Centennial College and partners get $4M for smart fabrics research

TORONTO — The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has granted $4 million to Centennial College and its partners to assist in their development of products for the global e-textile market.

Funding will also go towards helping small and medium-sized businesses with transportation, food production, energy and advanced manufacturing sectors according to a statement from the college.

Smart fabrics refers to the integration of digital components like biometric sensors, minicomputers and electronics into fabrics for data collection, energy transfer and communications.

Smart fabrics or e-textiles can monitor and communicate health data for treatment purposes and help with virtual care outside of hospital settings. In a time of ongoing spread of airborne respiratory disease, this type of technology may prove useful to particularly vulnerable members of society like the elderly and people with chronic illness.

Centennial’s Technology Access Centre or “WIMTACH” led the application for the funding, partnering with Sheridan College, Humber College and the KITE Institute at the University Health Network.

The project team will receive $2 million over two years. The colleges are members of the FabrIc-Based REsearch (FIBRE) network.

“SMEs have requested support with issues facing the e-textile industry in Canada,” said  Dr. Purnima Tyagi, director, WIMTACH in a statement.

“As strengthening employer relations is a key area of excellence for Centennial, this research collaboration will engage deeply with them to support business goals related to the design and manufacturing of e-textile components.”