The Textile Innovation Exchange (TIE) has been formed under chairman of the TIE steering board Engr Ehsanul Karim Kaiser, and member secretary Engr ASM Tareq Amin, to institutionalize innovativeness across Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry as a measurable, repeatable capability.
The first meeting of the TIE Steering Board was held on January 22 at Uttara Club, Dhaka.
With the country’s low-cost labour proposition narrowing, factories are confronting domestic financial stress, recurring power and energy disruptions, and global uncertainty alongside rising compliance costs, an inflection point that the industry’s leading trade bodies, including BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA, have repeatedly highlighted as requiring a stronger innovation mindset for survival and sustained competitiveness.
TIE positions actionable innovation as the pathway for operational survival and next-stage growth across every vertical of textile and RMG operations engaging factories, buyers and brands, professional and trade bodies, academia, tech and solution providers, national-international experts, and policymakers.
TIE has also announced its program leadership, Innovation Wing and Expo Wing to be led by Md Hasib Uddin as component director; Research Wing by Prof Engr Ayub Nabi Khan; and Self Readiness Index & Recognition Wing by Engr Saiful Islam Khan.
Other members of the TIE Steering Board include Engr Md Shamsuzzaman, Engr ATM Mahbubul Alam Milton, Engr ASM Hafizur Rahman Nixon, Engr Md Azhar Ali, and Engr Shafiur Rahman.
Meanwhile, TIE Secretariat has been formed including Trade and Innovation Economist Enamul Hafiz Latifee, and Engr Rahbar Hossain.
The Innovation Wing aims to prepare 50 factories and 500 mid-to-top professionals to build and practice an innovation culture through structured training and hands-on factory implementation.
The Research Wing will connect academia and industry to solve real factory problems through applied research and evidence-based solutions.
The Self-Readiness Index & Recognition Wing will help factories self-assess and benchmark their innovation and compliance readiness, and recognize proven achievements so good practices spread faster.
The Expo Wing will deliver Textile Innovation Expo (TIEx) that be held in the last quarter of 2026 as declared to showcase factory innovation, validated solutions, connect innovators with factories and buyers, and accelerate industry-wide adoption.
Concurrent expos, Dyeing & Printing Innovation Expo; Fiber, Yarn, Fabric Innovation Expo; Garments Innovation Expo will be held at the same time.