National Fibre, Textile and Clothing Centre (NFTCC)

As a technology partner to industry, the National Fibre, Textile and Clothing Centre (NFTCC) of CSIR Manufacturing and Materials Technology, promotes the growth and global competitiveness of the South African textile pipeline. Through awareness of relevant technological developments globally and the acquisition or development of technologies, the centre aims to be the best provider of knowledge and innovative solutions to the textile pipeline in Southern Africa. As its focus, the centre assists the textile and clothing industry to beneficiate local raw materials and achieves considerable growth across the textile pipeline. Through various cluster-related and other initiatives for wool, mohair, indigenous plant fibres, local industries are established. The centre is an initiative of the CSIR and the dti, funded by the dti trough its technology funding. The centre's active leadership role in this context is underpinned by its strong scientific and technological expertise. The centre is also developing knowledge-rich technologies and solutions for the textile pipeline through electronic databases and knowledge-based software (expert) systems, covering the processing of local natural fibres as well as technology demonstration for the local textile industries. The NFTCC provides the following; Introduce new fibre manufacturing technology to industry by means of technology; Establish links and agreements with overseas fibre based centres of excellence to incorporate fibre technologies and the transfer of know-how and skills; Offer entrepreneurial training and guidance and provide advice to the industry; Assists the industry in upgrading their technology to increase productivity and exports, and become globally competitive; Demonstrates fibre technologies so as to assist the industry in acquiring more efficient technologies and machines; Assists in the incubation of fibre technologies by providing facilities, advice, equipment and mentoring so as to increase the number of start-up SMMEs; Develop value-chain strategies linked to integrated manufacturing platform; Develop high-quality value-added products, exploiting the whole spectrum of fibre beneficiation and to exploit the market. Contact details: Centre Manager Abisha Tembo CSIR – M & Mtek PO Box 1124 Port Elizabeth 6000 Tel: +27 (41) 508 3262 E-mail: atembo@csir.co.za