BGMEA, TTRI join hands to enhance capacity

FE REPORT
The apex apparel body BGMEA has teamed up with the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) to boost capacity of the domestic ready-made garment (RMG) industry.
The institute will collaborate in the areas of product development, especially manufacturing high-end products of man-made fibre.
To this end, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Expor-ters Association (BGMEA) and the TTRI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday, reads a statement.
It was singed at a time when the BGMEA has been making an all-out effort to pursue a higher growth vision of the industry through diversifying from cotton to non-cotton products, especially man-made fibre.
BGMEA director Asif Ashraf and TTRI vice-president Sheng-fu Chu inked the instrument on behalf of their respective sides.
BGMEA directors Faisal Samad and Abdullah Hil Rakib, and Taiwan Textile Federation president Justin Huang, among others, were present at the event held in Taipei on May 04.
The MoU seeks to foster collaboration on capacity building of the industry through sharing knowledge and expertise in technology adaptation, skills development, innovation, resource efficiency and circularity.
Another objective is to promote direct or joint-venture investments from Taiwan to Bangladesh in non-cotton textiles, high-end garment items, technical textile, woven textile and innovation.
As per the agreement, Taiwanese companies will also work under this umbrella to share their expertise and technical know-how with Bangladeshi companies.
It will also facilitate collaboration between industry and academia to identify areas of improvement and capacity enhancement, and provide knowledge and skills required to address future challenges.
The collaboration with Taiwan Textile Federation and TTRI will help Bangladeshi apparel companies have an understanding of the strengths of Taiwanese companies.
BGMEA and the Centre of Innovation, Efficiency and Occupational Safety and Health (CIEOSH), BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology and other universities can be stakeholders in this collaboration.
The TTRI has an estimated 100 researchers who can support Bangladesh's apparel industry to understand its future needs.
They can also make a plan for a 15-year roadmap to improve capacity in terms of product development and other areas.
munni_fe@yahoo.com