The Textile Technology Business Center (TTBC), a one-stop resource center and knowledge hub for the textile industry, was inaugurated at BGMEA Complex in Dhaka on November 20.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Anne van Leeuwen, Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh Winne Estrup Petersen, and IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal Martin Holtmann inaugurated TTBC at the Centre of Innovation, Efficiency and Occupational Safety and Health (CEOSH). 

TTBC aims at becoming the country’s leading knowledge hub for the textile industry by offering a dedicated platform for knowledge exchange, access to specialized information on resource efficiency, and business-to-business linkages with local and international technology suppliers for the textile industry.  

There is a need for reliable information on resource efficiency technologies and technology suppliers to increase the competitiveness of the textile sector in Bangladesh, and to transition towards complex manufacturing and away from the current business model which relies heavily on basic cotton items.

TTBC will contribute towards building the capacity of the center and transition for sustained growth and competitiveness of the textile industry.

In his welcome remarks BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said, Bangladesh is strongly focusing on moving beyond basic items with high-value products while placing utmost importance to sustainability and innovation to maintain sustainable growth of the RMG industry. 

Since sustainability can help the industry going forward, the Textile Technology Business Center as a knowledge hub for the industry will play a crucial role in this transformation, he added.

Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Anne van Leeuwen lauded the resilience of the RMG industry and stressed the importance of innovative endeavors such as the TTBC which will contribute to making the industry competitive and sustainable in the post-LDC era.

Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh Winne Estrup Petersen said that sustainability must be in the DNA of any successful business, and highlighted the role the public sector will play in the transformation from aid dependency to increasing trade.

IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal Martin Holtmann appreciated the role BGMEA plays in the RMG industry as a spearhead. He highlighted the importance of producing high-value products for the sustained competitiveness of the RMG industry.

TTBC is established to address the critical need for a credible knowledge center for the textile industry in association with IFC’s Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT II) program, supported by the government of Denmark through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh.

The launch of the TTBC in BGMEA’s high-tech Innovation Center will open possibilities for expanding its research and training offerings to include resource efficiency consulting services and lay the groundwork for continued operations of the center beyond the end of the PACT program.

PaCT program manager, Ms. Nishat Shahid Chowdhury was also present at the event along with representatives from the embassies of the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as representatives from BGMEA and IFC.