Fast growing denim industry banks on innovation, technology transfer

The country’s denim textile and apparel manufacturers, who currently produce largely low-value goods, are now pursuing higher technology in order to improve the quality and worth of their products. Exporters hope to become leaders in the worldwide high-value denim market using the latest technology, which are also expected to lower production costs by at least 30%.

Take, for example, Envoy Textiles. Envoy, the world’s first LEED platinum-certified denim manufacturer, recently signed a know-how transfer and collaboration deal with Spanish company Jeanologia, under which Envoy will establish a cutting-edge laboratory. According to the company, the eco-friendly lab facility will cost Envoy Textiles 270,000 euros (about Tk2.62 crore) per 12 months.

Despite the fact that it is an expensive step, it will allow the apparel industry to make more sustainable products at a cheaper cost. Buyers are now asking for sustainable denim, and producers are planning to put up the lab, which will be the first of its kind at the commercial level in the world. Worldwide, consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.

According to industry insiders, new technology let the ready-made garments sector to create sophisticated washes while using less water and chemicals, making denim goods more environmentally friendly. Some manufacturers are also utilizing cutting-edge technology. As the world’s largest denim garment manufacturer, it has the ability to obtain every prototype version from the world’s most known denim technology vendors.

G-Star RAW, a Dutch fashion brand, sources over 1 million pieces of jeans from Bangladesh each year, valued at approximately $20 million. Bangladesh has a significant possibility to grow in the denim market because the country currently produces low-quality jeans.

For the past ten years, Genesis Denim has been the only Bangladeshi denim exporter working with the Dutch fashion brand. One of the industry specialists spoke on the subject “At the start, it took us around seven days to create a pair of pants. We now understand the brand’s taste and fashion aesthetics.”

G-Star RAW pays up to $35 for a pair of denim pants, while low-value denim exporters receive an average of $6.