Vertical: HealthcareBase Year: 2018
Market Size (2018)
$1.11B
Projected (2027)
$2.11B
CAGR (2016–2027)
7.0%
Key Players
10+
Medical smart textile clothing is the advanced fusion of technology. It represents the next generation of clothes with value added functionalities such as tracking biometrics, response to environmental changes, and others. Hence various companies are engaged in developing smart textile clothing. Growing geriatric population, the rising incidence of chronic diseases, and increasing disease awareness are driving the growth of the global medical smart textile market. However, stringent regulatory policies are likely to hamper the market growth.
The global medical smart textile market is expected to register a CAGR of 7.51% during the forecast period of 2019 to 2027. In 2018, the market was led by the Americas with a 39.7% share, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific with shares of 33.4% and 19.5%, respectively.
The global medical smart textile market has been segmented based on technology, application, end user, and region.
Based on technology, the wearable technology segment accounted for the largest market share of 53.7% in 2018, with a market value of USD 596.80 million, and is projected to register a CAGR of 7.94% during the forecast period.
Based on application, the Bio-monitoring segment accounted for the largest market share of 48.5% in 2018, with a market value of USD 538.48 million, and is expected to register a CAGR of 7.02% during the forecast period.
Based on end user, the hospitals & clinics segment accounted for the largest market share of 67.3% in 2018, with a market value of USD 747.55 million, and is expected to register a CAGR of 7.73% during the forecast period.
The Medical Smart Textile Market market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2016 to 2027.
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View Subscription PlansMedical smart textile is a new field of research and is most widely used in the healthcare sector. Sensors are integrated into the textiles, and these sensors are in continuous contact with the human body. These could capture physiological changes going within the body. The demand for medical smart textiles is increasing due to the rising burden of diseases, evolving methods of diagnosis, and extensive use of wearable medical devices. But, the increasing cost of smart textiles acts as a restraint for this market.
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View Subscription PlansThis report applies a rigorous multi-stage research process combining primary interviews, secondary data sources, and bottom-up market modelling to ensure accuracy and completeness across all segments and geographies.
Base Year
2018
Historical Period
2016 – 2017
Forecast Period
2019 – 2027
Primary Interviews
150+
Historical data (2016–2018) and forecast period (2018–2027)
Our research process spans primary interviews with industry stakeholders combined with comprehensive secondary data analysis, validated through triangulation across multiple independent sources.
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View Subscription PlansThe global medical smart textile market seems to be a very lucrative, attractive, and profitable market, both for existing as well as new entrants. At the same time, intense rivalry among existing competitors has been observed. Our analysis revealed that market players had adopted different strategies to increase their business and position in the global medical smart textile market. In recent years, strategic movements by major players were product launches, acquisitions, and strategic agreements, which have been used as market penetration strategies and to reduce competition. The major players in the global medical smart textile market are Schoeller Switzerland, Vista Medical Ltd, Sensoria Inc., Gentherm, Siren, Pireta, AiQ Smart Clothing, Camira Fabrics, Carre Technologies Inc., 3teks, and others.
Companies are now entering into acquisitions to neutralize growing competition from customers, competitors, and to tackle the changing market dynamics.
There are numerous players operating in this market all over the globe. Most of these players exist in the American and European regions. There are a lot of large and small market players available in the market which provide a wide range of products for various medical smart textile applications.
Gentherm, Camira Fabric, Carre Technologies Inc. (Hexoskin), and AiQ Smart Clothing are top players in the global medical smart textile market, contributing a major share of the worldwide market.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
The bargaining power of the suppliers estimates how easy it is for the suppliers to influence the prices of the medical smart textile market. The impact of the supplier’s bargaining power in the market is low. The market doesn’t have a lot of end user as compared to the suppliers. Moreover, medical smart textiles have a lot of alternatives. Businesses must obtain the necessary resources that they need from the resource suppliers to carry out their activities. The price of raw materials required for manufacturing medical smart textiles is determined by the interaction between the suppliers and the end users. The number of suppliers serving the medical smart textile market is high compared to the end users, while the competition among the suppliers is high due to the high value of the transaction. Thus, firms have a strong position due to the lower switching cost relative to the suppliers. The factors favoring the suppliers are the high quality of inputs used in the manufacturing of medical smart textile, which reduces the chances of a reliable and quality supplier being substituted. Thus, leading to the bargaining of suppliers being low to medium in the market.
Bargaining Power of Buyers
The bargaining power of the buyers assesses how easy it is for the buyers to affect the price of medical smart textiles. The bargaining power of the buyer is likely to be high in the market due to the presence of a lot of alternatives. Moreover, the firm to buyer concentration ratio is high, which increases the power of the buyers. The factors in favor of the buyer are the increasing availability of information to the buyers, the presence of alternatives, and the rising price sensitivity of the buyers. So, the bargaining of buyers remains high.
Threat of New Entrants
Threat from new entrants in the global medical smart textile market is low to moderate. This is due to the specialized nature of the market with high growth potential, requiring high technological knowledge. The medical smart textile market is also highly sensitive to technological advancements and disruptive innovations. Development of any novel technology with even a small advantage over existing products would have a disastrous effect on the existing players. The medical smart textile market has high capital and research intensity, which raises the bar for market entry with the capital investment in technology being very high. The medical smart textile market also needs a highly skilled workforce. The research intensity and higher intellectual property utilized in the industry makes a new technology highly disruptive of existing technology and players. However, the market holds a lot of opportunities for big players in the medical devices industry to enter the market. Therefore, the threat of new entrants in the market is low to moderate.
Threat of Substitutes
The threat of substitutes is high in the medical smart textile market. The threat from the substitutes arises when the customers or the buyers in the market can achieve the end-result using other means excluding the concerned market. Medical smart textiles have various substitutes such as wearable devices, injectors and sensors, among others. For instance, heart rate can be monitored using the wearable heart monitoring device. For injecting drugs, wearable injectors and autoinjectors can be used. So, the threat of substitutes in the medical smart textile market is high.
Intense Rivalry
Degree of competition is considered to have a moderate to high impact on the global medical smart textile market. The intensity of competitive rivalry evaluates the capability and the level of rivalry among competitors in the market. It also refers to the extent to which firms within a market put pressure on one another and limit each other’s profit potential. Industries strive for a competitive advantage over their rivals, and the intensity of rivalry varies across industries. Rivalry among market players can affect market profits through downward pressure on prices, increased innovation, increased advertising, and increased service/product improvements, among others leading to the intense rivalry between market players.
Market estimates by geography (2027)
InsightAmericas leads with $783.40M by 2027, while Asia Pacific is projected to grow fastest at a 7.9% CAGR.
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View Subscription Plans| REGION | 2016 | 2018 | 2027 | CAGR | SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle East and Africa | $73.85M | $106.38M | $157.52M | 7.1% | 7% |
| Americas | $401.20M | $551.50M | $783.40M | 6.3% | 37% |
| Asia Pacific | $191.62M | $288.07M | $442.02M | 7.9% | 21% |
| Europe | $331.34M | $483.03M | $722.38M | 7.3% | 34% |
| Total | $998.00M | $1.43B | $2.11B | 7.0% | 100% |
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View Subscription PlansTotal Market Size
$2.11B
| APPLICATION | REVENUE ($B) | GROWTH RATE | MARKET PENETRATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wearable Technology | $1.17B | 7.4% | 56% |
| Textile Sensors | $683.55M | 7.7% | 32% |
| Others | $249.26M | 4.0% | 12% |
* Revenue projections based on 2025 estimates. Growth rates represent CAGR 2024–2030. Market penetration indicates current adoption rate within addressable market segments.
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Analytical insights on Medical Smart Textile Market covering market dynamics, competitive landscape, and strategic outlook.
The Medical Smart Textile Market market is projected to reach $2.11B by 2027, growing at 7.0% CAGR. The Wearable Technology segment holds the largest share.
Medical smart textiles are a comparatively new zone of research which has lots of potential applications in the biomedical engineering field. Sensors linked into textiles in contact with the body can capture many physiological signals which can be used in the diagnosis of many diseases. The medical smart fabric works on nanotechnology principles. The fabric is made up of the technology through which it can sense environmental conditions. Some examples of medical smart textiles are life belts (transabdominal wearable device), bulletproof jackets (monitors toxic gases and prevents injuries), and life jackets (constantly monitors and reads the heart rate measurements and blood pressure), among others.
The global medical smart textiles market is primarily driven by the growing demand for medical sensors and monitoring devices, extensive use of wearable medical devices, and the rising burden of diseases. However, the high cost of medical smart textiles and stringent regulations are the restraints to the growth of the market. On the other hand, growing awareness about using medical smart textile globally is likely to offer lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market.
Electronic textiles are also known as smart textiles. Smart textiles are digitally enhanced fabrics which use light and battery for operation. The fabrics are capable of sensing environmental conditions. Smart fabrics operate through signals which are received from the central control unit (CCU). The analysis and evaluation of signals are done through the fabric-embedded electric processor. The whole function of smart fabrics is based on nanotechnology. Smart textiles are applied in many healthcare segments such as life belts (transabdominal wearable device), telemedicine and use of biomedical clothing, life jackets (constantly monitors and reads the heart rate measurements and blood pressure), and the smart bra (measures heart rates through sensors).
Smart textiles are very useful in the health industry as it enables the monitoring of heart rate Electrocardiogram (ECG), Electromyogram (EMG) and Electroencephalogram (EEG). Medical smart textiles can continuously monitor the condition of patients and receive communications and positioning. The use of smart wearable textiles eases the inconveniency of the frequent visits to clinics. Owing to these advantages, many companies come up with research, development, and analysis on nanotechnology and its integration with fabric. Many of them such as Clothing Plus, Camria, Pireta, Stitch, Hexoskin, 3Tecks, etc. have started manufacturing smart textiles for serving athletes and also for medical requirements.
Medical smart textiles serve hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical institutions with their smart fabric products such as smart pediatric wear, smart medical gowns, and medical clothes.
Smart textiles are very useful sources for hospitals to get accurate data of patients through the senses embedded in it. Top startups developing smart textiles for healthcare include Camira Fabrics, Hexoskin, and Pireta.
Smart textile is a way to revolutionize healthcare practices and its widespread use to monitor health or help in treatment could reduce the reliance on costly instruments. Smart textile clothing helps in tracking chronic disorders and conditions, which is good for the aging population and makes their life more comfortable during hospitalization. This is the way to create value, reduce costs, and boost health insights of patients.
E-textile is a new concept designed to be comfortable to the skin and functional at the same time. These smart fabrics consist of traditional fabric woven with conductive fibers and electronic elements such as microcontrollers, biomedical sensors, fiber optics, and wearable antennas such as Mouser's Internet of Things System. For instance, GPS tracking in e-textiles can be used to track senior family members suffering from diseases such as Dementia or Alzheimer’s.
The new technological advancement in smart textiles can support the diagnosis of many diseases through continuous monitoring of health profiles. This provides opportunities for new market players to come up with the latest technological advancements in medical smart textiles.
Thus, the research and development of e-textiles would continue to create more opportunities for the growth of the market in the future.
Smart textile fabrics are costly because of the high cost incurred in the research and development of technology and resources. If the costs are cut down, it will be easy to introduce smart fabrics to the masses at large. Due to the high cost of medical smart textiles manufacturers are not able to cater to the large population. Countries which are not yet developed or in the developing phase could not afford treatments using medical smart textiles due to the high cost of products. Hence the high cost of production is the barrier to this market’s growth.
Few products are accepted by the healthcare industry and introduced in the market, but the process of development of smart textile fabrics is a burden to the manufacturers due to factors such as initial high costs of fabrication and commercial introduction of this products to the market. These technical and economic barriers could be overcome by introducing alternative technology for bulk production.
Medical smart textiles are fabrics that sense and react to the conditions of the environment to which they are exposed. As there is an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the demand for medical smart textiles is growing. Various companies are engaged in the development of new smart textiles clothing. Recently, the San Francisco-based health technology company Siren has introduced neurofabric, a diabetic sock and foot monitoring system in which microsensors are directly introduced into the fabric. Five sensors are placed in the sock, three across the ball of the foot, one in the arch, and one on the heel. It helps to monitor foot temperature. This diabetic sock is widely used by diabetic patients, which helps to detect signs of inflammation and diabetic foot ulcers. Monitoring foot temperature is clinically proven to be the most effective way of catching foot injuries and is up to 87% more effective than the standard diabetic foot care at preventing diabetic foot ulcers. The socks wearers can see the temperature of their feet quickly with the help of the app, and it helps patients to compare the day to day body changes. As per a survey carried out by the Textile Industries Media Group in 2018, more than 100,000 people who have diabetes have lost their legs due to infected foot wounds. However, advancements in medical smart texting technologies have brought new trends in the healthcare sector during the past few years.
The price of medical smart textiles varies by a large margin in different regions of the world. The market for medical smart textile is mainly concentrated in developed regions of North America and Europe. The cost of medical smart textiles is expected to be high in the US as compared to countries in Europe and significantly higher than the rest of the world.
Additionally, due to rising awareness regarding medical smart textile, the cost of medical smart textile in the APAC region is expected to grow at the fastest rate as compared to other regions. In addition, according to our research, the final cost of medical smart textile varies dramatically in the US and Europe due to the better reimbursement in the US. Good reimbursement scenario is essential to utilize the real market potential. Moreover, Germany is considered to have more restricted reimbursement policies than the US, which increases the cost of the final product.
In the past few years, the medical smart textile market has witnessed tremendous growth. The major propelling factors behind such rapid diversification are technological advancements and high demand for medical smart textiles in various surgical procedures. In the past few years, the government has undertaken various initiatives to support technological developments in the field of medical smart textile clothing. In the US, various federal agencies are providing strategic funding for R&D of wearable E-textile clothing. A consortium of federal agencies monitors the joint sponsorship for scientific meetings and workshops, related to medical smart textile and sciences. The economic conditions of Japan with regards to medical smart textile is becoming positive slowly. The funding history in the US is more biased towards bioengineering aspects rather than biological aspects. The situation is not true in the case of Europe, as the medical smart textile is still relatively new with emphasis on biological aspects. Globally, health systems are developing in response to multiple factors such as new medical technology, modern health services, changes in health policies, new organizational structures, innovations in drug development, and excellent access to health services.
Market Size, Growth Rate, and Profitability
The global market for medical smart textile was valued at 1,110.79 million in 2018, and the market is estimated to reach 2,105.32 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.51% from 2019 to 2027. The medical smart textile market has an extremely high potential, and any novel product would have advantages in terms of profit margin, great value density, and cost-effectiveness of logistics due to high value and low volume of the product. The profitability and risks of different sectors of the global market for medical smart textile vary.
Investment Risks
Technological disruptions remain the most serious investment risk for the global medical smart textile market. Choosing the right research approach is more crucial than the research cost in the global medical smart textile market. Financial risks include high risk of research uncertainty and political and humanitarian pressures to reduce the cost of any novel product which may be used in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases. Other risks are currency volatility and the high fixed cost and operating costs imposing serious investment risks.
Market Outlook
The profitability of novel products will be high due to the low number of competitors in the market. The availability of advanced products in the market also confers significant market positioning and proposition in terms of the technologically advanced image of the company. The global medical smart textile industry thrives on innovation and technologically advanced products. This requires positioning a company as the most advanced and innovative manufacturer to tap into the high-cost and high-growth segment of the market. Thus, a first-come, high take strategy will lead not only to fast market uptake and positioning but will also yield a high premium with minimum marketing cost. The industry also requires highly trained and comparatively expensive labors and skills.
Competitors
The competitor is a broad category which includes not only other companies but also other nations and even other technologies and substitutes. Thus, it would be myopic to see only other companies as competitors. Medical smart textile is a high technology industry. Therefore, all countries make every effort to develop their medical devices industries. In the last few years, nations such as China and South Korea had been making every effort to develop their medical device and biotechnology sector. China has emerged as a manufacturing base for medical device companies due to its low cost and poor environment regulations and labor practices. China’s efforts to develop its biotech sector has shown good results in sectors such as vaccines and biological products. The same can be expected in the medical smart textile industry. The low-cost labor in developing regions coupled with the focus of these nations on the medical smart textile industry due to its positive effects on the entire biotech sector will drive the market for medical smart textile in these regions.
Projections
The global medical smart textile market is projected to rise by an impressive rate, driven by factors such as the growing demand for smart textiles in healthcare, increasing demand for medical sensors, and rising burden of diseases. It is expected that the global medical smart textile market will witness high growth during the forecast period.
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Profiles of 110 companies operating in the Medical Smart Textile Market market, including revenue, employee count, and market positioning where available.
Showing 110 of 110 companies
Company Headquarters: US Founded: 1991 Workforce: 13,755+ Company Working: Gentherm is a global technology and industry leader in designing, developing, and manufacturing innovative thermal management technologies. Its products provide solutions for automotive passenger comfort and convenience, battery thermal management, remote power generation, patient temperature management, and other consumer and industrial temperature control needs. Gentherm’s automotive products can be found on the vehicles of nearly all major automotive manufacturers operating in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company identifies future thermal technology product opportunities in both automotive and other markets. It concentrates research on the development of new technologies and new applications from existing technologies to create product and market opportunities for a wide array of thermal management solutions.
Company Headquarters: Gaziantep, Turkey Founded: 2007 Workforce: ~ 500 Company Working: 3teks is a leading company in the manufacturing of medical smart textile products. It operates through three segments, namely, medical sheets, surgical gowns, and surgical sets. It also produces non-sterile products such as non-sterile gowns, sheets, and cover groups. It also manufactures medical smart textile products as per the clients’ requirement. It is listed as one of the most hygienic companies in the production of medical smart textiles clothing.
Company Headquarters: Montréal, Québec, Canada Founded: 2006 Workforce: ~ 1000 Company Working: Carre Technologies Inc is a global leader in the medical smart textile industry. It is the leading provider of biometric clothing, globally. Carre Technologies Inc develops wearable technologies to monitor various activities going in the human body. It develops wearable technologies for monitoring sleep, physical training, and general health. Its biometric shirts measure cardiorespiratory activity, physical activity, and sleep. It provides its products to leading healthcare centers, academic institutions, government laboratories, and hospitals, as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Company Headquarters: Mirfield, West Yorkshire, UK Founded: 1974 Workforce: ~ 1000 Company Working: Camira Fabrics is an award-winning UK medical smart textile company. It designs and manufactures 8-million-meter fabric every year. Camira Fabrics works with furniture manufacturers, interior specifics, and end users. It operates through various segments such as healthcare, hospitality, education, and others. It ranks among the world’s top companies investing in medical smart textile fabric.
Company Headquarters: Taiwan, China Founded: 2012 Workforce: ~ 100 Company Working: AiQ Smart Clothing is a Taiwan-based company that is owned by the Tex-Ray Textile and Clothing company. It produces a variety of medical textile clothing such as touchman gloves, neonman sports jackets, thermoman machines, washable heated outdoor clothing, bioman sports shirt, and shieldman clothing. AiQ Smart Clothing provides its products to more than 100 countries.
Company Headquarters: London, England Founded: 2017 Workforce: ~ 100 Company Working: Pireta is a global leader in the medical smart textile market. It provides unique smart textile clothing to customers worldwide. The company focuses on its expertise in key segments such as wellness and fitness, healthcare, elite sports, and fashion and apparel. It is a global company that delivers significant business in three major regions, namely, the Americas, Europe, and others.
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Historical performance and future projections (2020–2030, USD Billion)
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