A stimulating focus on the way in which technology has been used to innovate sports textiles and clothing.
Ever since the development of the first hi-tech prototype materials by NASA, the sports clothing industry has focused on improving the specifications of its products in such a way as to increase their performance at competitive level. With time, the innovations achieved in this strategic sector have gradually been incorporated into the apparel of sportsmen and women of all levels of competence.
The participants in this initiative include companies specialized in the development of state-of-the-art materials and the research centres of such important brands as Speedo, Alinghi, O’Neill, Arena and Nike.
Indeed, Outlast Technologies presents its phase change materials (microcapsules capable of managing and optimizing body heat), ANSYS illustrates the computational fluid dynamics software with which it analyzed and optimized the study of the hydrodynamic properties of Speedo’s new swimming costume project and Peratech LTD reveals how it developed SOFTswitch, a new material created for O’Neill using layers of conductive textiles to manage electronic functions incorporated into sports clothing.

The initiative will conclude with a guided tour of the exhibition by its curator, Patricia Kinsella, followed by an aperitif.