MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

We are in a period where global competition is rapidly increasing, and firms in the textile sector are having difficulty with production and export. The sector is significantly struggling due to increasing production costs, impossible access to finance, and exchange rate policies. Consequently, many firms in the sector are forced to withdraw from the market.

The textile sector holds strategic importance for the country’s economy. Its contribution to employment and exports is undeniable. Therefore, the sector must be supported to survive.

On the other hand, in this period where technological developments are transforming production processes, the textile sector is no longer just responsible for producing; it is also responsible for making a difference and shaping the future with sustainable solutions. As the Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association, we have been striving for many years to lead this transformation. With this vision, we developed the Textile R&D Project Market, which we first launched in 2009, to meet the needs of the era and have been organizing it as the TechXtile Challenge Design Competition for the last seven years. We are very excited and proud to have taken an important step by foreseeing this day years ago and to have reached today by building on our success each year.

Growing in interest every year, the TechXtile Challenge has transformed into a comprehensive model that supports original ideas, combines design with technology, and strengthens the export vision with innovation. Going beyond just being a competition, this structure provides participants with many opportunities such as training, mentorship, investor meetings, and direct contact with the industry, allowing projects to mature. In this way, it produces applicable solutions for the sector while also enabling participants to discover their own potential.

The TechXtile Challenge proceeds with an understanding that places the concepts of sustainability, digitalization, and entrepreneurship at the center of production. With a broad stakeholder network ranging from universities to start-ups, sector professionals to designers, it aims to build not just today but the future. Our increasing success every year shows how well-placed our steps have been.

This year, within the scope of our competition, we aim to discover projects that touch upon the real needs of the textile industry, create added value with technology, and will guide exports. I extend my sincere thanks to all our stakeholders who contributed to the TechXtile Challenge, which is growing stronger in its seventh year, and I wish all applicants a productive process where they can bravely put forth their visions.