Technical Textiles
Textiles are everywhere in modern society. Technical Textiles are defined as materials and products manufactured primarily for their technical and performance properties rather than their aesthetic or decorative characteristics.

Technical textiles are the basis of many applications across a very broad range of industry sectors, including:
- Technical protective textiles to improve worker safety in the workplace.
- Agrotextiles used in agriculture include all activities concerned with the growing and harvesting of crops and animals
- Textiles used in construction for decoration and structural applications
- Technical textiles for clothing applications
- Geotextiles defined as all woven, nonwoven and knitted textile materials used mainly by the civil engineering industry
- Home textiles used in a domestic environment include interior decorations and furniture, carpeting, protection against the sun, cushion materials, fireproofing, floor and wall coverings, and textile reinforced structures/fittings.
- Industrial textiles are used for chemical and electrical applications and textiles related to mechanical engineering.
- Medical textiles include all the medical fabrics that are used in health and hygiene applications in both consumer and medical markets.
- Textiles for transport These textiles are used in the construction of automobiles, railways, ships, aircraft and spacecraft.
- Eco textiles in environmental protection applications
- Sports textiles, are used mainly for making sports wear including sports shoes and other sports accessories.
With technical textiles it will be possible offer innovative solutions for global problems, such as pollution, health issues, transports, protection, communication, and so on.
Related Opportunities
Innovate UK Transformative Technologies
Opens: 20/02/2023 Closes: 29/03/2023
UK registered small and micro businesses who have not been funded by Innovate UK in the past can apply for a share of up to £20 million for affordable, adoptable and investable innovations in transformative technologies.
More Information
Resource efficiency for materials and manufacturing: CR&D
Opens: 31/03/2023 Closes: 26/05/2023
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £12 million for ambitious collaborative R&D projects to support UK materials and manufacturing organisations to become significantly more resource efficient.
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Sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture: CR&D
Opens: 07/03/2023 Closes: 03/05/2023
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £12 million for collaborative research and development. This is to develop step-change improvements to sustainable biomanufacturing in the UK.
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Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing Briefing Event
Watch this dedicated briefing webinar for the upcoming Resource efficiency for materials and manufacturing (REforMM) CR&D competition (closing 26th May 2023) to give you the opportunity to ask any questions directly to expert innovation leads at Innovate UK.