"Deliver emergency measures as Europe’s competitiveness crisis deepens"

EURATEX, representing the European textile and fashion industry, joins the Antwerp Declaration Community’s call on EU Heads of State and Government to adopt emergency measures that restore industrial competitiveness and deliver tangible results for Europe’s manufacturing base in 2026.

The call was made at the European Industry Summit, which brought together over 500 business leaders, 30 factory workers, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, under the auspices of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Senior EU leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, as well as Executive Vice-Presidents Teresa Ribera and Stéphane Séjourné, and Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, also joined the discussions — underscoring the growing political urgency of Europe’s industrial competitiveness crisis.

The European Industry Summit urged a coordinated package focused on:

INDEX™26: Pioneering highlights at Geneva

INDEX™26, the World’s Leading Nonwovens Exhibition, will take place from 19 to 22 May 2026 at PALEXPO in Geneva. With 600 exhibitors expected, INDEX™26 represents the entire value chain of the industry, from raw materials, machinery, producers of nonwovens, components to converters.

This year’s event highlights a clear trend toward high-performance lightweight materials emerging from an increasingly integrated global supply chain. From breakthroughs in engineering to innovations in raw materials, the focus remains firmly on enhancing efficiency and sustainability without compromising quality.

One of the most eagerly awaited unveilings is the introduction of RF6 technology from Reifenhäuser Reicofil. This latest generation of spunmelt production is poised to set new global standards by delivering higher throughput for the finest fibres while enabling user-friendly, low-maintenance operation.

DIGEL: New Premium Showrooms in Düsseldorf and Munich

DIGEL AG is strengthening its national and international presence with two new, representative locations in Düsseldorf and Munich, set to open for the Spring/Summer 2027 order season. With these two showrooms, the menswear company is making a clear statement for growth, internationality, and brand strength in the premium segment.

The new showroom in Düsseldorf is located in one of Germany’s most prestigious menswear environments, in the immediate vicinity of brands such as Boss, Strellson, and PVH. Spanning 550 square meters—around 30% larger than before—the two brands Digel and Digel Move will in future offer an exclusive brand experience in an urban lifestyle setting. In addition to order activities, the location will also be used as an event venue, for the DIGEL Academy, and for VIP customer events. Thanks to Düsseldorf’s central location and international character, more than 60% of export customers can be optimally served here, with further growth potential.

Ontex: Better support for skin health in incontinence care

Ontex Group NV, a leading international developer and producer of personal care solutions, introduces a new adult incontinence range developed to offer superior protection while being gentle on the skin. The first products –Sensitive Pants, Sensitive Slip and Sensitive Form – will become gradually available for healthcare institutions across Europe.

Recent European research conducted by Ontex among more than 2,500 people living with incontinence shows that dermatitis and skin irritation remain widespread and have a meaningful impact on daily life. Almost 1 in 2 people living with incontinence have experienced dermatitis or skin irritation in the intimate area; with many describing significant discomfort and effects on confidence and wellbeing. Despite this high prevalence, “Around 80% of caregivers are not trained to recognize dermatitis. Education and better product design are key to preventing complications.” says Dr. Maria Panourgia, Geriatrician at the Milton Keynes University Hospital (UK).

Avery Dennison: New official name and number partner of Mainz 05

Avery Dennison, a global leader in materials science and digital identification solutions, announced its exclusive partnership with 1. FSV Mainz 05 (also known as Mainz 05) to enhance fan engagement through heat transfer embellishments, creating customizable and personalized team jerseys.

The partnership marks Avery Dennison’s expansion into German soccer, providing fans the unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and support through bespoke embellished merchandise.

Avery Dennison’s Embelex™ solution portfolio, renowned for its innovative options for personalization in the global sports apparel market, will play a pivotal role in the partnership. Two interactive fanzone touchscreens featuring bonders equipped with an Accurate Alignment Projector System (AAPS) have been installed at the MEWA Arena, home of Mainz 05. Fans can personalize their jerseys in minutes with the name, number or customized message of their choosing, turning matchday shopping into an event as memorable as the game itself.

FITA, ABIT, EURATEX: Monitoring Mercosur-European Union Partnership Agreement

The Argentine Textile Industry Federation (FITA), the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT), and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) continue to monitor the process of internalizing the Mercosur-European Union Partnership Agreement. This agreement is essential for the competitiveness of our industries, on both sides of the Atlantic. 

The entities remain confident that, despite the submission of the agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the vision of the agreement's strategic role for both sides of the Atlantic will prevail.

For the textile industry, the agreement confirms the commitment to economic integration and predictable rules, as well as signalling support for multilateralism in a challenging global scenario. 

FITA, ABIT, and EURATEX reaffirm their commitment to actively contribute to this implementation process of the agreement, as well as to undertake other inter-regional and international projection actions that consolidate both blocs as relevant actors in the global economy.

Haelixa Raises EUR 2 Million to Scale DNA-Based Traceability Globally

Haelixa, the Swiss-based deeptech provider of DNA-based product traceability, has raised EUR 2 million in a pre-series A investment round to support international scale and long-term strategic growth. 
 
The round was led by existing backers Verve Ventures and Zurich Kantonalbank, with participation from an impact-focused investor 212 NexT Fund. This complements the catalytic funding awarded through the Temasek Trust Amplifier programme. 
 
The investment will support Haelixa’s international expansion, targeted team growth, and deeper collaboration with textile brands and supply-chain partners. 
 
Physical Proof in an Era of Rising Risk 
Haelixa’s patented DNA-based technology physically marks raw materials at any stage of production and enables later verification of origin and authenticity. The plant-based, invisible DNA markers are embedded directly into raw materials and remain detectable throughout complex, multi-tier supply chains. 
 

Orthopac RVMC-20 plus: Smarter Weft Straightening with AI

In times of rising cost pressure and growing quality demands, textile producers worldwide are searching for solutions that combine precision, efficiency, and sustainability. With its latest innovation, the Orthopac RVMC-20 plus, Mahlo once again demonstrates how to improve technology to meet today’s challenges.

For decades, Mahlo has set the benchmark in automatic weft straightening. The new Orthopac RVMC-20 plus continues this tradition, building on the trusted Orthopac RVMC-15 while introducing a decisive technological step forward: double scanning with AI-supported control systems.

The concept relies on two detection units – one at the fabric inlet and one at the outlet. At the inlet, so-called Feed Forward Control analyzes distortions before they even reach the straightening rollers, ensuring precise positioning from the first centimeter. At the outlet, Closed Loop Control continuously monitors the result and applies AI-based corrections in real time. This dual approach enables the system to cope even with highly variable distortions at high production speeds. The outcome is reliably straight fabric, less waste, and consistent premium quality.

Eastman introduces Naia™ Lyte at Première Vision Paris

Eastman unveils Naia™ Lyte, a new cellulose acetate filament yarn that represents an important milestone in performance for lightweight and premium fabrics, at Première Vision Paris. Presented for the first time to the international fashion and textile community, Naia™ Lyte expands the capabilities of acetate yarn by introducing enhanced tenacity, unlocking new creative and technical possibilities for designers, mills and brands.

“Naia™ Lyte marks a significant development in acetate filament yarn innovation,” says Ruth Farrell, general manager of Eastman’s textiles business. “By increasing the tenacity of our yarn, we are expanding the performance boundaries of acetate and enabling new lightweight fabric applications, while staying true to the comfort, aesthetics and reliability that define Naia™. Naia™ Lyte is already being produced commercially, and we are excited by initial reactions to this new, innovative addition to our Naia™ portfolio.

Funding approved: Textile Factory 7.0 to be built in Mönchengladbach

Textile Factory 7.0 – the vision of a networked, emission-free industrial park of the future for the city of Mönchengladbach is becoming reality. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) has approved funding for the project.

The aim of the project is to establish a technology and development centre in Mönchengladbach and thus develop an industrial park of the future. Instead of considering individual technologies in isolation, Textile Factory 7.0 combines energy efficiency, AI/robotics and biotechnology in a single functional textile real-world laboratory under the close cooperation of industry and research.

The project will make a decisive contribution to sustainably increasing the attractiveness and productivity of regional textile production: the T7 Factory will create new jobs and strengthen innovative textile research at the location.