The connection between product development and market application is often poor. Factories lack knowledge of actual end-product demand; cooperative development of upstream and downstream products and processes is insufficient. It’s difficult to predict demand, especially given a serious lack of development of domestic high-end products. For example, medical textiles made in China are mainly conventional dressing; more than 90 percent of textiles for surgical implantation and external filtering depend on imports.

Strategic opportunities

The international financial crisis gave birth to a new technological revolution, and has accelerated the adjustment of the international industrial structure. Developed countries seized the commanding elevation of future science, technology and industrial development by striving to develop new energy, new materials, life sciences, low-carbon environmental protection, information networks and other new industries. Industrial textiles are important basic materials in these fields; while developed countries transfer the traditional textiles to developing countries, accelerated industrial textiles becomes an important way to maintain and enhance competitiveness.

Exploring new applications and developing industrial textiles are urgent tasks as China seeks to restructure and upgrade its textile industry. Looking ahead to the next five years, China’s economy should remain stable with rapid development, and the demand for industrial textiles for various areas of the national economy will continue to expand.

With the gradual improvement of the health care system and a global concern for personal protection, disposable surgical gowns, surgical, and other protective draping, the global medical textiles market will see more than a 10 percent annual increase, and China’s disposable hygiene and medical textiles’ average annual growth rate will be more than 15 percent.

Low-carbon, efficient energy conservation and emissions reduction is becoming a new model for development. The investment cost of environmental management and recycling of resources will double.