BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition.

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

“At its core, this deal removes or reduces tariffs on the vast majority of clothing and home textiles, with duties of around 8-12% on Indian exports to the UK effectively eliminated,” he explains. “This gives Indian manufacturers significantly improved price competitiveness in one of the world’s most valuable consumer markets.”

For the BTMA’s manufacturers of textile machinery it also has strategically important benefits, he adds. 

“India is one of the world’s largest textile producers and continues to invest heavily in modernising its mills – from spinning and weaving through to finishing. Improved trade terms, including reduced tariffs and clearer market access conditions, make it easier for UK machinery suppliers to compete in this expanding market.”

ITA spin-off Solid Air (SA) Dynamics reaches the semi-finals of the Rice Business Plan Competition

The ITA spin-off SA Dynamics has been nominated for the semi-finals of this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC), one of the world’s most prestigious start-up competitions, held at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Out of 550 applications from around the world, only 42 teams were accepted to take part in the competition. SA Dynamics impressed the judges with its technology and business model, reaching the semi-finals as one of the top 15 teams.

The RBPC also offered SA Dynamics the opportunity to engage closely with leading international coaches and investors. The insights gained and networks established will strengthen the company’s future development in the long term.

“Making it into the top 15 out of 550 applications and 42 teams at the RBPC is a testament to everything we work towards every day. We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful for every conversation, every challenge and every new connection we made in Houston.”— SA Dynamics Team

New Generation of Reifenhäuser Ultra Die Heads

Global leader in sustainable packaging, Smurfit Westrock, hosted a “Barrier Day Open House” on April 15 at its production facility in Ibi (Alicante), Spain, in collaboration with machine manufacturer Reifenhäuser Blown Film. A large international group of customers and industry experts gathered to experience the latest generation of Reifenhäuser EVO Ultra Die Heads in a live customer operation. 

The highlight was the output of over 1,000 kg/h for barrier applications, delivering films with outstanding properties, including a profile accuracy of better than ±3 % 2σ at a thickness of 70 μm. To ensure the film’s outstanding tolerance even at extreme throughput rates, the line combines the new EVO Ultra Die Head with the perfectly matched internal bubble cooling system EVO Cool and market-leading Kdesign cooling ring technology. In addition, Smurfit utilizes the proven Reifenhäuser Ultra Flat System, which ensures perfectly flat film for easy further processing. 

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories begins Processing 1.8 Metric Tons of Recombinant Spider Silk Cocoons

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a world leader in spider silk technology, announced that it has begun processing nearly 1.8 metric tons of recombinant spider silk cocoons into finished reeled silk.

In early April, the Company announced that it had exceeded 1.3 metric tons of cocoon production in March, setting a new production record. Since that announcement, Kraig Labs is now confirming that it produced an additional half ton of cocoons (approximately) that were not included in the in the March report. This brings the Company’s total available cocoon inventory to nearly 1.8 metric tons. The attached image represents less than 4% of the total cocoon production.

Kraig Labs has now initiated the reeling process, converting this inventory into finished reeled silk. This work is currently underway at one of the Company’s production partners and is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Upon completion of this processing phase, Kraig Labs expects to hold the largest inventory of recombinant spider silk in its history. To the Company’s knowledge, this volume also represents the largest single supply of recombinant spider silk ever to exist.

Iconic Rabbit Chair: Qeeboo celebrates its tenth anniversary

Qeeboo marks its tenth anniversary with a special project dedicated to its most iconic product: the Rabbit Chair, designed by Stefano Giovannoni.  
 
Launched in 2016 at the brand’s debut, the Rabbit Chair has become a defining symbol of Qeeboo, blending iconic design and emotion into a distinctive and recognizable language. 
  
To celebrate this milestone, the company invited designers who have contributed to its history to reinterpret this product through their own vision, exploring new expressive possibilities across the diverse languages of contemporary design.  
 
Among the participants are some of the most prominent figures on the international design scene: Estudio Campana, Furf Design Studio, Elisa Giovannoni, Richard Hutten, Studio Job, Marcantonio, Maum Studio, Studio Nucleo, Marco Oggian, Marcel Wanders, Nika Zupanc.  
 
The results are unique, handcrafted pieces that will be auctioned during the exhibition and sold through the Paris-based auction house Piasa, highlighting the exclusive and artistic value of the initiative. 
 

Mayer & Cie. Global starts business operations

The future of the Mayer & Cie. brand has been secured: Following the successful completion of the purchase agreement for assets in the circular knitting machinery segment of the German traditional company Mayer & Cie., which was signed in February this year, the brand will continue to exist. The transfer of these assets to the new owner, Xu Hongjie, was formally completed yesterday afternoon. This clears the way for the resumption of business operations at the Albstadt site. 

During the transition phase between signing – the execution of the agreements in February – and yesterday’s closing, the new owner and his team have worked intensively on a concept for the restart. The aim is to realign the traditional brand and consistently focus on customer needs. In the future, Mayer & Cie. will operate with greater speed, efficiency, and an even stronger focus on solutions. 
 
Successful closing paves the way for Mayer & Cie.’s future 
Today’s closing marks the final milestone in the transfer of assets from Mayer & Cie.’s circular knitting division to Xu Hongjie. 

Textile innovation engineered for protection, performance and comfort showcased at Techtextil

Klopman, TDV Industries and 4F Knits: three brands delivering best-in-class woven and knit textile solutions for workwear, protectivewear and military applications. At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt (21– 24 April), the Group will showcase a new generation of protective and performance textile fabrics, combining advanced fibre technologies, certified safety and enhanced wearer comfort to meet the evolving demands of a high-performance-driven market. 
 
At the exhibition, the Group will introduce an optimised and highly advanced range of flame-retardant fabric solutions, covering both woven and knit technologies and designed to address the highest standards of heat and flame protection across professional end-uses. 

RUDOLF at Techtextil with innovative, functional solutions

Since its founding in 1922, RUDOLF, a leading international company in the fields of textile auxiliaries, textile care, and construction chemicals, the company has evolved into a globally recognized technology partner. As a pioneer of forward-looking textile solutions, RUDOLF will present its latest innovations at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt.

Functional performance for demanding applications
The focus of the trade show is innovative finishing solutions tailored to technical and functional textiles. FERAN® SRC was specifically developed for textiles made from cellulose fibers. This functional soilrelease finish creates a long-lasting protective layer on cellulose fibers and their blends. This significantly simplifies the removal of oil, grease, and pigment-based stains. Textiles stay clean longer and retain their quality, even after numerous wash cycles. FERAN® SRC also improves comfort by keeping the surface permanently hydrophilic without negatively affecting the fabric‘s texture.

Europe is losing its textile industry

Every week, textile factories close across Europe. Behind each closure: jobs lost, communities affected, strategic capabilities gone.

EURATEX has released its latest Economic Update on the performance of the European textile and apparel industry in 2025. For the third consecutive year, the sector recorded negative results across all key indicators — production, turnover and employment — confirming a continued erosion of competitiveness across Europe.

The causes are clear: structurally high energy costs, weak consumer demand, growing import pressure from Asia, unfair competition from online platforms, and an increasingly heavy regulatory burden on European producers.

New wound care: Freudenberg resolves dilemma between adhesive strength and skin protection

With Tacnera®, Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is presenting a new technology for silicone foam dressings used in advanced wound care. Unlike classic silicone adhesive layers, Tacnera® is a highly-developed, intelligently-engineered system that combines polyurethane foam, a proprietary coating technology and gentle silicone gel. Tacnera® therefore solves a key problem for premium foam dressings: the dilemma between reliable adhesion and the risk of skim trauma during dressing changes. This gives brand manufacturers, distributors and regional suppliers of advanced wound care products a clear competitive advantage in the premium segment. The globally active nonwovens manufacturer will be welcoming visitors to Stand D42 at EWMA in Bremen from May 6 – 8.

Foam dressings with particularly gentle silicones often do not adhere firmly enough, while stronger silicones increase the risk of skin trauma and tissue damage. This “adhesion-trauma dilemma” reduces both patient comfort and clinical confidence, and limits market differentiation options in the premium segment. Tacnera® resolves this dilemma.