[Report] "Eco-friendliness, Dispersing Global Risks with AI"... On-site at HANSAE Color&Touch Factory

[Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – Kim Hyun-ji]On the afternoon of the 30th of last month (local time), Chun Tan District, Vinh Phuc Province, located about three hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City. Upon entering HANSAE CO., LTD.'s fabric subsidiary Color&Touch factory, large dyeing machines were running nonstop. Despite being a large-scale production base, there were fewer workers than expected, as many of the dyeing, printing, and stacking processes are automated.
Color&Touch, a fabric specialist acquired by HANSAE CO., LTD. in 2013, currently operates three factories in Vietnam. With a total of 170 knitting machines, it can produce up to 15 kg of fabric per day. The company has introduced eco-friendly equipment and automation systems throughout the entire process—from knitting and dyeing to inspection and shipping—to improve efficiency.
Outside the factory, a mint-colored building marked with the word 'biomass' stood out. 'Biomass' refers to eco-friendly facilities that use discarded rice husks and similar materials as fuel. The dyeing process utilizes eco-friendly dyeing machines and a Reverse Osmosis Water Purification System (RO system), while the boilers are powered by biomass fuel, reducing both water and steam usage as well as carbon emissions.
Park Junyoung, head of C&T VINA, who led the on-site briefing, explained, "Biomass fuel is more expensive than coal, but it can reduce carbon emissions by up to 92%." He added, "Recently, European buyers require eco-friendly practices without exception, and the same is true in the Americas."
The transition to artificial intelligence (AI) in production processes, including robotic arms, is also accelerating. An AI Camera Sensing System is currently being piloted in the quality control (QC) process. This system, which will be fully operational from December, detects and records fabric defects in real time, minimizing errors that are difficult to spot with the naked eye.
Such investments in eco-friendly and automated systems are aligned with HANSAE Group's strategy to address global supply chain risks.
With U.S. tariffs, supply chain imbalances centered on Asia, and stricter ESG standards, ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) companies are striving to keep up with global trends and technological advancements while diversifying their production bases.
As part of its nearshoring strategy, HANSAE CO., LTD. plans to begin operating a new plant at the Michatoya Pacífico Industrial Complex in Guatemala in the third or fourth quarter of next year.
A representative from HANSAE CO., LTD. stated, "Guatemala’s reciprocal tariff rate is about 10%, less than half the Asian average (20–25%)," and added, "We expect to benefit from both improved access to the U.S. market and tariff reductions."
localplace@fnnews.com Kim Hyun-ji Reporter