Texbrasil promotes innovation mission to China
From March 11 to 19, Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – held through a partnership between Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) – promoted an Innovation Mission to China, visiting three cities in the Asian superpower: Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing. The goal of the trip was an introduction to the country’s 4.0 technologies in the industry, one of the world’s most advanced and innovative, during visits to institutes, trade shows, tech and retail companies and more.
The group included representatives from the Lunelli, Cedro, Castanhal, Canatiba, Harden, Hi Etiquetas, Coteminas and 2Rios. Among highlights on the agenda were a meeting with the Alibaba group, the world’s largest online store; a visit to JD.com, an online retail player investing heavily in innovation and logistics; and a day at Intertextile, a textile sector show with over 3,000 exhibitors. Two technology companies were also on the schedule: DJI, which makes drones, and Boa, which develops displays.
According to Tamiris Kuhnen, Industrial Manager at 2Rios, the mission showed a vision of what the future will be like. “I noticed that China is not just 11 hours ahead, they are years ahead of us. During the trip, I had access to insights that will certainly provide a chance to get out ahead, in the domestic and foreign markets,” she says.
Vanessa Covolan, of Canatiba, had a similar experience and thinks that companies that are not following the lead of the Chinese run the risk of getting left behind. “The people on this mission noticed this technological gap between China and the rest of the world and also had access to various ways to use innovation as a competitive edge and get out in front of the competition,” says Vanessa. She also explains that the experience helped the group to look at other horizons and think outside the box.
According to Lilian Kadissi, Executive Manager of Texbrasil, this was one of the mission’s biggest goals: to show Brazilian executives Chinese innovations and show how these technologies can be applied in Brazil’s textile sector. “It was a very rich experience, a real immersion in this world. We took part in meetings with major players in retail and were introduced to impressive technologies. This entire experience surely changed how we see the sector,” adds Lilian.
About Texbrasil
The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with textile and apparel industry companies to develop strategies for success in the global market. Over nearly 20 years, it has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export market, bringing in USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is conducted by Abit in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).