Abstract for: Exploring the Role of Digital Textile Microfactories in Firefighter Protective Clothing Replacement Systems under Uncertain Demand

Wildfires are increasing operational pressure on fire departments, making reliable access to firefighter protective clothing critical for operational safety and, in some cases, survival. Yet its replacement under uncertain demand remains difficult because product-specific requirements constrain production, while public procurement procedures delay replenishment, motivating exploration of whether Digital Textile Microfactories could improve replacement-system responsiveness. The paper conceptualises firefighter protective clothing replacement as a delayed stock-management problem and develops a conceptual stock-and-flow model based on the analysis of product characteristics, supply structure, and procurement conditions. On this basis, it explores which parameters and structural features might change if Digital Textile Microfactories were introduced into selected stages of the replacement system. The analysis suggests that, given the importance of fit in this case, DTMFs could improve not only system responsiveness, but also functional and protective performance through more wearer-specific replacement. However, due to technological limitations, DTMFs are unlikely to function as a full substitute for conventional production, but may serve as a selective means of shortening parts of the replacement chain. The study suggests that DTMFs are most relevant here as a way to strengthen selected parts of a replacement system shaped by time-sensitive and size-specific replacement needs. Future research should analyse different deployment scenarios and test the proposed structure with real procurement and delivery data. writing assistance; literature exploration support