Textile Innovation Is Moving Faster Than Procurement

Advanced textile technology is evolving rapidly — but commercialization and institutional adoption haven’t caught up.

In this episode, Sophie Hall, founder of a 3D printed textile startup, explains how printing elastomeric polymers directly onto fabric enables selective performance modification — from impact-resistant sports gear to potential military applications. While the technology can produce functional components in minutes, broader adoption faces friction from market misconceptions, long government testing cycles, and slow procurement systems. We discuss automation, reshoring manufacturing, sustainability trends, and what it really takes to move from lab innovation to commercial scale.