E-23: Textiles Continues to Evolve as a Powerful NC Industry

<p>The NC State University Wilson College of Textiles uses modern technology to take textile manufacturing into the future.</p> NC State University Wilson College of Textiles <p>What does the healthcare, fashion, defense and advanced material industry have in common? They all utilize textiles as a way to invent. Long gone are the days where the word “textile” exclusively refers to woven fabric. Heart valves, cells and organs and vein grafts are now being created with the use of textiles. Institutions like the NC State University Wilson College of Textiles use cutting-edge technologies to discover innovative uses for textiles.</p> <p>Located on the NC State campus, the Wilson College of Textiles is the only one of its kind in the United States devoted entirely to textiles. In recent years, companies worldwide have used the assistance of Wilson College to begin or expand operations in North Carolina, bringing hundreds of new jobs and investing more than $100 million — mainly due to access to superior textiles education, research and development.</p> <p>The Wilson College of Textiles is a member of the North Carolina Extension Manufacturing Partnership (NCMEP) which uses federal program assistance to provide increased access to technical and management support for smaller manufacturers across the state. Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE), one of the Wilson College of Textiles’ units, works with textile manufacturers to advance economic development, educate the workforce, provide testing services, and promote quality improvement.</p> <p>Phil Mintz speaks with the associate director of Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE), Melissa Sharp. Phil and Melissa discuss how Melissa got into the textile industry, highlights of the Wilson College of Textiles’ services, some of the breakthroughs being made with textile innovation, thoughts on where the textiles industry is headed and more.</p> <p> </p> <p>LINKS <a href='https://www.ncmep.org/'>NCMEP</a></p> <p><a href='https://textiles.ncsu.edu/'>NC State University Wilson College of