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Shenkar hosts “Connected: The Israeli Textile Conference | Academia, Industry, Government”

A new conference for the textile industry was held at Shenkar today (Tuesday, March 29, 2022). Taking place under the title “Connected: The Israeli Textile Conference | Academia, Industry, Government”, the conference spotlighted burning issues in the local textile industry, including sustainability, innovation, opportunities and international collaborations, current challenges faced by the industry, consumer trends, and more.

The conference was organized in collaboration with Shenkar’s Department of Textile Design and The Association of Textile and Fashion Industries, part of the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel.

Shira Shoval, a senior lecturer at the Department of Textile Design and one of the conference organizers, said in her opening speech: “Much has been said of our local textile industry: about how big factories gave jobs to whole cities, how textile used to be Israel’s leading industry, drawing buyers and professionals from all over the world, and how it has faced—and still faces—major challenges as fast fashion continues to grow and brands move their production lines to the Far East.

שירה שובל

 

Shira Shoval

Though often unnoticed, textile has been and will remain an essential part of our lives. Today we are seeing more and more textile professionals integrate into a wide range of fields, including those traditionally associated with the hard sciences, thanks to their unique knowledge. We are witnessing the textile industry’s rapid transformation from a service industry into a knowledge industry.”

In his opening speech, President of Shenkar Professor Sheizaf Rafaeli spoke about the history of textile and the link between textile design, Shenkar, and the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel: “The founding of Shenkar is the result of an initiative launched by the MAI and an interest in textile, then Israel’s leading industry.

פרופ' שיזף רפאלי

Professor Sheizaf Rafaeli

Shenkar’s Department of Textile Design continues to redefine materials and shape the industry’s narrative, weaving new futures for textile in apparel, construction, defense, and medicine. The industry has evolved and changed significantly since the early days. It is no longer one giant industry but a collection of small-scale, smart, agile, and innovative industries, and here at Shenkar, we are proud to be spearheading this change by researching new applications and introducing innovations in many spheres.”

רמזי גבאי

Ramsey Gabbai, Head of the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel

The conference had five sessions and featured talks, discussion panels, and Q&As. Among other guests, we were happy to host Mr. Mohammed Boubouh, president of the Moroccan Association of Textile and Apparel Industries, who stopped for a short visit at Shenkar on his way back to Morocco from one of the world’s prominent international textile expos.

שיזף רפאלי, אורית אפרתי, מומחד באובואה

From left to right: Mr. Mohammed Boubouh, Chairperson of Shenkar's Board of Trustees Orit Efrati, and Professor Sheizaf Rafaeli

Among other guests were Israeli industry leaders and government policy makers. Showcased at the conference were some of the inspiring projects designed at Shenkar.

The intersection of three sectors—academia, industry, and government—facilitates learning, innovation, creativity, and new cutting-edge collaborations in many industries, including agriculture, defense, medicine, aerospace, sports, and fashion.

Image credit: Ahikam Ben Yosef

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