A South Korean transplant via New York, where she worked as the dean of the School for Undergraduate Studies at The New School, Cho sees huge potential in the technological advancements that researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed hand in hand with real-life demands from Chinese factories.
“But here, we can make things different with innovations in sustainable fibers, sustainable materials and wearable technology to reduce waste in the manufacturing process. Just look around your apartment. It is not just garments. Carpet, cushions, curtains and all the things that go inside your building are made of fiber, which is one of the biggest pollutants damaging the planet,” she added.
Shou also has made significant contributions in the field of fiber science and materials engineering with the development of the world’s first sweatable textile fabric — “Sweatextile” — which enables fast, one-way liquid flow through spatially distributed channels that act like sweating glands while repelling external liquid contaminants.