Flex and MAS Holdings are working together to develop new wearable technology.
The sketch-to-scale solutions provider and technology apparel design-to-delivery provider partnered up to create new wearable technology that accelerates the Intelligence of Things into clothing and fosters the interactions between people and technology. Both companies will preview their new wearable technology at the WT Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco this week.
“Global partnerships have always played a key role in MAS’ success, helping us move into new frontiers in process, product and technology. This exciting collaboration with Flex is the next iteration, enabling us to work together by integrating technology into apparel and delivering revolutionary products to the consumer,” said MAS Holdings chairman Mahesh Amalean.
The partnership focuses on three goals. Developing new technologies that will allow both companies to work together on creating next-generation wearables and smart clothing, while establishing innovations in fabrics, textiles and technology. Bringing new products to market is another goal. Both providers will collaborate on sketch-to-scale product development at the design stages, to bring a simplified development process to apparel brands that want to integrate wearable technology. Streamlining processes will better supply chain efficiency as well for production, procurement and distribution.
Mike Dennison, president of the consumer technologies group at Flex, explained that MAS Holdings is also working with Flex on Lumo Run, a wearable technology product which will debut at the end of 2016.
“In addition to being a leading innovator in textiles and apparel, MAS has been a valued partner on many previous wearables projects Flex has worked on, including the Lumo Run product, launching later this year,” Dennison said. “We are looking forward to further expanding our relationship, and collaborating on accelerating innovation in the wearables technology market.”
Smart clothing product Lumo Run combines fashion, function and technology for athletes. The device clips onto activewear clothing to “coach” the user about physical body movements while running. Lumo Run’s wearable technology is based on sports biomechanics research on distance running from UK’s Loughborough University. Flex, Lumo Bodytech and MAS Holdings are currently working on Lumo Run’s pending launch, set for later this year.