Hanoi is pushing automation, AI and low-carbon production to keep its textile sector competitive as global standards tighten.
Vietnam’s textile industry is embarking on a technology and sustainability overhaul as global buyers demand higher productivity and stronger environmental compliance. The Industrial Development Centre (IDC), the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s technical arm, says it will accelerate digital transformation, link firms with technical experts and promote greener production models to keep the sector globally competitive.
At a workshop co-hosted with VITAS and Korea’s KITECH, IDC officials argued that automation is becoming unavoidable. Sewing robots, AI-powered cutting systems, smart production lines and automated line balancing are already lifting productivity and reducing reliance on labour. Digital tools — from 3D design and PLM systems to traceability platforms — are reshaping product development and supporting the shift toward circular and low-emission manufacturing.
The push comes as Vietnam must meet tougher environmental and social standards in export markets, which absorb 85% of its textile output. South Korean firms, which account for one-fifth of FDI in the sector, are playing a central role in driving the technology upgrade.
Still, sewing remains the weakest link in automation, prompting calls for hybrid approaches that blend robotics, AI vision systems and factory-specific adaptation. On the sustainability front, technologies like Cold-Pad-Batch dyeing promise steep reductions in water, energy and chemical use.
Vietnam’s presence at Fashion World Tokyo 2025 highlighted its ambitions, with firms showcasing circular materials and digital manufacturing technologies. The message is clear: to remain competitive, Vietnam’s textile sector must modernise, digitalise and decarbonise — simultaneously.
