NanoHorizons Inc.,
a leader in the creation of nanoscale performance additives for textile, health
care, and industrial applications, has extended the worldwide distribution of
its SmartSilver® antimicrobial products to India with sales support provided
in partnership with Indorama Polyester Industries Ltd. (IPI).
SmartSilver® is presently available in other Asian markets such as Thailand,
South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. IPI currently integrates SmartSilver® into
its Ambs® polyester fiber line. Headquartered in Thailand with annual sales
of US$3.5 billion, IPI is a global leader in polyester production and the second
largest producer of PET bottle polymers in the world.
“We are targeting India’s textile market with IPI, a key strategic
partner, as part of our global growth strategy,” says Timothy J. Skedzuhn,
Vice President Textile Business Unit, NanoHorizons. “Consumers in India
are gaining buying power and are constantly looking for new and innovative products.
At the same time, India’s textile industry produces high quality materials
and seeks out value-add technologies as the consumer market expands. We believe
SmartSilver® technology with its high durability, safety, efficacy, and
ease of integration will generate significant interest in this market.”
As a result of India’s growing medical tourism industry, the medical
textile market is a specific target for SmartSilver®. “India’s
medical textile market is emerging, and is poised for take-off,” states
Prabeer Mukherjee, Senior Vice President Polyester Business for Textiles and
Packaging, IPI. “Securing healthcare personnel and patients from secondary
infections has become a key priority given the country’s booming medical
tourism. India is currently the world’s second largest producer and exporter
of textiles and footwear, representing a US$2 billion business. We believe our
Ambs® fiber with SmartSilver’s durable and safe antimicrobial protection
provides exceptional multi-functional value for a variety of textile products,
including those in the demanding medical marketplace. Ambs® is an inherently
antimicrobial yarn that is ready to knit and requires no additional treatment.”
NanoHorizons’ Skedzuhn recently introduced SmartSilver® to India’s
medical textiles market by delivering the central technology address at the
inaugural InterActive Workshop on Medical Textiles in Mumbai in September. The
event was presented by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) in conjunction with India’s Office of the Textile Commissioner.
Skedzuhn addressed an audience of textile manufacturers, doctors, hospital administrators,
academic researchers and technologists. His presentation spoke to the importance
of silver-based antimicrobial solutions in managing the transmission of hospital-acquired
infections, with specific focus on the growing medical tourism market in India.
SmartSilver® antimicrobial additives are registered with the US EPA for
fiber, coating, and polymer applications, and are approved as free from harmful
levels of substances dangerous to humans by the International Oeko-Tex®
Association, a recognized international textile standard organization.