Textile future “Made in Hong Kong”: Two labs revolutionize design and production with biotechnology and AI
11 Jun 2025
Two pioneers, one goal: more sustainable and smarter textile processes. At Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics, NAMI and AiDLab impressively demonstrate how they are transforming dyeing, design, and quality control across the textile value chain – tailored to the needs of the industry.
Biosynthesis breakthrough: How NAMI’s “SustainaChroma” dye is reengineering textile coloration
In a field long dominated by synthetic petrochemical dyes, NAMI (Nano and Advanced Materials Institute Ltd.) is rewriting the rules with its revolutionary “SustainaChroma” – a bioengineered dye that offers not only good environmental performance but also technical excellence possible for large-scale textile production.
Dr Wylie O, Technical Manager at NAMI, explained that the core innovation lies in biosynthesis: a biosynthetic process using amino acids derived from low-cost carbon sources and genetically engineered bacteria.
A binary enzyme system produced from the bacteria acts as a high-efficiency catalyst, enabling fast, high-yield dye production. Redox-responsive additives introduced during fermentation allow for fine-tuned color customization and eliminate problematic metabolic by-products.
“The result? Highly uniform, vibrant dyes that match or even surpass conventional options.”
This innovation is a true game changer for four reasons. First, the dyes are fully customizable, delivering precise hues and excellent uniformity. Second, they offer high color uniformity – delta E values below 1, making differences imperceptible to the human eye. Third, fermentation time is slashed from nearly a year to just 3–5 days. Most notably, NAMI’s process allows “one-pot dyeing”: fibers are added during fermentation, absorbing the dye as it forms – drastically cutting water usage and eliminating toxic chemical steps.
Lab simulations estimate a 52 % reduction in CO₂ emissions and up to 5x lower production costs compared to conventional plant-based dyes. “SustainaChroma“ meets ISO 105 colorfastness standards and passes stringent skin-safety tests – critical for adoption by global apparel brands.
Integrating the process is also practical: fermentation equipment is standard in food industries, and existing cone yarn dyeing systems can be adapted for NAMI’s method. Building on the potential scalability of the laboratory work, NAMI is looking for licensees to contribute in their own way to greater sustainability in fashion and textile dyeing.
Fully integrated AI: How AiDLab’s technologies are reshaping fashion and textile manufacturing
In the global race to digitize and future-proof textile production, AiDLab stands at the intersection of creativity and precision. Led by CEO Prof. Calvin Wong, the Hong Kong-based company is pioneering AI-driven tools that support both design innovation and industrial inspection with remarkable versatility.
Unlike typical generative AI tools, “AI-based Interactive Design Assistant for Fashion System” (AiDA) is fully integrated into the traditional design process, giving fashion designers full control while amplifying their creative potential. Designers upload mood boards, sketches, fabric prints, and color palettes, which AiDA then analyzes to generate tailored design proposals.
The balance between creative freedom and intelligent assistance is a cornerstone of their approach, enabling faster, more expressive workflows.
“Every step is editable and interactive – not a black box.”
Meanwhile, on the factory floor, their tool “WiseEye“ is transforming textile inspection. This real-time AI-powered system outperforms manual inspection on both accuracy and speed. “We’re seeing up to 95% accuracy with WiseEye, compared to 50-70 % from traditional human inspection,” explains Wong. Fabric speeds of up to 35 meters per minute can now be scanned with precision. The system adapts to diverse fabric structures – from woven to knits, stripes to solids – and learns from each factory’s specific defect standards using over 200,000 trained image samples. Within just a few fabric rolls, WiseEye evolves into a tailored expert model for any production line, says Wong.
AiDA is expanding into new areas such as jewelry and fashion accessories while WiseEye is exploring to inspect printed fabrics.
From Hong Kong to global markets, AiDLab is proving that AI can be more than automation – it can be a creative and industrial catalyst for a smarter textile future.
