AI supporting the weaving mill – FOV Fabrics explores new ways of working in an innovation sprint

How can AI create real value in textile production? In an innovation sprint with Tech Borås, FOV Fabrics explored how digital technology can support their weaving mill – while also laying the foundation for a long-term journey towards greater digital maturity.

For Fredrik Johansson, Business Developer at FOV Fabrics, the innovation sprint was an obvious step forward:

“The future of textile production relies on digital competence. In the textile industry, we need to work with IT and across disciplines to stay competitive.”

FOV Fabrics has been developing and manufacturing technical woven fabrics in Borås since the 1960s, covering everything from design and research to weaving, dyeing, coating and finishing. Today, they produce over 10 million square metres annually and supply high-performance, sustainable textiles to customers worldwide. With a strong drive to continuously evolve and learn, they quickly recognised AI as a natural next step.

“We wanted to move quickly from talk to action and start learning by doing. Joining an innovation sprint was a great way to kickstart that learning,” says Fredrik.

Can AI and humans work together through a digital weaving expert?

From the outset, there was a clear ambition: to explore how AI could create value in weaving production. The idea was to develop an AI-based “weaving expert” to support operators, reduce errors and streamline processes. However, early in the prototype phase, the plan was reassessed.

“We initially thought we would share knowledge broadly with machine operators, but that could have led to inconsistent machine settings and uneven quality. Instead, we shifted focus to service technicians – a smaller group where we could create more consistency,” Fredrik explains.

A journey that requires courage and persistence

The willingness to rethink proved to be a strength in itself – saving time, resources and creating a clearer path forward. The sprint was not just about technology, but about building digital maturity. This includes working more data-driven while developing patience and resilience.

“AI is not a quick fix. On an individual level, progress can be fast, but in an organisation it’s a long journey that requires persistence,” Fredrik notes.

For FOV Fabrics, the sprint marks the first step towards a future where digital competence is just as important as machinery expertise in textile production.

“We need to become almost 100 per cent digital to remain competitive.”

From AI support in weaving to data-driven dye recipes

The work on the weaving expert laid the groundwork for further development, enabling FOV Fabrics to identify new needs and use cases for AI. The next step was their dyeing processes, with the aim of developing data-driven dye recipes. The same principles are also being explored for digital printing. Two additional prototypes were developed as part of this work. Along the way, the team gained new insights into how data can improve quality and reduce errors – and how important it is to start small in order to learn.

“We already have prototypes and the foundation for new solutions, but most importantly, we’ve built knowledge that allows us to take the next step. This is an ongoing journey, and we can already see how it is changing the way we think,” says Fredrik.

Interdisciplinary collaboration as a strength

A key success factor has been the collaboration between FOV Fabrics, Tech Borås and the University of Borås.

“Bringing together textiles and IT is extremely important for the industry. This project shows that it is possible to create tangible solutions when working together,” Fredrik says.

He envisions a future where digitalisation and automation are an integral part of production.

“In a few years, I hope we’ll have robots taking over certain tasks. That’s the next big step.”

This is one example of the work carried out at Tech Borås in 2025.
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