Polymeric protective technical textiles The current size of the personal protective clothing and equipment market in the EU alone is estimated at € 9.5 10 billion with around 200 000 jobs directly or indirectly related to these products and services. The fast growth forecasted in certain parts of the world suggests that EU exports could grow by about 50% over the next 5 10 years. New fibres and new functionality will increase the global size of this niche market. Among the issues of specific concern for protective textiles are swifter development and use of international standards in the global market which combined with appropri