ello, my name is Juan Manuel Goenaga and I have a story to share with you.
If life existed on Mars, it is expected to meet three essential fundamentals: feeding, reproducing, and evolving. These aspects are fundamental for the survival and development of any form of life.
It is true that feeding, reproducing, and evolving are fundamental pillars in life. However, it is also important to consider other relevant aspects in decision-making. Two of them are the pursuit of well-being and consumption.
In the pursuit of well-being, it has been identified that humans prefer the absence of pain and social acceptance over the lack of it. This is expressed by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
On the other hand, consumption is a reality that impacts our environment. The textile industry, for example, is responsible for a considerable amount of global pollution. It consumes 79 million cubic meters of water annually, generates 10% of global carbon emissions, and represents 35% of the microplastics released into the environment.
We are facing an unprecedented health crisis; for example, by 2050, it is predicted that over 25,000 animal and plant species will face extinction, almost 40% of terrestrial species could disappear, and the global population of animals could be reduced by nearly 90%.
Physics is a fundamental science that provides us with a deep understanding of how the universe works at the level of particles, atoms, and molecules. Through its study, we have discovered the power and properties of these fundamental components of matter.
One of the great advances driven by physics is computing, which has revolutionized how we communicate, work, and address complex problems. Computing, based on the manipulation of digital information, allows us to process large amounts of data, model complex systems, and find innovative solutions.
Nice to meet you, my name is Juan Manuel Goenaga and I work in Advanced Materials for textiles. It turns out that these nanoscale materials can be placed close to molecules and can make a textile fiber degrade faster. They also have the particularity of being semiconductors, transparent, and super strong, like graphene.
Imagine if the result of consumption was not pollution, and it also allowed us to digitize any surface. Wow. We are going to reduce the environmental impact and improve global public health.
For the first time, we can do something together that allows us to consume to improve the quality of life for everyone. But this time, we must build our progress together. These advanced materials are recent and are still in the early stages of implementation in society.
Graphene is a Nobel Prize-winning material from 2010, called the material of the 4th Revolution. It has energetic, mechanical, and optical properties and is currently being developed with the awareness that they are materials that allow for easy biodegradation in the environment.
In the case of textiles, graphene allows for 16% more heat dissipation. The molecular structure of graphene allows energy to pass through faster than silicon, which makes you feel less heat, whether you are exercising, in Cerrejón, or watching a national team match. Wherever there is heat, it will do its job.
It makes textile fibers last longer, dry faster, and help in the biodegradation of the textile. Excellent. The best part is that the development of advanced materials is subject to computing, which, according to quantum physics, will reach infinity. So advanced materials will always be better, like having thousands of new updates waiting for us if we consume them from now on.
Regarding the digitization of textiles, a dream world awaits us. The proposal is to create garments that allow us to take data from our bodies, analyze them, and help us make decisions in monitoring and preventing all chronic diseases in humans. With animals, I think that for the first time we will understand them and communicate better with them.
A bright future awaits us, and what we must do is consume responsibly. Every minute we delay in deciding and taking the step to implement advanced materials strategies in our industries, we are delaying this transition, which seeks well-being for everyone.
In Colombia, what are we doing? We are telling all textile companies, clothing brands, retail stores, compensation funds, and large corporations that this is the right path we must take. Thanks to this fact, we have managed to raise awareness and promote these technologies for the positive impact on our Colombian society, which can proudly say that we will be the first in Latin America to implement this scalable technology in our society and build an example of what we are capable of achieving.
Why is the integration of Graphene so important for the Textile Industry in Colombia?
It is because of the importance of the material and the capabilities it integrates that allow for the creation of smart garments. No material competes with its properties in a single material.
Integrates Capabilities
- Electrical: It is a transparent semiconductor that allows applications in energy and biological applications like DNA sequencing and competes in all uses of technology. It is 35% more conductive than copper and allows electrons to accelerate at high speeds. It is an excellent thermal conductor, with the highest intrinsic thermal conductivity of all materials on earth.
- Optical: It allows for the creation of sensors and integrated circuits, touch screens, high-frequency transistors, and OLED capabilities. Its use is excellent in optoelectronics because graphene electrons move faster than silicon electrons.
- Mechanical: The breaking strength is 100 times greater than iron, making it the strongest material on Earth. It is flexible and chemically stable. Its size is 0.34 nanometers, and it is five times lighter than aluminum.
Additionally, it is abundant, ecological, and sustainable.
The result of implementing Graphene in the Colombian Textile Chain is the birth of the High Fashion Tech industry, or High-Tech Fashion in English.
What types of garments can we use this technology in?
The answer is the combination of Technology and Fashion. This version 1.0 of the technology allows for 16% more heat dissipation and has 23% more air permeability, making it excellent for all sportswear that comes into contact with the skin, making people feel cooler. The method of integrating this technology is through rotary cylinder printing, which allows us to improve all textiles subject to printing. Therefore, we can implement this technology for use in the supply of large companies such as compensation funds, Ecopetrol, or Coca-Cola. Even the entire military industry is subject to benefiting from this technology.
We are the first in South America to test this technology on a massive scale. We currently have three allies in technology distribution, two in the city of Medellín and one in Bogotá. We are all breaking down market entry barriers to reach end consumers. Its price is competitive, and we will be able to offer it affordably for everyone.
What is the future of the textile industry with the implementation of Graphene?
This future is divided into three stages:
- Smart Textiles: Textiles that generate an action through a trigger, for example, it is hot, and graphene allows for heat dissipation.
- E-Textiles: Textiles that will allow for the integration of circuits, creating sensors and obtaining data that you can manage from your cell phone, computer, or tablet.
- CPU Textiles: Textiles or finished garments that will have the power of a computer. All of this with the benefit of sustainability and pollution reduction.
Enjoy abundance and make decisions with awareness that we are all supporting humanity.
Prepared by Juan Manuel Goenaga
Follow me on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-manuel-goenaga-castro-emprendedor/
