so kills them. In the second, the water is channelled over textiles, on the surface of which a special kind of fungus has been allowed to grow; the fungi bind to the heavy metals in the water, purifying it. One could say that an artificial microcosm of nature is created, in which nature and technology interact.

BIOMIMETICS is the name of the field which produces technological solutions that mimic those developed by nature itself. Prototypes in organic life are used to imitate these solutions – for example Velcro, which was inspired by the plant kingdom. Biomimetics is also behind a textile solution that can be used to purify waste water. By mimicking the common eelgrass, an aquatic plant, it is possible to construct a textile structure with a surface of sufficient size to purify water using sunlight and titanium dioxide – a process termed ‘photocatalysis’. Common eelgrass grows in meadows on the seafloor and has long, billowing stalks which absorb sunlight. Using textile imitations, it is possible to create billowing under- water water treatment factories that take care of bacteria and make the water safe for use.

WASTE IN GAS OUT

SUNLIGHT

Together with Smart Textiles, FOV Fabrics AB has developed portable textile biogas packages. They are easy to send all over the world, and come complete with a diagram and installation instructions. They are also more cost-effective than traditional biogas reactors, which are built using concrete and steel. Sizing can be tailored to everything from small reactors in laboratory environments to containers of 5000 cubic metres, which corresponds to roughly 28,000 normal-sized bathtubs.

The product is available on the market and, at present, 50-odd reactors are operating, primarily in developing countries such as India, Vietnam and Indonesia, where they produce biogas and the waste product bio- fertiliser. The biogas reactor consists of a container made of reinforced textile weave, which is dug halfway into the ground. It is filled with organic material, such as food waste and cow manure, through one open-ing and, after 20-60 days, the final product is removed through another. A cubic metre of refuse is converted into roughly 80 cubic metres of biogas, which can then be used in the industry, as fuel for, for example, cooking, or to power generators that produce electricity. The fertiliser does not contain any harmful substances such as carbohydrogens, as these disappear during the process. Another positive side effect is that, for many countries, the biogas reactor could also become a solution to the problem of waste disposal management. Food waste and cow manure, which would otherwise be moved to a landfill and eventually emit environmentally harmful greenhouse gases, instead become environmentally friendly biogas.

The project is a collaboration between Smart Textiles and FOV Fabrics AB.

An easy-to-construct, portable biogas reactor

NAKED IN 2030?Will there be enough textile fibres to clothe the population of Earth in 2030? In step with the growth of the population of our planet, the demand for natural fibres, such as resource-intensive cotton, increases. This is the reason for the textile industry’s search for new, more environ-mentally friendly alternatives. Natural fibres from the shoots of a fast-growing Indian tree, belonging to the Malvaceae family, are a possible solution. As part of their degree project at the Swedish School of Textiles, textile engineers Annie Nilsson and Malin Larsson have been able to refine the coarse fibres of the Grewia Optiva tree using, among other things, enzymes. The result is more environmen-tally sustainable fibres that can be used to make yarn.

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Oxford English Dictionary clothes, n.Pronunciation: Brit. /kləʊðz/, U.S. /kloʊ(ð)z/ • 1.a Covering for the person; wearing apparel; dress, raiment, vesture.

Most of us don’t take much time to think about what clothes are. At most, we desperately wonder WHERE clothes are when we’re going to a party, but never WHAT clothes are. We already have a rough idea of what they are. In that way, Clemens Thornquist is different from the rest of us because, to him, that is the great question. It’s the one he twists and turns, both on his own and together with his students, if pos-sible at the point at which art, dance and architecture meet. To Clemens, fashion is an academic subject, and incredibly far away from questions such as ”should we go for flowery in the spring collection?” This approach has spread throughout the Swedish School of Textiles.

One could easily be deceived by his unobtrusive image. The man in front of me is polite and pleasant, but not particu-larly forthcoming or forward. No passionate expositions or expressive anecdotes. Not even any vain outward signs of the fact that this is a professor of fashion. Instead of asym-metrically cut, avant-garde garments, he wears chinos and a simple blue t-shirt. If one has already shown what one can do, there’s no need for sweeping gestures. When the Swedish

School of Textiles was recognised at the Elle Style Awards and praised for its ”high quality” earlier this year, Clemens’s laconic comment in an interview was:

– I agree.

Studying for a degree at the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås in the early 1990s wasn’t challenging enough for him. He took two additional degrees simultaneously, meaning that he has degrees in design, textile engineering and textile management. And that’s something he mentions as an after-thought, without batting an eyelid. Perhaps it’s not that big of a deal to someone who, immediately after graduating, began working for the punk icon Vivienne Westwood in London.

– She’s an eccentric person and quite demanding, but at the same time very exciting, Clemens says. Each collection was first given a theme and some form of basic construction, then the design was very much about manually sculpting the gar-ments. Vivienne works a lot with lines and shapes in her de-sign, something that was radically different from what I was used to, where symbolism and worrying about trends were central.

Despite everything he learned in London, Clemens decid-ed to move back home and study for a doctoral degree at the Swedish School of Textiles. The academic world was »

CLEMENS THORNQUIST PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF THE FASHION AND TEXTILE DESIGN PROGRAMME VIVIENNE AND BOB WERE MYARTSCHOOL TEXT: ELOF IVARSSON. PHOTO: IDA LINDSTRÖM.

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tempting, but at the same time he had made a new and excit-ing contact which had profoundly affected him.

– For five years, I spent three months every summer just out-side of New York, working as a cross between artistic director and controller for Robert Wilson.– It was a creative camp where around one hundred artists, producers and craftsmen were tasked with developing new shows and simultaneously building the workplace – quite literally – managing the garden, cooking and cleaning the toilets. It wasn’t always the case that the distinguished com-poser from Buenos Aires or the coiffured theatre manager from Rome were ready to really create the environment that they were to work in, so sometimes it became a bit messy, Clemens says with a smile. It was a quite different culture of collaboration and way of learning the value of things than the one we’re traditionally used to. This experience laid the foun-dation for my thesis, and I learned a lot about organisational theory and design methodology there.

For those who aren’t familiar with Robert Wilson, he is the theatre and opera celebrity who, since the 1960s, has revolu-tionised stage art with his avant-garde productions, which he produces bases on images and gestures instead of a written manuscript. His productions are huge and Clemens organ-ised the whole thing, from the budget to the construction of the scenery – all in order to realise Wilson’s visions, in an environment that was often chaotic.

– Vivienne and Bob were my art school, Clemens says. The two have influenced the things we do at the Swedish School of Textiles in a significant way.

In 2005, at the age of 30, he defended his doctoral thesis, and subsequently became the head of fashion design at Borås University. He already had many ideas regarding which di-rection the education was to take, but Clemens never does anything half-heartedly.

– I received a post-doc scholarship which I used to study fashion programmes all over the world, so for a few years I travelled a lot. I ended up visiting 70 different schools, and brought home with me a great number of invaluable influ-ences and contacts, many of which we work with to this day.

The Borås fashion design programme not only has a broad network of contacts, which spans the most prestigious departments from Tokyo and Melbourne to Antwerp, London and Paris, but also something of its own to say about educa-tion. This is related to the fact that a focus on basic research and doctoral student programmes attracts international attention.

– In reality, it’s a long-term, strategic effort that has laid the foundation for our success, Clemens says. The management of the Swedish School of Textiles was probably more ambi-tious than anyone had realised, and then there’s this wonder-ful underdog attitude here which makes us want to achieve a lot.

He emphasises the strong connection to the textile industry as one of the factors for success. The technical competence makes it possible for the programme to combine high-level practical and artistic work equally – something Elle Magazine picked up on in their motivation:

“Technical expertise and enormous creativity is an explosive combination. The University College has with transparency, communication and highly interesting students made Borås the centre of Swedish fashion. This year’s honorary award goes to the Swedish School of Textiles.”

– We have been given great freedom to develop our activi-ties, and the students themselves have been highly involved in this work in a way which is likely quite rare within higher education, a pleased Clemens Thornquist says. We’ve also received very strong support from our neighbours outside of academia, although at times some in the business communi-ty wonder about the strange things that leave the building – things that a market trader wouldn’t be able to sell. However, they’ve probably noticed the fact that we work hard, and that this makes for great progress.

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COME AND DANCE! Taking the figure-skating of ice dance as inspiration, Lisa Fredin has designed a dress that changes colour in response to temperature. The white dress turns blue when the temperature drops

below 15°C, such as when one, for example, leaves a warm dressing room to skate out onto the ice.

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TEXTILE PATTERNS AND EFFECTS Can textile patterns and effects create satisfaction or displeasure? ‘Pattern lab’ is a practice-based research project that investigates the relationship between textile patterns and concepts such as space, scale and surface, as well as their relation to sur-rounding elements such as sound, light and movement. This is an entirely new method of instruction in textile design, where one, for example, explores how textile patterns and effects can create reactions related to the senses, but also the significance of creating order in patterns and pattern constructions.

RESEARCHER: Tonje Kristensen Johnstone PHOTO: Jan Berg

To make clothesthat matterHow can we design garments and accessories to be valuable?Starting from this question, eleven designers, in collaboration with Pia Mouwitz from the Swedish School of Textiles, have developed garments, shoes and accessories intended to spark discussion about the value of clothes to the individual. The exhibition has been show in, among other places, Stockholm and Borås.

PHOTO: Jan BergBEING PROUD – THE RIGHT TO REVEALDESIGN: Elin Melin

NESTING BAGDESIGN: Linda Holten

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Mobility – the common thread Forget front and back pieces, shoulder seams and straight grain pattern pieces. Rickard Lindqvist’s innovative framework for garment construction turns the traditional way of measuring bodies and constructing patterns on its head.

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Movement is the common thread throughout Rickard Lindqvist’s research. Starting by draping fabrics on a human body in motion, Rickard, PhD researcher in Fashion Design at the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås, has created an entirely new framework for constructing garments.

Imagine the way a regular tailor usually takes measurements on a static body; from the top and down or vertically. Then, the pattern pieces are arranged in straight lines on a fabric. This way of constructing patterns builds on a theory that origi-nated during the nineteenth century, and which has very little to do with the reality of the body’s move-ment patterns. Rickard has instead studied the various directions in which the skin is pulled, the same way surgeons do when they plan an incision, as these lines show exactly which parts of clothes need to be extra flexible. And flexibility and move-ment is exactly what the new matrix is all about.

Rickard has used fabric on live models in order to see how it drapes, and then continued by testing how the fabric should be draped in order for it to stay on, while at the same time allowing the arms and legs to move freely. The garments can often be cut in a single piece, and the imaginative shapes that are created through this make many of them look like works of art prior to their being sewn together.

At first glance, a jacket, made according to the new framework, looks like a normal jacket. Studying it more closely, however, one notices that there are no shoulder seams, and that the side seam isn’t vertical, but instead curves towards the front. The arms have a marked seam for the elbow in order to make the garments follow the body’s movements – something that is clearly felt when one wears it.

This research is of great interest to the sportswear industry, in which mobility and comfort are impor-tant factors. At present, the sport of harness racing is in focus, with the challenge being to design func-tional garments suited to the very special sitting position that the sport requires. The goal is to test the principles in an industrial environment, and for the garments to then lead to a collection.

DESIGN: Annabelle Fitzgerald

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Close dartClose dart

DESIGN: Jesper Danielsson

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DESIGN: Jesper Danielsson

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When the Textile Fashion Center opened its doors

in Autumn 2013, a new chapter began for Borås. A vibrant and innovative city district has

developed in Simonsland, formerly an old industrial area in central Borås, and, as a result, the development

of Borås city centre has taken off in a different direction. The Textile Fashion Center has become a new meeting place in

fashion, textiles and design. The building links the Swedish School of Textiles with the other parts of the University of Borås. A unified campus has been created, which is of great significance for the ex-change between research, education and the business community.

Under the sawtoothed roofs, where threads were once spun for both French gala creations and the offshore industry, Smart Textiles, the Textile Museum of Sweden, Science Park Borås,

the Swedish School of Textiles, the Incubator in Borås and others form a unique textile cluster that is a collabora-

tive effort between companies, research institutes, education, innovation and

business development.

PHOTO: Anna Sigge/Textile Fashion Center

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If you close your eyes and open just one, you

will see attractions of interest toeveryone. The old factory building from

the 1930s has become a bustling meeting place where events, restaurants and unique

shops attract visitors with anebullient range of offerings of near-constant variety. If you close your eyes again and open the other eye, you

can see a textile cluster and competence centre that has become both a national

and international meeting place for research, innovation

and business.

The feature common to both is that the

environment has been decorated in the manner of a catwalk by the couturier Jean

Paul Gaultier – elegant, cocky and decadent at the same time. The unique aspect arises from the

meeting between the building and the textile activities that have moved in and organically left their own im-

print on the premises. Here, a visitor can explore every corner, and can expect to encounter the unexpected, in the form of furnishings, sculptures, exhibitions and

workshops, at every turn. A corner of Borås that could just as easily be one of New York’s up-and-

coming trendy districts, or a part of London’s new, elegant business areas, all of

which are set in old industrial environments.

The weight of history contributes to the fantastic environment, in which the avant-garde meets theraw feeling of a factory. Variegated character and distinct contrasts are the Textile Fashion Center’s distinguishing-marks – where the common thread is textiles.

From the outside, three entirely different building

styles and colour schemes converge over the river Viskan, reminding the passer-by

of Venice and Florence. History is quite literally ingrained in the walls. The building where Svenskt

Konstsilke (’Swedish rayon’, today SKS Sweden) produced yarn for several decades was completed at roughly the

same time as Europe prepared for the Second World War. Large windows, a high ceiling and a raw feeling of industry

have made the old factory building into a wonderful starting point for an entirely new district, emerging in an area that once consisted of old industry premises. The vision is for

housing and businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and stores, to develop and, in time, fuse. Markets

and outdoor concerts are to become common occurrences, with a nod

to continental Europe.

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A taste of this is the recently opened pub

Pumphuset (’the pump house), the theme of which is quite natural

as the building used to house the large water pumps that served the entire tex-tile factory. At that time, the operations consumed more water than the rest of Borås put together. Today, one of the

pumps is preserved, and the beer flows through one of the huge

pipes in the ceiling on its way to the tap.

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Outside of the Textile Fashion Center is

Jaume Plensa’s sculpture ‘House of Knowledge’, a name which perfectly

evokes what occurs within with regard to textile specialisation. The Textile Fashion

Center is a house of contrasts, where the varie-gated character enriches and old and new meet

to create a unique future. Where else would one find a completely intact dining hall, in which everything has been left untouched

since 1942, and, in another part of the same building, the very latest

in textile innovation?

IMAN There is sometimes more to the expression ‘she’s radiant’ than a simple compliment. The upper-most part of this dress is sewn in climate-controlling fabric, and reflects 70% of the light that falls on it. This smart material is normally used to, for example, adjust the temperature and light in greenhouses. The climate fabric has been accentuated with 100 LED lamps as part of the creation of the Iman dress. A project within Smart Textiles.The climate fabric is produced by Svensson. DESIGN: Karolina Nilsson. TECHNOLOGY: Li Guo

The unexpected

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DAVID Vest, trousers and a matching bag – all made of fluoro-carbon-free and water-repellent OrganoTex®-treated textiles. The recycled fabric originates in PET bottles and, by refraining from re-dyeing it, large quantities of water, energy and chemicals are saved. DESIGN: Karolina Nilsson

THE PINE DRESS exemplifies research into new materials and pro-cesses for the production of sustainable textiles. It is made from 100% viscose, which is raw material sourced from the forests of Sweden. The background for this effort is a growing demand for alternatives to cotton, which is beginning to become a product in short supply. In the future, the forestry and ready-made clothing industries will become increasingly connected in the search for alternative fibres. DESIGN: Karin Rundqvist

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ELECTRA A glamorous evening gown made of technical textiles that are ordinarily used for greenhouse cultivation.TEXTILE: Svensson, DESIGN: Karolina Nilsson

DRESS IN WETTEX A dress made from Wettex cloths. The material consists of regenerated cellulose that has been reinforced with cotton fibres, and is biologically degradable. If you want to get rid of your Wettex dress, just put it on your compost heap and, after six weeks, it will have become dirt. DESIGN: Vika Im

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UNPREDICTABLE PVA TEXTILES A dress that dissolves in water. The designer, Riikka Talman, has experimented with textiles made of PVA, a material that is used to, for example, package dishwasher tablets. The result is a dress that changes shape, structure and, finally, dissolves if it comes into contact with liquids of a temperature of over 20°C.

MOLLII is an assistive device for people suffering from spasticity due to CP or a stroke. The dress treats the user by sending a weak electrical current to particular muscles, thus increasing mobility. The treatment can be administered in the patient’s home, and one to two hours of treatment provide an effect that lasts up to 48 hours. The name ‘Mollii’ is Latin and means ‘soft’. The dress is a collaboration between Inerventions and Smart Textiles.

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REFLECTION The Reflection series of hand-blown glass is the result of a meeting between the Swedish handicraft tradition and the innovative research environment of Smart Textiles. Each product has a section of knitted copper textile integrated into the glass, to show that textiles can be used across multiple industries in unexpected and innovative ways. The glass decanters with drinking glasses to match were developed through a collaboration between Smart Textiles and the designer Jeanette Lennartsdotter of GLASETS HUS in Limmared, Sweden.

Garments that monitor your health, artwork that in-teracts with its surroundings and textiles that warn of danger. Smart Textiles Showroom contains the research of the future, and textile products that provide a whole new perspective on what textiles can be used for.

During the first two years of its life alone, over 14,000 visitors experienced Smart Textiles Showroom, where both the content and atmosphere is that of pure science fiction. What is on display, however, is cutting-edge research, con-sisting of very real textile prototypes, material samples and products – all of which are available on the market and have been developed under the umbrella of Smart Textiles. In the field of smart textiles, new working methods are devel-oped continuously, creating new visions of what is possible. Materials that have the ability to react to various stimuli and interact with the user open up for entirely new application areas for the textiles of the future.

Smart Textiles Showroom is a pioneer in this context. Here, research and prototypes are made available, and shown in a new and ground-breaking way so as to inspire and show the way forward. Today, it is a natural meeting place for busi-nesses, innovators, researchers and the public, all of whom are able to find inspiration and ideas, or simply material for their imaginations.

One new attraction for 2015 was the dark-room, with luminous textiles in woven and braided fibre optics – one example of when the border between textiles and technology becomes blurred,and our understanding of what a textile can be is expanded.

SMART TEXTILES

SHOWROOM

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PER-OLOF HYGRENCHAIRMAN OF THE STEERING BOARD, SMART TEXTILES

HYGREN KONSULT AB

BJÖRN BRORSTRÖM VICE-CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF BORÅS

ANDERS CARLBERG HEAD OF THE UNIT FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION,

REGION VÄSTRA GÖTALAND

LENA BRÄNNMAR PRESIDENT, REGION BORÅS/SJUHÄRAD ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES

THOMAS WALLÉN CEO, SÖDRA ÄLVSBORG HOSPITAL

PERNILLA WALKENSTRÖM DEPUTY CEO, DEPARTMENT MANAGER OF TEXTILES AND PLASTICS, SWEREA IVF

MATS LUNDGREN CEO, FOV FABRICS AB

NANETTE WEISDAL MANAGER OF THE SUSTAINABILITY RANGE, IKEA OF SWEDEN AB

CARL-AXEL SURTEVALL OWNER AND CEO, CASALL AB

CECILIA TALLGENERAL SECRETARY, TEKO

MARIANNE GRAUERS UNIT MANAGER, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,

SP TECHNICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SWEDEN

NIKLAS IVARSSON SPOTIFY, CEO CONVALLIA AB

ERIK BRESKYCEO, SCIENCE PARK BORÅS

SUSANNE NEJDERÅSMANAGING DIRECTOR, SMART TEXTILES

Smart Textiles Steering Group

SMART TEXTILES is an environment that consists of a close collaboration between:the University of Borås, SP Technical Rese-arch Institute of Sweden, Swerea IVF and the Incubator in Borås. Primary funders are Vinnova, Region Västra Götaland, and Region Borås/the Sjuhärad Association of Local Authorities. Smart Textiles is also funded by Sparbanks- stiftelsen Sjuhärad (the ‘Sparbanken Sjuhärad Foundation’) and other research funders.

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PHOTO: Henrik Bengtsson

Clo

thes

that

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our h

ealt

h or

mea

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ts. T

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bres

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art t

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at re

volu

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indu

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om b

eing

a s

uppl

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to

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rt o

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dev

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extil

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art

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plet

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asic

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atur

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artn

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aliz

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ith te

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art i

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edis

h te

xtile

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esta

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rtan

t pla

yer o

n th

e in

tern

atio

nal a

rena

.

w

ww

.sm

artt

extil

es.s

e


smart textiles magasin 2 (english)

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