From the Sector

With 12 exhibiting countries and regions so far confirmed, Cinte Techtextil China is poised to present a dynamic industry platform, bridging the gap between Asian and Western markets. From 3 to 5 September in Shanghai, the fair will feature a full spectrum of technical textiles and nonwovens for 12 application areas, with a key highlight being 2025’s debut product category and zone – the Textile Chemicals and Dyes Zone. Meanwhile, domestic and international exhibitors with automotive applications can be found across the fairground, with the segment drawing strong interest globally. Also featuring a range of innovators in the reputable European and German Zones, the fair’s International Hall (W5) will offer valuable expertise and opportunities to trade visitors from China, Asia and beyond.

A strong combination of global exhibitors has already confirmed their participation this year, coming from Belgium, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UK, the US, and Vietnam. With the additional textile chemicals and dyes product category launched at the fair, new business avenues have been opened for renowned companies such as CHT Germany GmbH (Germany), Michelman Inc (USA), and more, who will convene at the debut Textile Chemicals and Dyes Zone. The new category is suitable for a range of textile applications, such as for sports & leisure, safety & protection, industrial protection, construction and more.

European and German Zones to showcase continent’s industry excellence
With Europe’s production of technical textiles and nonwovens largely returning to pre-pandemic levels, the vast Asian market represented at Cinte Techtextil China has attracted leading companies to showcase their quality, high-tech products in the European and German Zones.

In addition to well-known returning brands, such as EMS-GRILTECH, Graf + Cie, Monosuisse, and Swisstulle from Switzerland, and Fibre Extrusion Technology from the UK, several new exhibitors are set to make their mark in the European Zone. 

Across the hall, the German Zone will also welcome a strong array of members, including Autefa Solutions, Mahlo, Reifenhauser Heinsberg, and many more, such as Brueckner Textile Technologies, Lindauer DORNIER or Wetekam Group (new).

Highlighted exhibitors featuring automotive textile solutions
Harnessing market demand, Cinte Techtextil China will feature a raft of global Mobiltech exhibitors, including Eastex Industrial Science And Technology and Oriental Industries from China, Picanol from Belgium, Rowa Group from Germany, and more.

The fair’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry.

Cinte Techtextil China will be held from 3 – 5 September 2025.
The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA).

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement today commending the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) for passing the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains a provision that could boost domestic textile industry sales to the U.S. military. 

The House NDAA bill, which authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military, includes a provision that would eliminate a statutory exemption under the Berry Amendment that acts as a loophole allowing the U.S. military to buy textiles abroad instead of from American textile manufacturers as long as the purchase is at or below a small purchase threshold of $150,000.

The NDAA also includes language from the Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, a bill that NCTO has pushed for as part of a broader coalition. The provision requires the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations within two years that prohibit any member of the Armed Forces from wearing optional combat boots as part of a required uniform unless those boots are made in the United States with American-made components, with a few exceptions.

“We applaud the HASC for passing the FY 2026 NDAA and including provisions that would help boost domestic manufacturing, strengthen American economic competitiveness, and meet the mission-critical needs of our Armed Forces,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“We are sincerely appreciative of the leadership of Congressman Don Davis (D-NC) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC), who led efforts to close the Berry Amendment loophole and co-sponsored the amendment to the NDAA.

“The Berry Amendment requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to purchase 100% U.S.-made textiles and clothing. But the small-purchase exemption in the statute has led to U.S. military purchases of foreign-made textile articles largely at the expense of American textile manufacturers who have potentially lost several million dollars per year in U.S. government sales.

“Eliminating this exemption will lead to the military procurement of more American-made military textile products as well as oversight of Berry Amendment compliance.  

“Lastly, we also applaud the inclusion of the BOOTS Act in the NDAA, which will support domestic military footwear production. 

“This is a win for the American textile and apparel industry, a key strategic contributor to our national defense that supplies over 8,000 products a year to our men and women in uniform. The industry provides high-tech, functional components for the U.S. government, including more than $1.8 billion worth of vital uniforms and equipment for our armed forces annually.

“It is vital to America’s national security that the U.S. military maintain the ability to source high-quality, innovative textile materials, apparel, and personal equipment from a vibrant American textile industrial base. After passage of the FY 2026 NDAA by the full House, we look forward to working with the Senate and House to ensure this provision is included in the final NDAA conference report.”

As a global workwear textile manufacturer and part of RTS Textiles Group, Carrington has published their second annual sustainability report, marking one year since the first edition was launched in July 2024. The publication showcases the progress that has been achieved in environmental performance and sustainable innovation across the Group.

The report reflects a pivotal year for RTS Textiles Group, formed in early 2025 through the consolidation of RTS Textiles Ltd. with their long-standing joint venture partners TMG in Portugal and STM in Pakistan. This unification brought the businesses under full ownership as a single group, with all parties now shareholders, creating a global organisation with over 130 million metres of annual production capacity and operations spanning the UK, mainland Europe and Asia.

Across their facilities, they have delivered measurable environmental achievements. At Carrington Textiles International in Pakistan, €3.4 million were invested in a state-of-the-art Effluent Treatment Plant to enhance water treatment capacity. The site also reduced CO2 emissions by more than 20,000 tonnes, reclaimed 95% of caustic soda through its recovery plant and sourced 98% of steam consumption from biomass boilers.

At MGC in Portugal, a 7% reduction in CO2 emissions was realized per tonne of product. The site also digitised energy management using Siemens Energy Manager Pro and introduced composting initiatives by repurposing biomass ash.

In the UK, Pincroft generated 68% of its electricity through Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and transitioned 100% of its purchased electricity to renewable sources, supported by REGO certification.
RTS Textiles also strengthened their sustainable product offering with the addition of technologies and fibres like Sorona®, alongside our ongoing commitment to Better Cotton, REPREVE® recycled polyester, organic cotton, TENCEL™ and CiCLO®.

The third edition of the SMCCREATE conference, organised by AVK and the European Alli-ance for SMC BMC, will take place again in Prague (Vienna House Diplomat Prague), Czech Republic, on November 04th – 05th, 2025. The event brings together international experts to discuss the latest developments and applications in the field of SMC/BMC.

SMC and BMC – Innovative materials for modern designs
SMC (sheet moulding compound) and BMC (bulk moulding compound) are high-performance fibre composites that are particularly suitable for the manufacture of light-weight, complex-shaped components – they combine structural properties with a smooth surface. For this reason, SMC and BMC are increasingly being used in a wide range of end applications and markets.

Application-oriented content for the areas of design and development
SMCCREATE will once again offer a compact and high-quality program in 2025:
Over the course of one and a half days, leading companies and research institutions such as AOC, Owens Corning, Menzolit and TU Delft will present the latest findings, best prac-tices and innovative solutions relating to the use of SMC and BMC in modern construction processes.
Participants can look forward to a total of 15 presentations on the topics of market & trends, sustainability and design.

Ahead of this year’s ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition in Singapore from October 28-31, industry leading companies Archroma, BW Converting and Monforts will take part in a webtalk with German association VDMA on September 18th.

The three companies will share insights from recent trials conducted at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center in Germany, where a Baldwin TexCoat™ G4 spray unit has been integrated into a Montex stenter to apply Archroma’s latest waterborne chemicals. The collaborative effort aims to maximise resource efficiency and throughput in textile finishing. In addition, the partners will unveil details of a new, cutting-edge line concept set to debut at ITMA Asia in Singapore.

Installed in 2024 at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center in Mönchengladbach, the full-width Baldwin TexCoat G4 unit has enabled extensive real-world testing of advanced finishing formulations. The system’s integration into the Montex stenter has provided a valuable platform for evaluating performance, precision, and sustainability across a wide range of application scenarios.

“This work now enables us to guide manufacturers through the transition from standard impregnation processes to spray application systems, which have the potential to reduce water and energy consumption as less water is needed to transport the chemicals to the textile surface,” explains Michael Schuhmann, Global Marketing Segment Manager for Technical Textiles at Archroma Textile Effects. “Our latest addition to this range of options is a patent-pending, highly wash durable hydrophilic softener which enhances the longevity of the treated fabrics and will be commercially available soon.”

Commercial success
BW Converting is already seeing commercial success with the Baldwin TexCoat G4 system in the field. In Pakistan, for example, its integration into Montex stenters using Archroma chemistry has proven to be a highly effective line concept for bed sheet production.

“We have helped our customers double their stenter output, while also significantly enhancing the hand feel of the finished fabrics,” says Rick Stanford, Vice President of Business Development for Textiles at BW Converting.

Independent testing by Fashion for Good, a global platform for sustainable textile innovation, compared TexCoat G4 spray application with traditional pad-based finishing, using a Monforts stenter and Archroma formulations. The results confirmed that combining advanced equipment design, process expertise, and tailored chemistry can significantly reduce energy and water consumption while improving capacity utilisation for textile mills.

Monforts has long focused on developing optimised processes paired with energy-efficient machine layouts. Building on the success of their recent collaboration, the three partners are now working on a similar resource-saving concept, combining Monforts’ Thermex continuous dyeing range with the new Baldwin TexChroma spray dyeing system and Archroma dyestuffs.

“We are committed to continuing to work together with a focus on bringing transformative change to the dyeing and finishing space,” says Monforts Technologist Saskia Kuhlen.

The VDMA webtalk, Driving Innovation in Sustainable Textile Finishing and Beyond, will take place from 14.00 – 15.30 CET on September 18th and invitations will be published a week in advance via the VDMA LinkedIn channel.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has selected the REGEN project as one of three groundbreaking initiatives to integrate circularity into the defence sector. Uplift360, a pioneer in advanced material recycling technologies, will play a critical role in this effort, leveraging its specialist expertise in the recycling and regeneration of aramid fibres to advance sustainable material solutions for high-performance defence applications.

Uplift360 is a cleantech innovator specializing in the recycling of advanced materials, including carbon fibre and aramid. With a focus on circular economy solutions, Uplift360 provides technologies that reduce waste, lower emissions, and support a more sustainable future.

Driving Circularity in Defence
As part of the REGEN project, Uplift360 will focus on the recovery and reuse of continuous aramid fibres, a critical component in defence applications. This effort includes overcoming the complex challenge of PFAS coating removal, a significant barrier to scaling up advanced material recycling. By developing innovative technologies to increase the quality and characteristics of recycled spun aramids, Uplift360 aims to directly engage with material users for ongoing product evolution and development.

The REGEN project brings together a powerful consortium, including FECSA and AITEX from Spain, Uplift360 and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). This collaboration aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy within the defence sector by fostering knowledge sharing, technical innovation, and sustainable resource management.
 
Uplift360’s Role in REGEN
•    Advanced Fibre Recovery: Expertise in recycling and regeneration of aramid fibres.
•    PFAS Coatings Removal Technology: Developing solutions to overcome this critical scaling challenge.
•    Direct Industry Collaboration: Engaging with material users to refine and evolve product performance.
•    Circular Economy Leadership: Contributing to the long-term sustainability of defence materials.
•    Techno-economic analysis (TEA): To optimise the process accordingly.
 
Partners’ Roles in REGEN
•    FECSA: Coordinator of the REGEN project, FECSA leads the consortium and communication strategy, contributing its expertise in advanced protective textiles and sustainable innovation for the defence sector.
•    AITEX: As a partner in the REGEN project consortium, AITEX is leading the development of the fabric and characterisation testing. It is also supporting Uplift360 by contributing its expertise in optimising the wet-spinning process.
•    LIST: As a partner in the REGEN project consortium, LIST is responsible for the life cycle assessment (LCA).

Outlast Technologies, a global pioneer in temperature regulation, announces the launch of a next-generation fabric developed in collaboration with Reggiani Group, Italy’s renowned innovator in luxury textiles. This latest advancement is designed to elevate thermal com-fort across fashion, casualwear, and performance apparel - offering intelligent climate con-trol without compromise.

The new fabrics are the result of an intense collaboration between the two companies, combining Outlast’s patented temperature regulating technology with Reggiani’s heritage of textile excellence. At its core is a system of microcapsules filled with natural wax that absorb, store, and release heat as needed - constantly adapting to changes in body activity and ambient temperature. The result is a dynamic textile that keeps wearers in their com-fort zone, regardless of climate or activity level.

Engineered for discerning brands in high-end fashion, luxury athleisure, and technical sportswear, the fabric meets the evolving expectations of today’s consumers - who demand both advanced performance and responsible production. Developed using sustainable pro-cesses and carefully selected materials, the fabric reflects both companies’ deep commit-ment to innovation with purpose.

With this launch, Outlast and Reggiani Group are redefining what premium fabrics can achieve - fusing functionality, sustainability, and elegance into a single textile platform tailored for the next generation of apparel.

“This collaboration is a natural step in our Group’s ongoing pursuit of cutting-edge textile solutions,” says Giovanni Reggiani, CEO of Reggiani Group. “By combining Outlast’s tech-nological expertise with our tradition of material innovation, we have created a fabric that anticipates the needs of the future,” ads Marco Spola, General Manager of the Group.

“In a world of constant temperature shifts - from climate-controlled offices to parked cars baking in the sun - these fabrics allow wearers to stay comfortable without a second thought,” said Luca Nicolo, Outlast Sales Agent for Italy and France. “Our collaboration with Reggiani represents the perfect synergy between breakthrough technology and textile craftsmanship, and we’re proud to introduce this innovation to Europe and beyond.”

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) and HEXCEL Corporation (HEXCEL) have signed a long-term partnership agreement at the Paris Air Show for the supply of HexWeb® engineered honeycombs and HexPly® prepregs for KONGSBERG’s strategic production programs over a five-year period.

HEXCEL is a leading global manufacturer of advanced composite materials and lightweighting solutions for the aerospace sector and offers a broad and evolving product portfolio, including materials designed for Defence and Space, commercial aerospace and industrial applications.

“This partnership agreement is a reflection of HEXCEL and KONGSBERG’s strong relationship over many years and the company’s joint commitment to partnering for the future. The agreement provides a solid base for Kongberg’s production program for several years to come.” says Terje Bråthen, EVP Aerostructures & MRO at Kongsberg.

Thierry Merlot, HEXCEL President, Europe Middle East Africa Asia Pacific, adds “We are delighted that Kongsberg has placed their trust in Hexcel as their advanced composites solutions partner. This partnership agreement secures business on key programs in the defence market for years to come”.

KONGSBERG Defence & Aerospace, a subsidiary of KONGSBERG, is Norway’s premier supplier of defence and aerospace-related systems and solutions. The company’s portfolio comprises products and systems for command and control, information, data handling and surveillance, communications solutions, space technology, missiles and remotely controlled systems. KONGSBERG Defence & Aerospace also has extensive capabilities within advanced composite manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul within the aircraft and helicopter market.

It is estimated that around 100 billion items of clothing are currently produced worldwide, most of which will end up in recycling processes. Sorting these old textiles by hand requires an enormous amount of human labour. A research team is now developing new technologies that will enable robotic grippers to sort textiles more effectively.

“At present, automatic sorting systems mainly use contactless methods, such as visual and near-infrared sensors. But when people sort old textiles, they can do much more: When they touch the textiles, they can also quickly classify what should be reused and what should be recycled based on the feel of the fabric”, Hubert Zangl, project manager of AdapTex at the Department of Smart Systems Technologies at the University of Klagenfurt explains. If you want robotic grippers to perform this work, he goes on to explain, many challenges remain: “Physical interaction with objects and the evaluation of haptic feedback are not yet sufficiently developed in robotics. When sorting textiles, robots have to work in a complex environment with randomly assembled quantities of textiles made from different materials and in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Contamination can further complicate matters.”

The central factor here is the gripping process, which is crucial for the effective sorting of these materials in recycling plants. The research team is therefore focusing on improving the physical interaction between the robot gripper and the textiles with the aim of improving both the handling and the classification of the textiles. To this end, the researchers are developing textile-based, adaptive sensor skins for the robotic grippers. “These will be intelligent materials containing networks of sensors and actuators that can adapt optimally when touched,” says Hubert Zangl. The unique properties of AdapTex skin offer potential not only for use in textile recycling, but also in many other areas of the textile industry, such as sportswear, lifestyle clothing, and rehabilitation garments. It might also be possible to use the improved capabilities and functions for robots deployed in industrial manufacturing and automation.

The AdapTex project is coordinated at the University of Klagenfurt and the AAU/SAL USE Lab. The project partners are Grabher Group GmbH, Infineon Technologies Austria AG, Silicon Austria Labs GmbH and V-trion GmbH. AdapTex is supported by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG.

Textiles functionalized with antiviral agents are intended to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens, particularly in a medical environment. These antiviral properties must be carefully tested and verified in laboratory tests. The biological testing laboratory of the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) has examined antiviral activities with coronaviruses as part of an interdisciplinary research project on textiles for infection control.

Viruses can survive on plastic surfaces or textiles for several hours to days. These surfaces therefore play an important role in the transmission of viruses as pathogens. Numerous studies were done on this topic during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Textiles treated with antiviral agents can help to reduce this risk of transmission. This offers added value, especially for textiles used in medical environments.

In order to confirm these antiviral properties, laboratory tests are the state of the art and help to minimize trials in a medical environment. However, working with viruses is very complex and elaborate, as viruses cannot be proliferated on culture media like bacteria. By definition, viruses are not living organisms because they are dependent on host cells to replicate. For laboratory tests, this means that both technical expertise in microbiology and in cell culture technology must be combined for successful work. For laboratory activities involving human and animal pathogens, official authorization is required. The DITF biological testing laboratory is authorized for work with pathogens in accordance with the German Infection Protection Act and the Animal Pathogens Ordinance up to risk group 2. These are microorganisms that can cause disease in humans or animals which can be well controlled generally.

Usually test laboratories carry out antiviral tests with so-called bacteriophages because they are easier to handle. These viruses use bacteria as host cells to replicate. A different, more realistic approach was taken at the DITF as part of a research project. Here, antiviral activity was determined against a coronavirus. With the MHV virus, a corona virus was chosen that is genetically very closely related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and uses eukaryotic cells as a host. Eukaryotic cells are cells with a nucleus such as those found in humans and animals. The test procedure for determining the antiviral efficacy against coronaviruses had to be adapted to both the viruses and the host cells. In case the host cells are infected by the viruses and used as a “replication machine”, these cells show damages, so-called cytopathic effects, which are clearly visible under the light microscope. The visible damages to the host cells are used to determine the number of viruses indirectly as they are not visible under the light microscope due to their very small size.

As part of the joint research project with Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG to develop antimicrobial protective clothing for infection control based on AGXX® technology, a test protocol was developed at the DITF biological laboratory to determine the antiviral activity against a coronavirus. A significant inactivation of MHV coronaviruses of more than 99 percent was demonstrated in textiles finished with AGXX®. The tests on the antiviral properties of textiles against a coronavirus make an important contribution to the development and quality control of antiviral textiles.