Newly founded knitted products company Future Textiles Ltd is planning a future in technical textiles and is already developing and manufacturing products for healthcare and personal protective equipment applications.

Future Textiles was set up in April this year by Aidan Tracey a former Remploy Manufacturing Director who has over thirty years knitwear manufacturing experience. In a national shake-up of its UK manufacturing operations, Remploy closed a number of factories earlier this year and Aidan purchased a group of thirty of the company’s Stoll and Shima Seiki flat knitting machines in 5, 7 and 10 gauges.

The company currently manufactures a range of standard flat knitted products but is developing products for new markets together with a number of strategic partners. Current joint developments with University of Manchester spinout Engineered Fibre Structures Ltd, include flat knitted medical devices and a range of heatable knitted products for industrial and healthcare markets.

Future Textile’s strategy is to develop new technologies and products with partners, which can be protected to deliver competitive advantage, whilst manufacturing in the UK. The company is open to discussions on collaborative product and market development.