Germany-based 3-D knitting machine company Stoll and Canada-based textile computing company Myant Inc. have announced a strategic and exclusive collaboration to populate functional computing textile manufacturing in Canada and the United States, with 500 state-of-the-art knitting machines from Stoll.
This collaboration will have a direct and powerful impact on the textile manufacturing industry worldwide as it raises the bar and sets a new gold standard for functional computing textiles. Myant and Stoll share the vision of disrupting the textile industry with new advancements in Industry 4.0, material science and technical applications for high quality products made in North America. Stoll’s machines combined with Myant’s end-to-end innovations, from molecule to garment, from textile to wardrobe will truly revolutionise the world of textiles and create a new economy. Stoll and Myant will use this exclusive collaboration for all inquiry of the research, development and engineering of this new domain of functional computing textiles.
Andreas Schellhammer, CEO, Stoll, said, “Stoll and Myant are aligned in the vision to create a new gold standard for functional computing textiles. Stoll has a longstanding commitment to be a leader at the forefront of growth and innovation in the textile industry. Our collaboration with Myant represents a completely new approach to smart textiles. The demand for smart fabrics has never been higher as companies race to create garments, wearables, industrial, defense, healthcare and household items to connect humans to the Internet of Things. Myant is leading the creation of a new economy in functional computing textiles with Stoll machines. They have the vision and the right interdisciplinary team to make this a global revolution.”
Tony Chahine, CEO and Founder, Myant, said, “Myant and Stoll are taking a big step to democratize manufacturing and resuscitate a ‘making’ culture in Canada and the US. Our goal is to reduce the barriers to entry in textile innovation and production and promote collaboration between scientists, doctors, engineers, designers, students, and anyone with a creative idea. I believe that true innovation is only possible when the inventor can actually make the invention. The Stoll machines will have a massive impact on commercialisation in the smart textile industry, which is in need of disruption, and will help to speed up the prototyping to production cycle.”
The collaboration coincides with Myant’s plans for expansion into the Canadian and American university-affiliated textile technology centers, featuring Stoll machines. The endeavour will require new disciplines, curricula, and expertise to be developed in the engineering, material sciences, design and manufacturing fields, which is the reason universities and colleges are an essential component of the ecosystem.
