Eastman Naia™: All-Night Comfort at Heimtextil 2026

At Heimtextil 2026, Eastman Naia™ builds on its All-Night Comfort concept, a holistic sleep comfort platform that brings together bed sheets, comforter fill and sleepwear. This year, the concept expands with new fill solutions for comforters and the firstever Heimtextil showcase of sleepwear and loungewear made with Naia™ Renew staple fiber. Across sleep-focused home textile applications, these developments highlight the versatility and performance of Naia™ Renew circular fiber, produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% GRS-certified recycled content.

Heimtextil and Hospitality Interiors Europe announce partnership starting 2027

Heimtextil starts a new partnership with the format Hospitality Interiors Europe (HINT). With the launch, a complementary event will take place alongside Heimtextil 2027, targeting decision-makers from the hotel and high-end hospitality design sector. Both platforms create tangible synergies for exhibitors and visitors – and expand the holistic interior design offering for architecture, interior design, hospitality and the contract sector. Hospitality Interiors Europe presents itself at Heimtextil 2026 with its own dedicated lounge area. 

At Heimtextil 2027, the international hospitality and contract sector receives an additional stage: with the launch of Hospitality Interiors Europe, a parallel format is being created that specifically brings together decision-makers from (interior) architecture, project development and interior design for hospitality, as well as from the extended hospitality environment, including hotels, resorts, wellness & spa, extended stay and care facilities. 

Kraig: Third Rearing Center, Completing Core Infrastructure Upgrades for Production Scale-Up

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a leader in spider silk technology, announced that it has taken possession of its third silkworm rearing center, completing the core physical infrastructure upgrades, underpinning the Company's massive recombinant spider silk production scale-up planned for 2026.
 
This newest facility represents the final major component of the Company's multi-year production expansion strategy. With three fully operational rearing centers, Kraig Labs will be able to run three simultaneous production cycles, providing both production diversity and the capacity required to meet and exceed one metric ton of finished spider silk per month.
 
This production scale-upis the culmination of years of development and refinement. Each element of the Company's expansion, including facility design, staffing, geographic location, operational workflows, and training programs, has been optimized based on lessons learned from prior production campaigns.
 

Source Fashion: Global Sourcing, Strong UK Manufacturing and a Forward-Looking Industry Agenda

Source Fashion, opens next week at Olympia London, bringing together the global fashion sourcing community for three days of responsible manufacturing, insight and collaboration. Running from 13-15 January 2026, the show will welcome audited manufacturers from across key sourcing regions worldwide, alongside buyers, brands and sourcing professionals looking to build more transparent, resilient and commercially viable supply chains.

Leading fashion retailers and brands including ASOS, Frasers Group, Next, TFG Brands, Wimbledon, JD Sports, Pickett, Gigi & Olive, Primark,  All Saints, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, French Connection,  Charles Tyrwitt, Anthropologie, Monsoon, Karen Millen, Agent Provocateur, The Padel Foundation, Friends Like These, Universal Music Group, Hawes and Curtis and Moss Bros are among those registered to attend, underlining Source Fashion’s role as a key meeting point for both established and emerging fashion businesses.

Stefan Moll new CEO at Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG

Starting January 1, 2026, Stefan Moll will take over the management of Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG, a global leading provider of measurement and control technology for web-shaped materials. The current CEO, Rainer Mestermann, will leave the company after 14 years as part of a planned succession arrangement.

“Stefan Moll is an excellent choice as the new CEO for our traditional company,” says Mahlo owner Ralph Greenwood-Mahlo. “We look forward to his expertise, fresh ideas, and perspectives.”

Barmag's new texturing machine impresses yarn manufacturers

Since its premiere at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025, the eFK EvoSmart texturing machine has achieved impressive market success. The innovative technology is winning over yarn manufacturers worldwide who are committed to energy-efficient and economical production processes. A total of 84 machines has already been sold – including in China, Turkey, and Indonesia.
 
eFK EvoSmart: New standards in efficiency and productivity
"Energy efficiency and top quality are key factors for successful yarn production," explains Dr. Wolfgang Ernst, Head of Sales at Barmag. "With the eFK EvoSmart, we are setting new standards in this area: intelligent technologies and significantly reduced maintenance requirements enable our customers to achieve future-proof production that takes quality and cost-effectiveness to a new level," he continues.

From fashion to water access: a model for community impact

Globally, 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, while the fashion industry remains one of the most water-intensive sectors, with a single pair of jeans requiring around 9,000 litres of water across cotton cultivation, dyeing and finishing. Against this backdrop, drip by drip, the non-profit organisation tackling the water crisis caused by textile production, today announces that it has brought in Eco Age to support the next phase of its work: elevating water justice within the global fashion conversation and accelerating progress towards its goal of providing one million people with access to clean water.

Founded in 2018, drip by drip works at the intersection of water, textiles and social impact. Through industry education, community water projects and grassroots engagement, the organisation addresses the man-made water crisis created by textile production, focusing on practical solutions that improve health, resilience and livelihoods in textile-producing regions.

BTMA: Innovation in technical textiles, digitalisation and testing

Members of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) can look back on 2025 as a year marked by notable technological advances and continued progress in global trade, despite an uncertain and volatile market.

“Our members have been very active over the past 12 months and this has resulted in new technologies for the production of technical fibres and fabrics, the introduction of AI and machine learning into process control systems and significant advances in materials testing,” says BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “There’s real excitement about what can be achieved in 2026 as we look ahead to upcoming exhibitions such as JEC Composites in Paris in March and Techtextil in Frankfurt in April.”

Composites momentum
Cygnet Texkimp, for example, has been nominated for a 2026 JEC Innovation Award for its collaboration with McLaren Automotive on the ART rapid tape-deposition system. Capable of depositing dry fibre tapes at up to 2.5 metres per second with exceptional precision, ART reduces scrap, shortens cycle times and delivers structural improvements already being realised across McLaren’s composite-intensive vehicle platforms.

DyStar now fully owned by Zhejiang Longsheng Group

DyStar, a leading specialty chemical company with a heritage of more than a century in product development and innovation, formally announced that DyStar is now under the full ownership of Zhejiang Longsheng Group, following the conclusive resolution of its shareholders’ dispute. This milestone shall mark a new chapter of stability, governance clarity, and long-term growth for the Group.

ECHA: Additional tasks to strengthen chemical safety in Europe

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) takes on new responsibilities under the EU's One Substance, One Assessment (OSOA) Package. 

Working closely with other EU agencies and authorities, ECHA will lead efforts to build a common data platform on chemicals, streamline assessments, and strengthen collaboration to better protect human health and the environment.

The Agency is committed to driving this initiative forward and will deliver its new responsibilities with transparency and efficiency.

Dr Sharon McGuinness, ECHA’s Executive Director said:
"The OSOA package represents a significant step towards a more efficient chemical safety system in Europe. By joining forces with our partner agencies and authorities, we will create a system that anticipates risks, and brings together existing knowledge, and supports innovation.  

Our shared goal is clear: a safer, more sustainable Europe through collaboration and science-based action.’’