The Smart Fabrics Summit will feature an exciting series of lively panel discussions on urgent policies affecting the development of the smart fabrics industry and demonstrations of innovative new smart fabrics products by private companies. For those registered to attend, please bring a photo ID as it is required to enter the Ronald Reagan Building

• 6am - 7:30am

  Exhibitor and Sponsor Set Up

• 7:45am

  Registration & Continental Breakfast

• 8:25am

  Welcome & Opening Remarks

  Steve Schiffman, President and CEO, IFAI

  Nazakhtar Nikakhtar, Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration

  Emcee: Anne Driscoll, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Industry and Analysis, International Trade Administration

• 8:30am

  Current Developments in the Smart and Interactive Fabrics Market

  Presented by: Jeffrey Rasmussen, Director of Market Research, Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI)

  This presentation of the smart and interactive fabrics market focuses mostly on the U.S. marketplace. It provides a comprehensive overview into recent smart fabric applications used in a number of government, commercial, medical, and consumer market segments. Market segments include developments in the military and law enforcement safety and protective market, the wearable electronics consumer retail market, the biophysical monitoring market, and more. Nanotechnology and how it is used in various market segments, such as the U.S. military will also be discussed. Future directions for smart fabrics will be presented along with market size and growth rate figures for the global and U.S. smart fabric markets.

• 9:05 am

  Education and Collaboration: The Key to Moving Smart Fabrics Forward

  Presented by: Dr. Qaizar Hassonjee, President, Hass Tech Associates and Chris Semonelli, President, Coated Technical Solutions

  Smart Textiles provides the opportunity to evolve the textile industry for a globally competitive low margin business to an innovative high margin industry. This will drive higher wage employment, economic growth and prosperity in the region. The presentation will discuss the market back innovation methodology using multi-disciplinary approach as well as specific case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. It will discuss how a partnership with a state department of education has engaged students in middle school, high school and university in the smart fabrics industry. It will also explore how universities are the essential organizations that can bring the diverse functions (textile design, electronics, engineering, UI/UX design, data analytics and marketing) together and how this multi-disciplinary is essential to develop end use applications. Smart Textile is a great platform to train students to become innovators and entrepreneurs. This will lead to creation a portfolio of start-ups that evolve into successful businesses.

• 9:40 am

  Smart Fabrics Standards: A Government Regulator’s Perspective

  Moderator: Dr. Daniela Drago, Director, Clinical & Translational Research and Regulatory Affairs Programs, Assistant Professor, The George Washington

  Panelists:
  Jacqueline Campbell, Senior Textile Technologist, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  Grace A. Kim, Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade | Office of Regulations & Rulings Food, Textiles & Marking Branch
  Laura Koss, Assistant Director, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission
  Dr. Sandy Weininger, Regulatory Engineer, U.S. Food & Drug Administration

  Representatives of various U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), will discuss their agencies’ involvement in the emerging smart fabrics/e-textiles space. Discussion topics will include labeling, safety standards, healthcare standards and certification/testing requirements, and enforcement. Agencies will also discuss why a government regulation might be developed and implemented as opposed to adopting an industry-led standard, how stakeholders can provide input, what existing standards and regulations apply to emerging smart fabrics technologies, and where there are gaps in existing standards and regulations that may require new rules to be developed to account for changes in smart fabrics technology.

• 10:25am

  Coffee & Networking Break

• 10:40am

  Smart Fabrics Standards: A Standards Development Organization’s Perspective

  Moderator: Veronica A. Lancaster, Senior Director, Standards Programs, Consumer Technology Association

  Panelists: Cherry Tom, Emerging Technologies Intelligence Manager, IEEE Standards Association
  Chris Jorgensen, Director, Technology Transfer, IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries
  Jennifer Rodgers, Director, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International
  Stephanie Rodgers, Director, Advanced Product Developments, Apex Mills Corporation​

  Representatives from ASTM International, IPC (the Association Connecting Electronics Industries), and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) will discuss how standards development organizations (SDOs) identify areas in which new or updated standards are needed for the emerging smart fabrics and e-textiles sector, how various organizations work together to ensure that standards do not overlap, and how private sector representatives can get involved in standards work groups. Discussion topics will also include information on each organization’s current slate of work and will identify gaps in existing standards that may require the development of new standards and/or test methods to aid in the development of emerging smart fabrics technology.

• 11:30am

  First Responder Requirements for Smart Fabrics

  Presented by: William Deso, Program Manager, Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate First Responders Group

  First Responders have an increasing need for communications equipment, sensors for environmental and physiological monitors, and other specialized equipment for the performance of their duties. Due to the increased amount of equipment that responders now require, there is a requirement to reduce the weight of the equipment they are carrying while still maintaining required safety and communications functionality. Smart fabrics and advanced textiles have the potential to enable responders to perform their functions quicker, safer, and more efficiently. Potential responder uses for smart fabrics and advanced textiles include regulation of body heat, functioning as either environmental or physiological sensors, enabling flexible wiring networks for the transmission of data and power, and generation of energy to power first responder equipment to reduce the number of batteries they have to carry. These potential uses, along with responder needs and requirements will be discussed, along with the extreme environmental conditions and unique scenarios in which they can operate.

• Noon

  Lunch Served

• 12:30pm

  Keynote Lunch Presentation

  Presented by: Yoel Fink, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)
  MIT Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Joint Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

  Our clothes help define us yet the fabrics we wear have remained functionally unchanged for thousands of years. Recent breakthroughs in fiber materials and manufacturing processes allow us to design and wear fabrics that see, hear, communicate, monitor health and change color — heralding the dawn of a “fabric revolution.” The mission at Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is to lead the convergence of advanced technology into fibers (“Moore’s Law for fibers”) resulting in fabric products that deliver value-added services to the user (“Fabrics as a service”).

• 1:30pm

  Yarn is the New Invention

  Presented by: Stephanie Rodgers, Director, Advanced Product Developments, Apex Mills Corporation

  Yarn is the first component in any textile structure.  Filament or staple, covered or coated, it is integral that yarn selection and processing enables the performance of the final application.  Yarn producers are adopting more specialty yarns and treatments into fabrics allowing designers and engineers to achieve higher sustained performance geared to add longevity and sustainability to end products, especially smart fabrics and e-textiles.  Integrated e-textile scale-up has its challenges and rewards. Memberships with organization such as AFFOA are creating advanced pathways to new markets using e-textiles and blowing our minds with new yarn formation techniques.

• 2:05pm

  Trends in Public-Private R&D Partnerships on Smart Fabrics

  Moderator: Terry Smith Labat,  Senior Advisor, performing the non-exclusive duties of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

  Panelists: Dr. Jesse Jur, Assistant Professor of Textile Engineering, North Carolina State University, College of Textiles
  Dr. Lucy Dunne, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota
  Dr. Felecia Davis, Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University, Stuckeman Center for Design Computing, The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
  Dr. Scott Miller, Director of Strategic Programs, NextFlex

  Representatives from U.S. research universities and public-private partnerships will discuss their current research into smart fabrics and wearable technology, specific products that are currently being developed for commercialization, and views on future trends in smart fabrics research and development. Panelists will also provide information on how private sector companies can engage with these organizations for research, development, testing, and other collaboration.

• 2:50pm

  Coffee Break

• 3:05pm

  Keys to Intellectual Property Protection and Licensing

  Moderator:
  Clara N. Jiménez, Associate, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP

  Panelists:
  Mareesa Frederick, Partner; Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
  John F. Gray, Corporate Counsel, DuPont
  Marla McConnell, Supervisory Patent Examiner, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

  Smart fabrics draw from diverse technologies to create new products with the hope of transforming the market. A robust innovation plan incorporates protection of valuable intellectual property developed at different stages of the growth cycle. It also requires identifying ways to collaborate with others in industry to increase the pace of innovation. Successful entrepreneurs stay ahead of the game by learning the key concepts involved in intellectual property protection and technology licensing. The speakers will share a general overview of forms of intellectual property protection applicable to the smart fabric industry, the basics for successful technology licenses, and best practices to maximize the value of intellectual property for your business.

• 3:55pm

  Secretary Ross

  A fireside chat with Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Amit Kapoor, President, First Line Technology and IFAI Advanced Textiles Products Division Chair​

• 4:30pm

  Wired Skins: An Exploration into Solar Powered Fabric

  Presented by: Colin Touhey, CEO, pvilion

  The discussion will be focused on the past, present, and future of integrated solar technology. The thesis is as follows. The unimaginably large area throughout the world being hit by the sun every day is not being tapped of its natural resource: energy. These surfaces, ranging from consumer products to reservoirs to landfills to buildings, are all being wasted. What if there were a fundamental shift in the purpose of outdoor surfaces, both permanent and temporary? The introduction of solar-powered fabrics allows underutilized real estate, on the body and in the world, to increase functionality and add value to organizations, individuals, and governments.

• 5:05pm

  Data Security and Privacy for Connected Textiles and Apparel

  Moderator: James Sullivan, Commerce DAS for Services

  Panelists:
  Kenya Wiley, Founder and CEO, Fashion Innovation Alliance
  Cathlin Tully, Federal Trade Commission
  Katerina Megas, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
  Julie Kearney, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Consumer Technology Association

  Panelists will discuss concerns related to data security and privacy, and how product developers should address the challenges of protecting personal data collected by smart fabrics and wearables. Panelists will provide an overview of current standards and regulations related to smart fabrics and wearable products, as well as share best practices for implementing internal controls to mitigate risk of data security breaches.

• 5:50pm

  Closing Remarks

  Anne Driscoll, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration

• 6:00pm

  Networking Reception; Exhibits Open

• 7:30pm

  Smart Fabrics Summit Concludes

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004

The event takes place in Atrium Hall, Concourse Level C. ​

Directions (pdf)

To learn more about the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and to view directions, parking and other details, please click here.

There are no room blocks associated with Smart Fabrics Summit 2018. Below is a list of hotels near the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center:

• Please click here for sponsor logistics information

For more information on sponsorship, please contact:
Mark Berriman, meberriman@ifai.com, 651-225-6909.