Huddersfield Examiner Business Awards 2010

Textile Centre of Excellence wins University of Huddersfield Innovation with Technology award

CENTURIES of tradition and the latest technologies are coming together at the Textile Centre of Excellence.

The centre at Leeds Road is working with local companies to bring exciting new products to market.

They include fibres and fabrics made from carbon and other materials which can be used to make components lighter and stronger than steel as well as “smart” fabrics which detect and inhibit bacterial growth or protect against fire and dangerous chemicals.

Other initiatives close to realising commercial benefits include 3D weaving to produce lightweight prototype components for companies including Jaguar/Landrover and Boeing and an anti-counterfeiting system using re-engineered botanical DNA.

Textile Centre managing director Phil Macbeth said the work done at the centre was “truly groundbreaking’’, will bring great economic benefits locally and could not have happened without the support and financial help of Yorkshire Forward.

He said: “These products will beat all the world’s competition at commercial prices and will lead to new jobs. We are working with the best technology companies in the world and the best universities in the region.’’

The category was sponsored by the University of Huddersfield

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