Sports Science Seminar - Unleashing the Creative Potential: Textiles as Catalysts for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Commercialization
Supporting the below United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:支持以下聯合國可持續發展目標：支持以下联合国可持续发展目标：
The field of textiles has long been associated with creativity, craftsmanship, and functional aesthetics. However, in an era of rapid technological advancements and ever-changing demands in various applications, it becomes imperative to reimagine the potential of textiles, a kind of soft material, beyond traditional applications. By emphasizing the power of its interdisciplinary collaboration, this talk, using Prof. Li Li’s research examples, delves into how textiles can revolutionize the creative industry, drive commercial success, and unlock new opportunities for different sectors.
Textiles are a versatile and powerful tool for creative design, offering a wide range of possibilities for designers and researchers across various disciplines. They can evoke emotions and tell stories through their tactile qualities, allowing for immersive and interactive experiences. Textiles can also provide opportunities for experimentation and innovation, with advancements in smart technology, material science, and sustainable design pushing the boundaries of traditional textile techniques and applications in fields like design, healthcare, agriculture, archaeology, and electronics. Moreover, the role of textiles in fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and creative professionals can stimulate innovative thinking and encourage cross-pollination of ideas. By nurturing a supportive ecosystem, the commercialization of textile innovations can accelerate and create a thriving creative industry.
Prof. Li LI is a Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Director of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited, Director of Research Center of SMART FiberTech, Chief Editor of Journal of Design Intelligence, Technical Expert under the New Industrialisation and Technology Training Programme (NITTP), and the Fellow of Royal Society of Arts. Prior to joining HKUST, Prof. Li was the Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Chinese Culture and Creative Design in the School of Fashion and Textiles at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. During her time in PolyU, she was also the Founding Director of China Resources-PolyU Joint Research Institute for Carbon Neutral New Materials, Director of PolyU Technology and Consultancy Co. Limited, and Associate Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research. In her early age, she gained valuable industry experience working in the creative sector of Shenzhen and Hong Kong for over 7 years.
Prof. Li’s research has expanded the potential of fibers, a distinctively soft material, beyond their traditional applications into a versatile and powerful interdisciplinary tool benefitting designers and researchers across various disciplines. The design engineering of fibers enables tactile qualities that can evoke emotions and storytelling, allowing for immersive and interactive experiences which can revolutionize the creative industry, drive commercial success, and unlock new opportunities for different sectors. Her adoption of design thinking has also provided opportunities to experiment and innovate in areas such as smart technology, material science, and sustainable design that have found practical value for the domains of design, healthcare, agriculture, archaeology, electronics and lifestyle etc. Furthermore, her research has had successful industrialization and commercialization outcomes on an international scale.