The smart textile market is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 30.4 per cent. Tech and fashion are merging together to create smart textiles without sacrificing style, comfort and practicality. The defense and military segment is anticipated to account for the highest market share by 2025, while sports and fitness segment will have the fastest CAGR. North America accounts for more than 47 per cent of the overall share, leading the global market, and is likely to maintain dominance through 2025.

Global demand for smart textiles is mainly driven by the increasing use of smart phones and other high-tech or smart devices. Most new smart phones and laptops are equipped with bluetooth low energy technology. This enables the connection of sensor-based devices to the internet.

Smart textiles are used in healthcare and sports and fitness applications to communicate the wearer’s location, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. This data collection may also be useful for dementia patients, to refresh memory and alert caregivers of health status changes. Miniaturization of electronics is expected to significantly fuel market growth further. Reducing form factors may facilitate increased integration, making sensors compatible with fabric and ensuring optimum comfort and wearability.