In recent years, the textile industry has encountered increasing challenges and is experiencing difficult times. Labeling the current situation as a “crisis” only serves as a tag, embedding this term in the public’s consciousness and influencing the minds of managers, officials, and stakeholders to refrain from further efforts. The word “crisis” automatically dissuades individuals from persevering and pursuing solutions.
Problems of the Textile Industry
The textile industry is currently grappling with a range of problems that can be examined and classified from multiple perspectives. Many of these issues can be addressed through proper management practices and the adoption of effective administrative strategies. Managerial measures, support from the private sector, and the provision of financial assistance packages are all factors that can help steer the textile industry away from the brink of crisis. Fundamentally, sustainable industries are well-equipped to overcome any crisis they face, with their accumulated experiences making them more resilient and capable of navigating challenges. Over time, these industries develop a keen ability for logical and analytical thinking, allowing them to smoothly pass through difficulties.
Managing an industry in a stable and steady state with predefined parameters is not a remarkable achievement. True skill is demonstrated when sound decisions are made amid turbulent waves coming from all directions. As industries progress toward globalization, company owners, in pursuit of greater profitability, have increasingly surrendered to externally dictated policies. This confusion has led to reduced support for domestic production, causing a significant downturn in the textile sector. The influx of low-priced products from neighboring countries has exacerbated the situation, intensifying the problems of the textile industry. Today, the government’s lack of strategic planning and modern industrial policies, as well as the absence of efforts to rebuild and develop domestic industries, has only worsened these challenges.
The Textile Crisis
The challenges of the textile industry have persisted for years, and this destructive crisis seems never-ending. The average lifespan of a factory is at most thirty years, and many factories lack modern spinning machines, weaving machines, and other advanced technological tools. The industry has become so stagnated and resistant to change that everyone simply watches as it sinks deeper, doing nothing to intervene. Textile factories close down, and workers are laid off. Foreign products quickly overtake local markets, further deepening the issues facing the textile sector.
Another significant challenge is the prolonged timeline for executing projects related to the establishment, renovation, and modernization of the industry. Often, the realization of these projects takes several years. The average time from decision-making to project implementation can extend over five years, with many initiatives requiring constant revisions and repetitions of previous cycles. This inefficiency contributes to the continuous crisis in the industry.
Categorization of the Textile Industry Crisis
The crisis and vulnerability of Iran’s textile industry can be categorized into several key areas, including:
- Lack of Industrial Research Centers
- Overbearing and Supervisory Control of the Industry
- Promotion of a Culture of Consuming Foreign Products
- Absence of Innovation
- Failure to Adopt New Technologies
- Neglect of Foreign Markets
- Implementation of Import Substitution Policies Over Export Promotion
These factors collectively contribute to the ongoing decline of the textile industry in Iran, preventing it from modernizing and competing effectively on both domestic and international fronts.
