Key takeaways:

• The smart textiles market is projected to reach US$21.85bn by 2030, with rapid growth driven by advancements in conductive materials, sensors, and connected solutions. North America, Europe, and Asia appear to lead in market innovation and production.
• Key sectors include apparel, automotive, health & wellbeing, military and sportswear, with emerging trends in biometric sensors, energy-harvesting textiles, and AI/AR integration.
• Market challenges include cost, performance and reliability, component miniaturisation, and a lack of industry standards and regulations.

Smart textiles is a rapidly growing sector. According to a report by Grand View Research, the market is anticipated to reach US$21.85bn by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.3% over the forecast period (2017 - 2030)

Smart textiles have applications across various sectors, including health & wellbeing, sports & fitness, military, PPE & workwear and fashion. In particular, areas such as military and health & wellbeing may be fuelling this high CAGR due to the availability of funding for the development of smart textile products. The market is also being driven by advancements in materials science, sensor technology and the increasing demand for connected, data-driven solutions.

Suppliers play a crucial role in this market,