Tech trends 2019
From opinionated robots to the frictionless flow of data between departments, here are the key tech movements that are likely to transform the way we work.
2019年技術趨勢
從固執己見的機器人到部門之間的數據順暢流通，下面是有可能改變我們工作方式的關鍵技術變革：自動化與人工智能、人類接口、物聯網、智慧城市、數字企業、區塊鏈、網絡風險、靈活的勞動力、數字人才、智能決策興起。
https://www.theguardian.com/delivering-digital-transformation/2018/dec/06/10-tech-trends-and-innovations-for-2019
Key sustainability trends for 2019:
what consumers expect from fashion brands
It is impossible to deny the impact of the fashion industry on the environment. More than 16 million tons of textile waste are generated each year in the United States alone, and the amount has doubled over the last 20 years, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. In the UK, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates 140 million pounds’ worth of clothing end up in landfills every year.
2019年關鍵可持續發展趨勢：
消費者對時尚品牌的期望
時尚行業對環境的影響無法否認。根據美國環境保護署的數據，僅僅在美國每年就產生1600萬噸紡織廢物，過去20年，廢物量翻了一番。在英國，廢物與資源行動計劃組估計，價值1.4億英磅的衣物每年都填埋掉了。
https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/key-sustainability-trends-for-2019-what-consumers-expect-from-fashion-brands/2019040242509
Innovation Drives Influence
The countries that global citizens view as the most influential are also leaders in innovation and technology. There is an 87 percent correlation between political influence and innovation, and a 73 percent correlation between a country's perceived economic influence and its technological expertise. Japan, viewed as the most innovative country, moved up three spots to the No. 2 Best Country in 2019.
創新驅動影響力
全球公民認為最具影響力的國家也是創新與技術的領袖。政治影響力和創新有87%的相關性，一個國家的經濟影響力與技術實力有73%的相關性。日本是公認的最有創造力的國家，在2019年的榜單中上升了3位，名列第二。
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/10-interesting-facts-from-the-best-countries-report
Textile Industry 2019 View Trends, Analysis and Statistics
Reportlinker.com offers immediate download access to top market reports on the Textile Industry.
2019年紡織行業，趨勢展望、分析與數據
Reportlinker.com提供頂尖紡織行業市場報告的下載鏈接。
https://www.reportlinker.com/market-report/Textile/509048/Textile?utm_expid=10280700-49.nYk9PX5kTRu0bfe5YVVQQg.0
Poland’s fashion exports to Europe increase
In 2010 Poland initiated a modernisation plan for its clothing industry through which it managed to create a niche in proximity sourcing and gained a position as a textile hub. This was achieved owing to geographical position, the modernisation of its industry and its low wages (reports MDS).
波蘭對歐洲的時尚出口增加
2010年，波蘭針對服裝行業啟動了一項現代化計劃，得以在臨近采購上創造利基市場，獲得紡織業樞紐的地位。這種地位也得益于其地理位置、行業的現代化和低工資。
https://www.textilemedia.com/latest-news/textiles-eastern-europe/poland-s-fashion-exports-to-europe-increase/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=General enewsletter April 2019&utm_content=General enewsletter April 2019+CID_2c8b632be569536c7d53ec58167f098e&utm_source=Campaign Monitor&utm_term=Read more
A GLOBAL TROTTING AMBASSADOR
Michael Pirkotsch, Business Development Manager at TANATEX, has seen a lot of the world. His 40 year-career in chemical textiles is filled with cultural changes, technological developments and good stories.
Michael Pirkotsch clearly incorporates the TANATEX mindset: hardworking, enthusiastic about science but ever modest. During the interview, Michael draws a vivid picture of a textile professional that favours passion over status and cannot be impressed by cultural differences. It’s this world view that has shaped his career and made it so easy to work abroad. But where did it all begin? How did the chemical textiles industry change over time? And how did Michael deal with the changes in Bayer and TANATEX? “I wanted to be part of their transformation; they were so innovative and that suited me,” he says.
From school boy to chemical lab assistant
Michael didn’t start off as the Global Business Development Manager he is today. Forty years ago, he stepped into the Bayer lab as a 15-year old, to work on a school project. “I’ve been interested in science since I can remember,” Michael says. “I was an outdoor boy, always climbing and hiking. And I was fascinated by chemistry, because of the chemical reactions and explosions.” His penchant for chemistry and science was quickly spotted, and Michael was hired by Bayer as a chemical lab assistant.
“The chemical industry used to be very different,” Michael remembers. “People smoked in the laboratory in the 70s!” Rules and procedures didn’t rule the lab and the most important safety rule was common sense. Although he’s safety-conscious, Michael still supports this way of thinking. “Before anything else, you have to understand chemistry to be able to work with it,” he explains. “Admittedly, safety was less regulated back then, so we were all taught to be aware of the dangers ourselves. This freedom kept the creative juices flowing and it really helped us in the development of innovative products.” Michael feels that we might have become too strict in today’s labs. “Which is weird, as household chemistry is way more dangerous!”, he says laughing.
The road to textiles and TANATEX
Michael’s career is shaped by a series of choices. After spending five years in the chemical lab, he started at the real research department, where he really started working with chemical reactions. He then switched to the R&D department, where he focused on textiles, pre-treatment in particular. Here, he worked on the invention of products such as scouring and wetting agents. A textile chemist was born. In 2004, Michael had to decide to stay at Bayer or switch to TANATEX. He chose to take control over his career and joined TANATEX. Michael explains: “I wanted to be part of their transformation; they were so innovative and that suited me”.
Cross border chemistry
In 2009, Michael’s job brought him to the other side of the world. He was asked to go to Shanghai as a technical sales developer for a pre-treatment/OBA project. TANATEX wanted to improve business in China and needed someone to guide the process on premise. Excited? “Of course.” Scared? “Not at all.” When asked why not, Michael explains: “I was self-motivated. I really wanted to go. I’d never go abroad to climb the career ladder, it doesn’t work that way.” Michael chose to go for the experience only. He didn’t have a hard time adjusting to the Chinese culture, he says. “The trick lies in taking things as they come,” is his simple explanation. “In Asia, you need to be highly flexible and selfstarting. Do things don’t go as planned? Deal with it. Do you want to get something done? Just do it.”
It’s this attitude of flexibility and self-motivation that made it so easy for Michael to switch countries. He also lived in Thailand for three years, where he helped start up the new TANATEX plant. “Those were exciting times!” he recalls. “There, I joined the traditional Thai ceremonies from the first start, together with people from the local community, which was really special.”
Business the Asian way
Despite of the many national differences, Asian countries do have similar ways of doing business, and it’s of a different kind to Europe. “You have to build a relationship first”, Michael explains. “It’s not that Asian people don’t like companies from abroad, they even like European businesses for their high-quality standards. But they’ll always need you to be a trusted partner first. At the time, most Asian people didn’t speak English. We needed translators, and real good ones too, and ones you can trust. In the end it’s really not that different from doing business in Europe.”
What about today?
After so many years of travelling and changing countries, Michael now works from the TANATEX head office in the Netherlands. It’s a welcome change, he says. “The air is cleaner, and it’s quieter than a 24-million city such as Shanghai.” He’s not done with Asia, though. Michael now uses his international experience to support his colleagues in their communication with Asian clients.
“In China, you get one shot. They don’t believe in promises and you have to deliver”, he says. “I’m glad that I can use the experience I gained during my work abroad to help TANATEX getting a foothold in the Asian market.”
Solid chemistry
Apart from building cultural bridges, Michael also has another mission, which is the mentoring of young chemists. “I remember that in the end of the 90s, almost an entire business unit was retiring and all of their experience and knowledge with them, which was disastrous!” Michael recalls. Today, history seems to repeat itself. “Young chemists are highly needed and they’re scarcer than ever”, Michael says. “The textile industry is changing fast, so we need people that can keep up with today’s development pace.” He explains that today, availability is a plant’s most important challenge, which is why they work with several suppliers to keep everything up and running. “We therefore shouldn’t aim to be the only supplier; we should aim to become the very best there is.” When asked how, Michael doesn’t have to think long: “Before anything else, we need new people and teach them solid chemistry.”
一位全球疾走的大使
拓納業務發展經理Michael Pirkotsch走遍了世界很多地方，他40年紡織化學品的職業生涯也充滿了文化變化、技術發展和有趣的故事。
Michael Pirkotsch已經融入了拓納的思維：努力工作、對科學充滿熱情、總是保持謙虛。在采訪中，Michael 為我們生動刻畫了這樣一位紡織專業人士，對熱情的熱愛勝過地位，文化差異不會讓他舉步維艱。正是這樣的世界觀塑造了他的職業生涯，也讓他非常適應在國外工作。但一切從何而來？紡織化學品行業隨著時間流逝又是如何變化的？Michael是如何應對拜耳和拓納的變動的？“我想成為轉型的一部分；他們這么有創新性，適合我，”他說。
從學童到實驗室助理
Michael一開始并不是擔任全球業務發展經理這個職位。40年前，他踏進拜耳實驗室才15歲，做一個學校項目。“自從記事以來我就對科學很感興趣，”Michael說，“我是個喜歡戶外活動的男孩，不是爬山就是遠足。我對化學也十分著迷，就因為各位化學反應和爆炸。”Michael對化學和科學的興趣很快就被發現了，拜耳雇傭他為化學實驗室助理。
“化學行業過去非常不一樣，”Michael回憶道，“70年代的時候人們竟然在實驗室里抽煙！”規則和程序并不能管理實驗室，但最重要的安全規則是常識。盡管他有安全意識，他仍然支持這樣的思考方式：“在做任何之前，你必須了解化學原理才能有應對方案，”他解釋說，“說實在的，安全過去沒有那么規范，所以我們都被教導要自己注意防范危險。這種自由也會讓創新性的想法迸發出來，真正幫助我們開發創新性的產品。”Michael感覺如今的實驗室可能太嚴格了，“奇怪的是，家庭中的化學反應要危險多了！”，他笑著說道。
邁向紡織品和拓納的路程
Michael的職業生涯由一系列選擇構成。在化學實驗室工作5年后，他開始在真正的研究部門工作，真正接觸化學反應。然后調崗到研發部門，他主要關注的是紡織品，尤其是前處理，這里他參與研發的產品有精煉和潤濕劑。一位紡織化學人員由此誕生。2004年，Michael面臨留在拜耳還是調往拓納的決定。后來他選擇自己掌握自己的職業生涯，加入了拓納。他解釋說：“我想成為轉型的一部分；他們這么有創造性，適合我。”
跨國界的化學
2009年，Michael的工作把他帶到了世界的另一端。他要去上海工作，作為技術銷售研發人員，專攻前處理/熒光增白劑項目。拓納當時需要擴展在中國的業務，因此需要人員在當地指導工作。興奮？“那當然。”害怕？“一點也不。”問到原因，他解釋：“我是自我激勵型的人。我真的想去。我到國外去，從來不是尋求晉升，不是那樣子。”Michael選擇去中國僅僅是為了經歷。他適應中國文化非常順暢，“技巧在于隨遇而安，”他簡單解釋說，“在亞洲，你需要非常靈活，敢為人先。做事情不按照計劃來？適應一下。如果想做成什么事情？盡管去做。”
正是這種靈活和自我驅動的態度讓Michael可以在不同國家之間自如切換。他還在泰國生活了3年，他幫助設立了拓納泰國工廠。“那是令人興奮的時光！”他回憶說，“在那里，我一開始就和當地人參加了傳統的泰國節日慶典，真的非常特別。”
亞洲為商之道
盡管亞洲國家之間也有許多差異，但為商之道類似，且和歐洲是不同類型的。“你先要建立關系，”Michael解釋說，“并不是亞洲人不喜歡國外的公司，他們甚至因為高質量標準而喜歡歐洲公司，但他們需要你先成為值得信任的伙伴。那時候大多數亞洲人不會說英語。我們需要翻譯，真正的好翻譯，可以信任的翻譯。說到底，和在歐洲做業務也沒有那么不一樣。”
如今怎么樣？
在不同國家工作生活多年后，Michael現在在荷蘭拓納總部工作。這是一個值得歡迎的變化，他說，“空氣更清新，比上海這樣2400萬人的城市更安靜。”他和亞洲的聯系還在繼續。現在他會憑借國際化的經驗，在同事與亞洲客戶溝通中提供支持。
“在中國，通常你只有一次機會。他們不相信承諾，你得交貨才行，”他說，“我高興的是，可以利用海外的工作經驗幫助拓納在亞洲市場立足。”
堅實的化學知識
除了建立文化橋梁外，Michael還有一項使命，就是指導年輕的化學人員。“我記得在90年代末，一個業務單元的人都退休了，他們的知識和經驗都隨之走了，這是災難性的！” Michael回憶。如今，歷史似乎在重復上演。“年輕的化學人員非常需要，比以往任何時候都緊俏”，他說，“紡織行業變化迅速，我們需要能跟上今天發展步伐的人。”他解釋，目前供應是一家工廠最重要的挑戰，這也是為什么他們要找好幾家供應商來確保一切正常運轉。“我們不用成為唯一的供應商；但我們要努力成為最好的供應商。”如何做？他思考一會就回答說：“在一切之前，我們需要新人，向他們傳授堅實的化學知識。”
