Pierre-Nicolas Disser is the Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Products at QIMA, where he leads the company’s global consumer products division spanning testing, inspection, audit, and certification services. Since joining QIMA in 2008, he has played a pivotal role in building and scaling the company’s consumer products operations worldwide. Throughout his tenure, he has been a driving force in shaping commercial strategy and guiding brands and manufacturers to strengthen product quality, safety, and regulatory compliance across international supply chains. Before his appointment as CEO in 2024, Pierre-Nicolas served as Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing QIMA’s global commercial expansion. His career includes leadership roles across the consumer, insurance, and engineering sectors. Pierre-Nicolas is a graduate of KEDGE Business School. Team Textile Focus covers an exclusive interview with Pierre-Nicolas Disser. Key discussion points are mentioned below for our readers-
Textile Focus: How has the textile market of Bangladesh changed in recent years?
Pierre-Nicolas Disser: Bangladesh’s textile sector has shown steady growth and resilience. In 2024, it exported approximately $38.48 billion in apparel, accounting for roughly 6.9% of the global market. This reflects a shift in sourcing as some international buyers diversify away from China. QIMA’s Q3 2025 Barometer reports that inspection and audit demand from US garment buyers in Bangladesh rose 61% year-on-year, while US sourcing from China fell by roughly 25 % in Q2 2025.
In the first half of the 2024-25 fiscal year, apparel exports reached $19.88 billion, about 13 % higher than the same period last year. Growth was balanced across knitwear (+13 %) and woven (+14 %) products. Demand from Europe also remained solid, with exports to the EU increasing by around 24% in November 2024.
As Bangladesh prepares for LDC graduation in 2026, manufacturers must meet stricter compliance and sustainability requirements. QIMA data show that 58% of factories worldwide achieved a “Green” ranking in 2024, but about one-third of Bangladeshi factories still have critical wage and working-hour violations. The industry is making progress; by October 2025, there were 268 LEED-certified apparel factories, including 36 new certifications this year, which reinforces Bangladesh’s reputation for sustainable manufacturing.
From QIMA’s perspective, Bangladesh’s competitive edge will increasingly depend on how quickly manufacturers integrate compliance excellence, environmental responsibility, and innovative production capabilities alongside their traditional strengths in cost efficiency and scale.
Textile Focus: How is QIMA providing support for the industry?
Pierre-Nicolas Disser: QIMA supports Bangladesh’s textile manufacturers through accredited testing, supplier audits, product inspections, and transparent data tools. Our ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories verify colorfastness, fiber identity, chemical safety, and other quality requirements for global markets. Local teams conduct on-site inspections and product testing, helping factories address production issues promptly and achieve regulatory compliance.
We also partner with industry leaders to provide Material Tracing and Provenance Testing, helping brands and manufacturers trace the journeys of their raw materials, verify fiber origins, and meet growing buyer expectations for transparency. These capabilities strengthen claims around organic cotton, recycled inputs, and responsible sourcing.
Our online platform centralizes inspection, audit, testing, and traceability data, enabling clients to track performance in real time. Only about 13% of companies report full supply chain visibility, so these tools help close the gap.
Factories see measurable gains. A knit exporter in Dhaka combined pre-shipment testing with in-line checks, cutting quality limit failures by 28% over two seasons. A woven supplier in Gazipur implemented digital booking and structured corrective actions, reducing the closure time from 21 days to 9 days.
Through testing, inspection, audits, tracing, and digital support, QIMA helps Bangladesh manufacturers deliver safer products and strengthen supply chain trust.
Textile Focus: What is QIMA’s upcoming plan for the Bangladesh market?
Pierre-Nicolas Disser: QIMA’s strategy for Bangladesh aligns with the country’s ambition to become a global sourcing hub. We are strengthening our local presence in Dhaka and leveraging a global network spanning over 100 countries to provide rapid, on-the-ground support.
As Bangladesh targets $100 billion in exports by 2030 and prepares for post-LDC trade rules, we are expanding our testing and compliance programs to help factories meet international regulatory requirements and ESG standards. A key part of this is supplier training; we work closely with local manufacturers to deliver brand-specific protocol training alongside international compliance requirements, ensuring that factories can achieve and maintain high standards more efficiently and with greater confidence. This hands-on capacity-building enables suppliers to bridge knowledge gaps, reduce non-conformities, and improve their competitiveness in the global market.
Also, through partnerships with local stakeholders and global retailers, QIMA facilitates capacity building and supports manufacturers adopting sustainable and circular production practices.
On the tech side, we are investing in digital tools. Our AI-driven Risk Radar provides predictive analytics to help brands anticipate supply chain disruptions and assess factory risks, especially during periods of political transition and labor challenges. By integrating technology, compliance, and sustainability, QIMA aims to support Bangladesh’s continued growth as a responsible sourcing destination.
Textile Focus: What are the responses from factories and buyers regarding testing and inspection?
Pierre-Nicolas Disser: Both manufacturers and buyers report that QIMA’s services have effectively improved their performance. Local factories say that 48-hour inspections and detailed reports have reduced shipment rejections and improved on-time delivery. Buyers note that structured audit programs—covering ethical, environmental, and manufacturing standards—have increased supplier reliability and transparency.
QIMA global audit data from 2024 showed that 58% of factories worldwide achieved a ‘Green’ compliance ranking, and Bangladesh is closing the gap by improving working hours, wages, and safety compliance. Our clients also highlighted that QIMA’s reports and digital dashboards enable them to make informed supplier decisions based on data and reduce the frequency of corrective actions. This local engagement and rapid service have strengthened trust between buyers and manufacturers, enhancing Bangladesh’s reputation as a quality-focused sourcing partner.
Textile Focus: What is your strength, and how will customers differentiate QIMA from other competitors?
Pierre-Nicolas Disser: We stand out in Bangladesh’s textile sector through technology, speed, and flexibility. QIMA was founded as a digital-first company, enabling clients to book inspections, access test reports, and analyze supplier performance in real-time. This approach has significantly reduced report turnaround time, setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Our 48-hour on-site inspection guarantee and ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing ensure both quality and regulatory compliance. With AI-powered analytics and an intuitive dashboard, clients can see predictive insights that help them anticipate compliance gaps and factory risks—tools that many of our competitors lack.
With operations in over 100 countries, a local expert team, and a state-of-the-art laboratory in Dhaka, QIMA combines global standards with regional expertise. Recognized as the #1 in customer satisfaction in the TIC industry, QIMA’s transparent pricing and responsive service empower Bangladeshi manufacturers in meeting the quality, safety, and sustainability expectations of international buyers with confidence.
Textile Focus: Any message you want to convey to the industry?
Pierre-Nicolas Disser: Bangladesh’s textile industry is entering an important phase. Apparel exports were about $38.48 billion in 2024, and inspection demand from US buyers increased 61 % year-on-year in Bangladesh. This momentum positions the sector to strengthen its role in global supply chains. Yet, as the country prepares for LDC graduation in 2026, sustained growth will depend on continued attention to compliance, sustainability, and innovation.
QIMA’s data indicate that one-third of factories still face issues with wages and working hours. At the same time, the number of LEED-certified factories has grown to 268, and European demand remains strong. By investing in ethical manufacturing, digital transparency, and workforce training, Bangladesh can maintain buyer confidence and move closer to its goal of $100 billion in exports by 2030.
From my perspective, the coming years will be defined by those who invest in ethical manufacturing, digital transparency, and workforce skills development. These are not just compliance checkboxes — they are the foundations of buyer trust, brand reputation, and long-term competitiveness.
At QIMA, our mission is deeply personal: to help every factory we work with produce responsibly, compete on the global stage, and be proud of the conditions under which their products are made. We do this not only through testing, audits, and inspections, but also by offering training, guidance, and practical support so that suppliers can meet both brand-specific requirements and global standards with confidence.
I believe that by working together — industry, buyers, suppliers, and solution partners like QIMA — we can ensure that “Made in Bangladesh” stands for quality, responsibility, and sustainability everywhere.
* News source and reference: Different data and statements are sourced from different news portals, i.e., The Daily Star, fibre2fashion, Apparel Views, different business reports, and different news from the QIMA newsroom and reports.
