Fibre2fashion published a huge report about fibres in the 21st century written by Prof. T.K.Sinha, Yogita Agrawal, Rupa Mohanta and Rupali Kapoor. The whole thing is really comprehensive. Here is the summary:

As we enter 21st century, technical advances are dramatically influencing the world of fibers, fabrics and textiles. Today, technology can provide us with fabrics that imitate and actually improve upon nature's best fibers. In the next millennium, textiles will not just be an extension or simple alternatives to natural or synthetic fibers, but will provide superior functionality in broad and emerging sectors of the economy from space to super conductivity and agriculture to geotextile.

Picture: Soybean protein fiber

Read the whole thing here: fibres of 21st century