Water-Jet Market Position and Geographic Concentration
topic
Water-jet weaving is geographically concentrated in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China where the technology has maintained a strong installed base for polyester and nylon filament fabric production from historical technology adoption patterns and the local synthetic fabric market structure, with Japanese loom manufacturers Tsudakoma and Toyota producing the majority of water-jet looms, and with the global installed base estimated at 100000 to 150000 machines concentrated in East Asian production centres.
Role
Maps the geographic and market structure of water-jet weaving that reflects historical technology adoption decisions in the East Asian synthetic fabric industry, with the concentration of water-jet in Japan and its export markets reflecting the technology's establishment in the regional synthetic textile industry before air-jet adoption, and with the continued competitiveness of water-jet in its established markets reflecting the installed base investment and operational expertise that makes replacement by air-jet economically unattractive for many East Asian operators.