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Mark Sumner

Lecturer in Sustainablity, Fashion and Retail, University of Leeds

Mark Sumner joined the School of Design as a lecturer focussing on sustainability within the textile, clothing and fashion industry, having spent over 15 years working in retail for a major international retailer. His research interests are broad covering a diverse range of subject such as textile technology, innovation, sustainability and consumer behaviour.

Mark has a broad and diverse range of research interests. Core to the bulk of the research is the exploration of sustainability within the textile and clothing industry with a particular focus on how retailers and their supply networks interact in their pursuit of pleasing the consumer. The importance of understanding the consumer within the sustainability dialogue is growing and this is key aspect of research Mark is undertaking.

Mark is exploring how technology and design can be combined to deliver ideas for a more sustainable industry, and he is actively engaged in developing a multidisciplinary network to support his research.

During his postgraduate studies for an Engineering Doctorate in Textile Engineering, Mark explored opportunities for ultra-low liquor ratios for dyeing yarn. During his career his interest in dyeing and finishing has grown and he continues to explore opportunities for research into the latest technologies for the industry.

The dissemination of the knowledge is an important aspect of Mark’s research and he has been involved in a number of innovative projects to help the industry and society in general gain a better understanding of the sustainability issues the fashion industry is facing. For example, Mark was the Technical Advisor for the World Shirt project which was recently performed at the Young Vic, London.

Following a t-shirt from cotton field to landfill shows the true cost of fast fashion

Dec 01, 2020 09:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

With many shops closed due to pandemic restrictions, Black Friday 2020 might have looked different from the frantic buying sprees of years past. But one thing remained the same: the relentless pace of fast fashion....

It may not be possible to slow down fast fashion – so can the industry ever be sustainable?

Sep 21, 2017 14:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life Business

The fashion industry has some major sustainability problems. By 2030, it is predicted that the industrys water consumption will grow by 50% to 118 billion cubic metres, its carbon footprint will increase to 2,791m tonnes...

Economy

Bank of England Set to Hold Interest Rates as Inflation Risks and Iran War Impact Loom

The Bank of England (BoE) is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged this week as policymakers assess the growing economic risks tied to the ongoing Iran war and rising inflation pressures. After maintaining...

Chinese Chip Stocks Surge on AI Boom and Domestic Tech Push

Chinese semiconductor stocks rallied sharply on Monday, driven by continued optimism around the countrys artificial intelligence (AI) sector and renewed momentum from the launch of new AI models. Investors showed strong...

U.S. and EU Strengthen Critical Minerals Partnership to Reduce China Dependence

The United States and the European Union have taken a major step toward strengthening their supply chains for critical minerals, aiming to reduce reliance on China and boost advanced manufacturing capabilities. On Friday,...

Oil Price Forecasts Rise for 2026 as Middle East Supply Risks Persist

Global investment banks are raising their oil price forecasts for 2026 as ongoing supply disruptions in the Middle East continue to tighten the market. Goldman Sachs recently increased its outlook for crude oil, projecting...

Global PCB Prices Surge Amid Middle East Conflict and Supply Chain Disruptions

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through the global electronics industry, driving up prices of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and disrupting the supply of critical raw materials. PCBs are...

Politics

Russian Drone Strike on Odesa Injures Civilians and Damages Key Infrastructure

An overnight Russian drone strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa injured at least 10 people, including two children, according to Ukrainian officials on Monday. The attack caused significant damage to residential...

Trump Urges Iran to Call for Talks as War Stalemate Disrupts Oil Markets

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran can initiate negotiations to end the ongoing two-month conflict simply by making contact, even as diplomatic efforts show little progress. His remarks came as Irans Foreign Minister...

US Envoy Urges Taiwan to Approve Defense Budget Amid Rising China Tensions

The United States top diplomat in Taiwan has called on the islands opposition-led parliament to approve a comprehensive defense budget, emphasizing the urgent need for advanced military systems such as integrated air and...

Erdogan Condemns White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting, Voices Support for Trump

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed strong support for former U.S. President Donald Trump following a shocking shooting incident at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. According to an official...

Trump Gala Security Scare: Suspect Arrested After Attempted Attack on U.S. Officials

A dramatic security incident at a high-profile Washington gala has raised serious concerns about the safety of U.S. officials and the growing threat of political violence. Authorities arrested a 31-year-old suspect,...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

DeepSeek Slashes AI Model Pricing to Boost Adoption and Challenge Global Rivals

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has significantly reduced pricing for its latest AI models, signaling a more aggressive push in the rapidly evolving AI services market. The company announced that it has...

U.S. Demand for Alternative Satellite Providers Remains Strong Amid SpaceX Regulatory Push

Demand for alternative satellite services in the United States continues to grow, even as SpaceX pushes regulators to tighten market access for foreign competitors. According to Eutelsat CEO Jean-Francois Fallacher, U.S....

SMC Corp Stock Surges as Palliser Capital Pushes for Major Share Buyback

Shares of SMC Corp (TYO:6273) surged sharply on Monday following news that activist investor Palliser Capital has taken a significant stake in the Japanese industrial automation company and is urging aggressive shareholder...

Taiwan Court Fines Tokyo Electron Unit $4.78M in Major TSMC Trade Secrets Case

A Taiwan court has imposed a significant penalty on the local subsidiary of Japan-based Tokyo Electron, highlighting the islands strict stance on protecting critical semiconductor technologies. The court fined the company...

DeepSeek V4 Launch Signals China’s Growing AI Independence with Huawei Chips

DeepSeek, a fast-rising Chinese AI startup, has unveiled a preview of its highly anticipated V4 model, marking a major step toward Chinas technological independence. The new model, optimized for Huaweis Ascend chips,...