Sustainable mechanical technology solutions are aprerequisite for enterprises Interview with Mr.Jason Kent,Chief Executive Officer of BTMA(British Textile Machinery Association)

Domestic sales of British textile machin—ery are low but stable so far as volume is con—cerned.However,the value added of solutions provided under the “made in Britain” badge is significant on a world—wide export basis,par—ticularly for those British brands that are highly sought after globally.

Chinese customers continue to seek products that are maintainable within China and are easy to train operators on with a high yield,low investment basis.However,post—pandemic,we are seeing a change in focus as labour costs continue to rise unabatedly in China.Higher initial investment costs for auto—mated processes are now becoming justifiable as businesses strive to reduce operational costs and remain competitive.In a fast paced world,it is getting more and more difficult so predict future challenges,but those business—es who are able to captialise on first to market will often lead the industry in a desirable direc—tion.

Technologies that conserve and recuper—ate energy will be the focus of the exhibition,along with the reduction of water,chemicals and emissions will be a key theme,particu—larly in the dyeing sector.The theme across all sectors will not only Industry 4.0 with the connected factory,but machine learning,AI and other technologies that will assist opera—tors and maintenance teams to operate more efficiently and consistently.In process inspec—tion rather then offline testing is becoming ever more desirable,and with this comes completely new technologies to replace those more traditional techniques used in offline inspection and testing.

There is an increased interest in Asia countries,both from a stability of supply point of view and those industries that are now maturing or becoming more developed from a skill and resource perspective.With the world economic situation changing so significantly,it makes sense to explore such territories that were not attractive several years ago.

There is a growing need to develop a more collaborative and open relationship with customers,particularly when looking for that next highly desirable product that consum—ers will buy.Without industry wide education to the consumer though,the expectation will always be that of fast fashion,cheaper prod—ucts,and vast choice.The UK wants to work with customers who have a strong pledge to sustainability and circularity,to those commit—ted to changing the habits of consumers,and to those societies who embrace an ethical ap—proach to business and the environment.

Apart from good products,marketing is very important as well.It’s key for businesses,particularly in the machinery industry,to mar—ket the outcome of benefits to the customer and consumer rather than focus on the ma—chine itself.Specifying the correct tool for the solution is vital to all parties,and anticipating and meeting the the needs of the customer beforehand should always be the basis of any marketing campaign.

We have a few British companies who will participate in ITMA ASIA+CITME in November this year.I am confident that commitment will return to previous levels from 2024 onward when the ITMA cycle is back to the usual alter—nate years.

Collaborate,innovate,and embrace global competition.Markets are changing rapidly so there is a need to get out there and do your reconnaissance.Sustainability now in machine technology solutions is no longer an option,it’s a prerequisite and Chinese machinery enter—prises need to meet those demands.