Nearly 70 people took part in the activity showcasing the successful upgrading and transformation of Taiwan’s towel industry, including several officials from related government agencies, cotton and towel industry representatives, as well as dozens of students from six colleges and universities around Taiwan.

Taiwan’s ministry of economic affairs’ department of international cooperation and the ministry of foreign affairs’ department of international organisations co-organised a field trip activity in response to the recent invitation from International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in support of the celebration of International Cotton Day.

The first half of the field trip day included a visit to the Shing Long Towel Industrial Tourism & Explore Factory (Shing Long) in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township where an important towel industry cluster is located. In recent years, Taiwan’s towel making sector has been impacted by trade liberalisation. Shing Long has responded to the challenge by enhancing its manufacturing technology and creating innovative products such as towels with antibacterial features. The field trip gave the visitors the opportunity to witness the tenacity and resilience of Taiwanese enterprises in successfully overcoming challenges. In addition, they also had the chance to get a first-hand taste of the towel designing process through a fun and interactive DIY activity.

The second half of the day featured a visit to the Yunlin Branch of the Taiwan Textile Research Institute, which was set up to provide industrial value-added services for the textile industry in the central and southern regions of Taiwan. For example, it has established a “Towel Rapid Design Proofing Centre” to help with the technological upgrading of the local towel industry, and also assists with marketing services and creating a new value chain for the transforming sector.

The participants in the field trip gave positive reviews of the day’s activities for being both interesting and informative in terms of increasing their awareness and understanding of the cotton sector’s importance as well as the efforts and strengths of Taiwan towel’s industry.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)