INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

ON

JUTE GEOTEXTILES – TECHNICAL POTENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS

At

HOTEL HYATT REGENCY

KOLKATA

ON

5^th and 6^th   APRIL, 2008

Two–day International Workshop on

JUTE GEOTEXTILES – TECHNICAL POTENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS

 05 – 06 April, 2008
  
Hotel Hyatt Regency, Kolkata

Background

Geotextiles embracing both man-made and natural geotextiles have been accepted the world over as potent technical textiles to address a host of soil-related problems in civil engineering. Man-made geotextiles occupy the lion’s share of the global market at present-about 96% of the total demand, while natural geotextiles such as Jute Geotextiles (JGT) wield only an insignificant control over the market in comparison—a meager 1%. In view of the increasing concerns about environment, there is a palpable leaning on JGT in the world market. Unquestionably JGT has a high potential among natural geotextiles because of its distinctive attributes such as spinnability, drapability, hygroscopicity and initial tensile strength. Admittedly the potential of JGT has not been effectively exploited so far. 

In previous studies conducted on JGT, the emphasis was frequently on assessing the suitability of a particular type of JGT for a specific application. The aspect of designing a particular type of JGT in keeping with the site-specific parameters was not given due importance. The aspects of marketability, quality assurance, production and standardization were also not considered objectively. It is for this reason International Jute Study Group (IJSG) has proposed to develop a project on “Development & Application of Potentially Important Jute Geotextiles” for which the financial support from Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) was requested.

Prior to developing the final design of such a project, it was considered advisable to seek the opinions and suggestions of a broad range of experts and stakeholders through a workshop. This event is expected to contribute to the identification of the constraints and bottlenecks that stand in the way of wider acceptability of JGT in the producing and developed countries. It is thus strongly felt that there should be a sound application-specific and site-based design and development of JGT with stress on applications in the areas of erosion control and rural road strengthening. There should be exchange of views regarding marketing priorities based on the demand of JGT (application-wise) and capability of the manufacturers to supply the desired type and quality of JGT. The inputs generated in the workshop will help fine-tune the project on JGT as stated. IJSG wants that the proposed project on JGT should be different from the previous projects fundamentally in approach.

With the aforesaid perspective in view, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and the International Jute Study Group (IJSG) in collaboration with Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC) are hosting the two-day Workshop to have thorough discussions among key stakeholders in the supply chain along with the experts of jute geotextiles especially involved in the field of soil management and rural road construction in Bangladesh/India and find out/ identify actual difficulties/ bottlenecks in its wider applications in the producing countries as well as developed countries.

All the stakeholders would be benefited from sharing of information and interactions amongst each other. The outcome of the workshop would be beneficial and helpful to all the actors in the supply chain of JGT and may thus facilitate in addressing the important issues currently prevailing in the JGT sector.

Purpose

The Workshop will focus on an exchange on the perceived and actual technical and commercial advantages of JGT, including the aspects of quality assurance and standardization, technical constraints in production and preparation of a strategic policy on marketing the products. In doing so, it will ascertain the views of the importers and users as well as the reaction of the manufacturers for ensuring its increasing marketability. It will, in fact, be a stakeholders’ program with the objective to ascertain their considered views and suggestions to popularize the natural technical textile for incorporation in the proposed project on JGT.

The workshop is expected to be highly participatory and interactive in nature, facilitating the bringing together of inputs and experiences from diverse stakeholders including policy makers, resource organizations, R&D institutions, manufacturing industry/mills, engineers /engineering departments /agencies, private/public users, traders/marketing people etc. In turn, this will facilitate a mutually agreed upon set of objectives to be achieved through a common platform.

More integration in the interests among the manufacturers, researchers, suppliers, end users etc. including different govt. agencies, regulatory bodies, all other stakeholders involved in the supply chain of the products and shifting of their mindset are likely to be developed.

Objectives

Assemble key stakeholders in the whole supply chain like producers, manufacturers, suppliers/traders, end-users etc. including experts, regulatory bodies, government agencies, associated with Jute Geotextiles, in a workshop so that through discussions / interactions problems and prospects related to production, performance, standard and specification, market demand/ requirements etc. for wider applications of JGTs in the field of soil erosion control and rural road construction may be identified.

Target audience

Experts, decision makers, regulatory bodies along with the stakeholders involved in the production, manufacturing, supply, quality assurance, field application, marketing & trading of JGT of Bangladesh, India & Europe will participate in the workshop. For example,

• Jute promoting bodies
• Relevant R&D organizations
• Academics engaged in basic & applied research on various types of geotextiles
• Representatives from concerned user Engineering Departments/ Organizations /Boards /Agencies
• Policy makers/representatives of the concerned Ministries of the respective Governments
• Representatives from Regulatory bodies
• Representatives from manufacturers, exporters and importers of JGT
• Reputed Consultant(s)/Consultancy Firm(s) engaged in marketing/ market research

Workshop Programme (oral presentations to be made by invited speakers)

Day 1:        (05 April 2008)

Inaugural Session

Technical Session - I :    Case Studies with JGT & Jute-based Technical Textiles
Technical Session - II :   Prospective Innovative Applications of Jute Geotextile
Technical Session - III :  Quality Control of JGT & Development of Testing Facilities  

Day 2:        (06 April 2008)

Technical Session - IV :     Market & Marketability of JGT vis-à-vis Aspects of Production
Technical Session - V :     Standardization, Applications & Related Regulatory Issues
Concluding Session :        Recommendations

There will be facilities for poster presentation and JGT product display. Interested participants/ parties are requested to contact the following persons in this regard by 15 March2008.

Contact persons:
 

Dr. Latifa Binte Lutfar

Operations Officer, IJSG
Dhaka, Tel: 00 8802 9124883, 9125581-5 ext. 106,
Fax: 00 8802 9125248,
email: projects@jute.org

Mr. T. Sanyal

JMDC, Kolkata
Tel: 00 91 33 2217 2107/ 2226 3438 Mobile: 00 91 98303 20359,
Fax:  00 91 33 2217 2456
email: jmdcindia@vsnl.com; jmdc@jute.com

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