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The challenges to military and first responder personnel have considerably changed over the last few decades. Complex environments which consist of multiple threats also impose larger demands to personal protective clothing and equipment. As military and first responder personnel not only need to be protected, but also to perform their work, the development of their clothing and equipment is challenging. This paper serves as an overview of the issues that currently exist in protective clothing and equipment for these groups, addresses the most important needs, and aims to signal trends in this area, to provide input for research and development.

Examines the twelfth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.