Day 3 of the ongoing 17th Garmentech, at Bashundhara International Convention Centre in Dhaka (Bangladesh), was expected to be the busiest day being a Friday. Though the aisles were crowded, the day did not fulfil its latent promise as not many of the big bosses and decision-makers showed up. However, teams from top groups like Rising, Univogue, Beximco, DBL Group, Indus Apparel and Pearl Group visited the garment technology expo on Day 3.
Few buying offices were also seen visiting the booths and understanding new technology. Many students from local institutes also tapped on the opportunity to get the feel of the industry that they would enter a few years later.
Apparel Resources observed that the discussion centred around training and the importance of supporting technology at many booths, with the right type of services. All the technology providers admitted that the industry is now investing in creating manpower for the future and more and more local resources are being trained to replace foreign expats in critical operations. This is a positive trend and shows that the industry is maturing.
Further, one more sign that the Bangladesh garment industry is moving in the right direction is the growing number of companies going in for ERP and other management tools to streamline operations. Software solutions are receiving great attention at the four-day fair. The acceptance of such solutions has encouraged Stage Ecotech Software to open an office in Bangladesh to better service the many enquires that it has received not only at the event but in the last 6 months, it told Apparel Resources.
At Garmentech 2018, technology providers have come up with new and improved features that add perks to their offerings for a market which is demanding automation. Gerber Technology is one such name that with its strong R&D back up enhances the value being offered by them. The latest feature which is grabbing everyone’s attention at the event is the Knife Replacement System in Gerber’s Paragon Cutter.
Usually, in a cutting system, knife replacement takes a lot of time but Gerber’s Ever Sharp technology allows to replace the knife sharpening stones (grinding stones), clean and then insert the stone again in less than 2 minutes, damn quick!
Intelligent automation is another trend that can be seen emerging in the Bangladesh market. Gerber too uses the concept of Artificial Intelligence in its Paragon Cutter. Its KERI (Knowledge Experience and Reference Interface) tech learns from the user and understands how he/she operates and after some time, the user can rely on the technology’s in-built ‘intelligence’ to guide through any cutting task.
Additionally, the concurrent Gapexpo is also full of accessory suppliers that are geared up to support the garment industry with the latest trims and embellishments. One-year-old Adzi Trims is a striking example of the proactiveness of the accessory industry to match the growth plans of the garment export sector. The company has focused only on those products that are not easily available in Bangladesh or still have to be imported.
Similarly, the other well-established accessory manufacturers are investing to stay relevant to the industry with new products. Further, there are special efforts being made to be socially and environmentally compliant, not only to get nominations but to keep pace with the industry trends.
Now, Day 4 is expected to see some serious business negotiations between the buyers and the exhibitors. Apparel Resources will share the concluding report of the shows with you soon. Watch this space for updates!
