Textiles shape the way we live. They define comfort, identity, safety, and performance in ways that often go unnoticed until they fail. For decades, textile development has been dominated by cycles of trend and consumption, with materials engineered primarily for appearance, cost and speed. But the world has changed. Consumers are asking new questions. Industries are raising expectations. Policymakers are pushing for accountability.

Plastics have long been celebrated for their versatility, lightness, and ability to be shaped into almost any form. For decades, this adaptability has defined their value and they were materials that could be engineered to be strong, transparent, flexible, rigid, heat-resistant, or lightweight depending on the need. Yet the criteria for what makes a “good” material are evolving.

For decades, material innovation has been defined by the pursuit of the “next big breakthrough”, the elusive substance that would rewrite the rules of performance, sustainability, and design. The twentieth century gave us steel that built cities, plastics that reshaped consumer culture, and composites that transformed aviation.