Dr. Rezal: I remember when I visited Iran in 2013. They faced sanctions due to global rights issues, forcing them to focus on domestic resources and self-reliance. This led to the production of electronic devices and materials at a lower cost through creativity. This principle can be applied to the fashion industry, where people are encouraged to reuse and remanufacture old materials for future use. This is known as a forced transition. This drastic measure requires courage and can be achieved through education and setting parameters for sustainable materials in every product.
Over time, this will become the norm in the industry, influencing consumer behavior and leading to a sustainable future. However, this requires courage and the ability to adapt to changing consumer behavior.
Dr. Rezal: Well, the fact that we were able to successfully spin out NanoTextile. This shows how dedicated we are to the textile sector with our joint partnership with Nanopac. Our dedication to ensuring the textile industry’s long-term viability is reflected in NanoMalaysia’s success in the NanoCommerce sector. This is our first step into the textile sector, and we intend to offer value by investigating the many textile technologies available.
Having this nanocoated solution that is anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-odor opens up a lot of possibilities for nanotextiles beyond what they are doing now. Personally, I’d also like to see nanotextiles make more of an effort to incorporate technologies that are wearable and have electronic sensors, like smart textiles. Apparel that can be concealed beneath the radar system for easy movement, which the military can greatly benefit from. These are essential, and one hopes that they can inspire the company to branch out in new directions in order to establish a more long-term strategy than what they’ve got going on now.
Dr. Rezal: So, as mentioned earlier, we’re looking into smart textile wearables and such. At the same time, we want all our investments to employ recyclable waste material. For example, part of our biomass investments involves converting palm oil into microcellulose. The process involved spinning nanocellulose into a textile or fabric and combining it into NanoTextile solutions to generate a 360-degree sustainability circularity from waste to wealth. It will paint a stunning picture of NanoTextile to maximize this sector’s market potential.
We also seek novel ways to utilize industrial, residential, and plantation waste in mainstream textile and apparel industries. However, it will cause additional economic disruption because waste is usually thrown away and considered worthless. Companies and organizations will consider how to develop new wealth creation, entrepreneurship, and other ecosystems. As we can see now, people make biodiesel from discarded oil. Some useful ones are being converted into sustainable aviation fuel. Maybe you’ve heard in 2022 about the Malaysian Airlines operating flights to Singapore using fuel made from renewable waste and cooking oil.
Dr. Rezal: If you look at the energy we have, subdivide by cloth source and origin. You must ensure that the textile originates from renewable, biomass, or sustainable sources.
So the whole process must be looked at and technology used to ensure that it is green and no chemicals are released into the environment. Thus, the green process allows for innovation to ensure a clean end-to-end process. Every manufacturing process is energy intensive, so you must make sure that sustainable practices are embedded throughout the evolution. The raw material must be clean or sustainable, the processes itself must be short in order to reduce energy used.
We examine the end-to-end process to assess how to develop a sustainable textile sector. Innovators from industry and academia struggle to acknowledge that the solution may not be ready today, yet these public pronouncements can be leveraged.
Dr. Rezal: You’ve probably heard about ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). Most banks and investment authorities now consider these factors before investing in businesses because people are more aware of the need to maintain our environment for the long run. It’s obvious that businesses can’t exist without the people and the environment.
If people perish, and trees, rivers, and clean air are absent, how can we do business? We must invest in the environment first to secure sustainable profit. Once you have a place and time, business becomes feasible.
There is a widespread fallacy regarding sustainable practices, especially with advanced materials. Individuals often pursue a greenwashing agenda in the name of sustainability. For example, a company may invest in environmentally friendly initiatives and then declare itself sustainable. However, sustainability goes deeper than window dressing. It should be ingrained in a company’s culture, behavior, processes, and business model.
Back to the concept of people, planet, and profit. Incorporating this strategy is very essential. Nanotechnology began with precise atomic and molecular manipulation of materials. Scientists and engineers started nanotechnology because of precision and waste reduction. If you could make things atomically, there would be no waste. Because you can monitor everything at the atomic and molecular level. It becomes more precise and improves efficiency, consumes less energy, waste less, and has higher productivity.
For example, lubricant reduces more friction, more energy per kilogramme in the battery, Everything consumed may be recycled in a circular economy. This method will increase yield, output, energy efficiency, and sustainability. This is how we can link improved material nanotechnology to sustainability because nanotech is about accuracy. So that’s the entire green value chain. Nanotechnology was created to boost efficiency and sustainability.
Dr. Rezal: The principles of nanotechnology can be implemented in various procedures. From a technical standpoint, lean methods enhance efficiency, which also applies to people management. For example, to drive an organization, I would use nanotechnology principles.
I call it the bottom-up approach. Building the perfect material requires choosing the right atom. Graphite cannot be made from silicon; instead, carbon is required. After choosing the right atom, structure it correctly. Water needs two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Knowing what to use and how to mix it correctly, at the right temperature, it will become safe water.
Similarly, in an organization, you need to utilize the right ideas and structure to achieve your goals. This is how you can apply scientific principles to management. Ingenuity is required to apply scientific insights to human management. For instance, a strong organization with good practices needs a strong core, which is the nucleus. The nucleus needs the right elements: appropriate people, chemistry, and so on. It takes time to develop, and your learning curve is ongoing. Sometimes you try a new combination and it doesn’t work, so you try again. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
It is a process of learning, much like material science. I apply these principles in daily management and life to build a sustainable way.
Dr. Rezal: When you look at the costs and benefits, having more things to manage will always cost more. Yes, of course.
But instead of focusing solely on the costs, you should also consider the benefits. Why should it be worth it? If you view sustainable practices as extra work that hurts your bottom line, you will ultimately make less money. However, by adopting sustainable practices, you give your business more time to thrive. In the long run, there will be more revenue coming in for the company than what is spent on short-term gains, leading to financial success.
In order to do that while still being sustainable, you need to think about the long run. Long-term viability is important. For example, people can handle a longer source of income better. If you believe in this approach, you would agree because this is about the longevity of your business.