Conference Chairperson: Prof. Dr. Haruma Kawaguchi
President of The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan
Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University

The Sun Rises From the East; Asian Textile Renaissance

    Is the future of fiber and textile bright? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. A continuing increase in population and expanding applications of fiber and textile to non-clothing area seem to make their future bright. But there are serious unsolved issues in terms of several paradigm shifts such as the shifts from mass production to mass customization, from product-out to market-in, from commodity fibers to specialty ones, from energy consuming processing to energy saving one, etc. The impact of these paradigm shifts is more serious in Asia than other parts of the world. We, people not only in the industry but also in the academic field, are obliged to adapt the current issues and get them over.

    ATC-10 is to be a valuable opportunity to work for this purpose in order to step in a new era of fiber and textile in Asia, that is, Asian Textile Renaissance. ATC-10 will be a barometer to forecast the textile weather tomorrow. ATC-10 will provide a place for us to gather and discuss our mutual interests. The sun sets in the West and rises from the East. The sun could shine the world if we blow the cloud over the textile industry in Asia with the wisdom accumulated during ATC-10.