In this seminar of the series ‘CERENA's 20th Aniversary - From Academy to Industry: Exploring Scientific Frontiers'  Ana Clara Marques and Rui Dias will present Applied Research and Development in Textile Industry: a traditional tool operating in an unfamiliar framework.

 Industrial processes and products go typically through cycles of expansion – profit – decline and finally end of life. Innovation has allowed industrial activities to extend their lives by creating more cycles. This mechanism has worked well when the following “generally” apply consumers recognize and value quality, intellectual property is respected and actors abide by the rules: labor laws, fair taxes, safety and environmental regulations, etc. These were valid within certain geographical and political contexts, but the much-heralded globalization made the above principles inoperative and instead turned into subject of mockery, as we see every day in the highest international instances. Fisipe/SGL was the last producer of acrylic fiber in Western Europe to shut down: at least a few things were done the right way. For several decades, the drive for innovation kept the company running when the decline in the sector was evident. But even considering that R&D alone is not enough, without it, it’s not even worth trying. This is a truth that will hold, no matter what.

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