Textination Newsline

Things can only get better

At the turn of the year, the German Economic Institute (IW) traditionally asked German associations about their economic expectations for the coming year. Most industries are reporting incisive difficulties and are hoping for an improvement in 2021. However, many companies will cut jobs - especially where there were have been already problems before the pandemic started.

At the end of the year, the German economy looked back on one of the most difficult years in recent history. The Covid-19 pandemic already hit many companies in spring 2020, and the current winter and the second wave have put struggling sectors under further strain. It is still not possible to predict when the situation will noticeably improve. This is also reflected in the traditional IW association survey: 34 of 43 associations interrogated reported a worse economic situation than the year ago. Those reporting an improved or unchanged position were often already in a difficult economic situation in the previous year. These include, the automotive and chemical industries respectively.

Four out of five companies in Germany at the turn of 2020/2021 judge the mood even worse than a year before. This crisis-prone initial position partly explains in general optimistic business expectations for 2021. According to the IW’s association survey, higher economic activity is expected in 26 of 43 sectors. By contrast, 13 associations expect a decrease in production in 2021. While there is a moderate recovery in investments overall, employment is expected to decline further in 23 sectors.

Looking ahead to 2021, the IW Association Survey is dominated by confidence. This is not surprising understanding this confidence as an improvement on the crisis year 2020. The expected increases can be explained having the massive drop in view as well as a poor starting point in 2020. For a number of companies and entire industries, this hopeful outlook for 2021 does not necessarily mean a return to pre-crisis production levels. The IW business survey with more than 2,200 companies conducted in November 2020 consistently shows, that around half of the companies surveyed still expect shortfalls in production by 2022 compared to the pre-crisis level (IW Research Group Macroeconomic Analysis and Business Cycle, 2020).

Textile industry and banks particularly pessimistic
After all, most associations are confident with a view to 2021, expecting their situation to improve - although the pre-crisis level is not yet in sight for many sectors. 26 associations are planning increased production for the coming year. 13 associations - including shipbuilding and marine technology, textile and fashion associations, and the food industry - predict lower production. Banks and construction companies also have subdued expectations for 2021, although the pandemic has had relatively little impact on these industries up to now.

Less jobs in the automotive industry
The outlook for the employment market is less optimistic: Only five of 43 associations surveyed expect their member companies to employ more people in the coming year. This includes the construction industry and handicraft businesses, which already suffered from a shortage of skilled workers before the crisis. 23 associations expect a reduction in employment, especially for industrial site. Particularly pessimistic are associations with member companies facing structural adjustment burdens in addition to the corona pandemic – like in the area of finance:

In the previous years, fewer and fewer customers used branches of banks. The automotive industry is also planning with fewer employees: In addition to the weak global economy, are strict exhaust emission limits and quotas for electric mobility put companies under pressure. Exports, which are extremely important for the industry, decreased by a similar amount.

The few industry associations whose members - on average across all enterprises and subsectors - are in the same or better position than at the previous turn of the year, are often sectors that were already in a difficult economic situation at the turn of 2019/2020. The automotive industry, segments of the metal and electrical industry as well as the chemical industry point to this. The Covid-19 crisis already records a negative history for parts of the industry. 2019 the downturn in business was partly the result of a cyclical normalization after a phase of high capacity utilization. Above all, protectionism and geopolitical uncertainties weighed on global investment activity, and hit the German industry, which is heavily involved in the international capital goods business. Technological challenges - due to digitization and climate change for example - also created adjustment burdens.

As a result of the Corona pandemic, the PERFORMANCE DAYS fair on December 9^th - 10^th and the accompanying sustain&innovate conference for sustainability on December 10 could only take place in digital form. Nevertheless: exhibitors, visitors and partners can look back on a successful event. The focus topic “Nothing to Waste – Closing the Loop“ relating to the issue of the textile circular economy in the course of the sustain&innovate conference also provided great discussion material while generating a positive response.

The PERFORMANCE DAYS team also expresses its satisfaction. Because despite the event being solely a digital event on the 9^th and 10^th of December 2020, an estimated 15,000 participants made extensive use of the comprehensive online offerings of the 191 digital exhibitors, among them drirelease/OPTIMER, Merryson, Stotz, HeiQ, Schoeller Textil, Long Advance, Dry-Tex, Utenos, Fidlock, Cifra, dekoGraphics and Jia Meir, during the week of the fair. The popular “Contact Supplier” function was supplemented with a new online tool that allows exhibitors to be contacted directly via chat, call or per video. A total of 3,250 fabric sample orders were placed with exhibitors. The variety on offer included fabric innovations for Autumn/Winter 2022/2023 within the top class PERFORMANCE FORUM and an extensive digital supporting program via live-stream with informative webinars, talks and rounds of discussions. Best of all: the resulting videos will be available on demand on the PERFORMANCE DAYS website free of charge.  
 
Finally standard: PERFORMANCE FORUM with sustainable materials
Innovative, sustainable and cutting-edge: the 240 fabrics plus accessory trends at this year’s PERFORMANCE FORUM impressed throughout with exciting environmentally conscious solutions. Natural fibers such as hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, wool or coconut shell remain in demand, while manufacturers are also increasingly refraining from the use of environmentally harmful chemicals, avoiding microplastics, advocating natural dyeing processes and either trying to return fabrics to the cycle, recycle plastic and other waste in order to produce fibres in such a way that they are biodegradable. This environmental awareness is also reflected in this year’s FOCUS TOPIC – so here the 24 best fabrics not only score in terms of sustainability, but also demonstrate that they are both functional and can be returned to the textile cycle, true to the motto “Nothing to Waste – Closing the Loop.   

In the Marketplace section, visitors have the opportunity to view more than 9,500 exhibitor products, including the fabric highlights of the individual categories of the PERFORMANCE FORUMS. In order to be able to digitally present the fabrics to visitors as realistically as possible in terms of feel, design and structure, the Forum has been equipped with innovative 3D technology, including innovative tools such as 3D images, video animations and U3M files for download.  

From fiber to fiber: successful sustain&innovate conference generates discussion  
Textile circular economy is considered part of the solution to the global waste problem, curbing the consumption of resources and reducing climate damaging greenhouse gases. But what exactly is the circular economy and how can it succeed? Most importantly, how far are fiber manufacturers in developing mono-component fabrics that can eventually be returned back into the textile cycle?    
The Focus Topic of this year’s sustainability conference, launched in cooperation with SPORTSFASHION by SAZ, offered a platform for discussion and strove to enlighten with evocative talks, discussion rounds and webinars. Christiane Dolva, Head of Sustainability at Fjällräven, got to the heart of the matter at the start of the expert talks on the second day of the fair, outlining how important emotional consistency is for the brand itself and ultimately also for the consumer – especially when it comes to textile recycling. Durability, good quality, in combination with timeless design are more important than ever today and in the future in terms of sustainable action. Added to this is the possibility of reviving products by means of a repair service. Equally exciting: the development of new technologies in terms of recycling. Erik Bang from the H&M Foundation provided a first glimpse of the new Greenmachine, which should make it possible to separate mixed fabrics such as cotton and polyester as early as 2021. Alternatively, old clothing is converted into new fibres thanks to companies such as WornAgain, Re:newcell, Spinnova or Infinited Fiber, which soon promises to be more than just a mere vision. For those who wish to gain insight into the supply chain of their purchased garment, the start-up know your stuff lets customers track the journey of the respective garment by simply scanning a QR code on the garment in a store or online.    
 
Free extensive retrospective
The next edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS is planned as a hybrid fair and will take place on May 19^th and May 20^th, 2021 in Munich as well as online. Until then, the PERFORMANCE DAYS platform will remain accessible, for instance with the Marketplace and further inspiring topics of (video) material stories to make online sourcing even easier. The talks from the first day of the fair and the conference will be accessible free of charge on the fair website.

The most importantt links:
Highlights of Expert Talks & Webinars
https://www.performancedays.com/digital-fair/expert-talk-webinar.html

Marketplace:
https://www.performancedays.com/marketplace.html

3D-Forum:
https://www.performancedays.com/digital-fair/forum-highlights/3d-forum.html

PERFORMANCE COLORS by Nora Kühner
https://www.performancedays.com/digital-fair/color-trends.html

As the year draws to a close, expectations are growing that protection against COVID-19 will soon be available. Until this is the case for large sections of the population, the successes achieved in research and industry to protect against the virus in 2020 offer a good starting point in the fight against corona and beyond. At institutes in the Zuse community, progress have been made not only in medical but also in materials research.

These successes in materials research include innovations in the coating of surfaces. "In the wake of the pandemic, the demand for antiviral and antimicrobial surfaces has risen sharply, and we have successfully intensified our research in this area," explains Dr. Sebastian Spange, Head of Surface Technology at the Jena research institute INNOVENT. He expects to see an increasing number of products with antiviral surfaces in the future. "Our tests with model organisms show that an appropriate coating of surfaces works", emphasizes Spange. The spectrum of techniques used by INNOVENT includes flame treatment, plasma coating and the so-called Sol-Gel process, in which organic and inorganic substances can be combined in one layer at relatively low temperatures. According to Spange, materials for the coatings can be antibacterial metal compounds as well as natural substances with antiviral potential.

Nonwovens produced for mask manufacturers
In 2020, the textile expertise of numerous institutes in the Zuse community ensured that application-oriented research could prove its worth in the practical fight against pandemics. After the shortage of mask supplies in Germany at the beginning of the pandemic, textile research institutes reacted to the shortage by jumping into the breach. The Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI), for example, converted its research facilities to the production of nonwovens to supply German and European manufacturers of particle filtering protective masks. "From March to November 2020, we supplied nonwovens to various manufacturers in order to provide the best possible support for mask production and thus help contain the pandemic. At a critical time for industry and the population, we were able to help relieve critical production capacity - an unaccustomed role for a research institute, but one we would assume again in similar situations," explains Andreas Berthel, Managing Commercial Director of STFI.

Development of reusable medical face masks
For the improvement of everyday as well as medical face masks the German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are working on this project. In cooperation with an industrial partner, they are currently developing in Denkendorf, among other things, reusable medical face masks made of high-performance precision fabric using Jacquard weaving technology. The multiple use avoids waste and possible supply bottlenecks.

There are regulations for all types of masks, now also for everyday masks. At Hohenstein, compliance with standards for masks is checked. A new European guideline defines minimum requirements for the design, performance evaluation, labelling and packaging of everyday masks. "As a testing laboratory for medical products, we test the functionality of medical masks from microbiological-hygienic and physical aspects", explains Hohenstein's Managing Director Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels. In this way, Hohenstein supports manufacturers, among other things, with technical documentation to prove the effectiveness and safety. Respiratory protection masks (FFP 1, FFP 2 and FFP 3) have been tested at the Plastics Centre (SKZ) in Würzburg since the middle of this year. Among other things, inhalation and exhalation resistance and the passage of particles are tested. In addition, SKZ itself has entered into mask research. In cooperation with a medical technology specialist, SKZ is developing an innovative mask consisting of a cleanable and sterilizable mask carrier and replaceable filter elements.

ILK tests for mouth-nose protection
The fight against Corona is won by the contributions of humans: Of researchers in laboratories, of developers and manufacturers in the Industry as well as from the citizens on the street.
Against this background, the Institute for Air and Refrigeration Technology (ILK) in Dresden has carried out investigations into the permeability of the mouth and nose protection (MNS), namely on possible impairments when breathing through the mask as well as the protective function of everyday masks. Result: Although the materials used for the mouth-nose protection are able to retain about 95 percent of the exhaled droplets, "under practical aspects and consideration of leakages" it can be assumed that about 50 percent to 70 percent of the droplets enter the room, according to the ILK. If the mask is worn below the nose only, it can even be assumed that about 90 percent of the exhaled particles will enter the room due to the large proportion of nasal breathing. This illustrates the importance of tight-fitting and correctly worn mouth and nose protection. "On the other hand, from a physical point of view there are no reasons against wearing a mask", ILK managing director Prof. Dr. Uwe Franzke emphasizes. The researchers examined the CO2 content in the air we breathe as well as the higher effort required for breathing and based this on the criterion of overcoming the pressure loss. "The investigations on pressure loss showed a small, but practically irrelevant increase," explains Franzke.

The complete ILK report "Investigations on the effect of mouth and nose protection (MNS)" is available here.

• Rapid assistance to more than 200 000 people affected

Many hundreds of thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh are at risk of sliding into poverty as a result of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. According to EU estimates, about half of the four to five million workers in the sector have either been laid off or made redundant since spring 2020 – in some cases without social security to back them up. To mitigate the dramatic economic consequences, the EU is now redirecting its existing sector budget support to Bangladesh. From now on, around EUR 90 million is to be channelled into a new government programme to finance wage substitution benefits for workers made redundant in the textile sector - including the leather and shoe industries – or at least to provide a short-term interim solution for workers who have been dismissed. German Financial Cooperation (FC) is now increasing these EU funds by EUR 20 million.

"The textile sector," says KfW office manager Anirban Kundu, "is the backbone of the economy in Bangladesh. The export share of the textile industry alone accounts for 86% of the economy, and the total trade volume is around USD 40 billion. If it is doing badly, the whole country is doing badly."

The corona pandemic is therefore causing enormous disturbances in the sector. Many orders were cancelled and goods already produced were often not taken. "Even though the situation has eased somewhat in the meantime," Kundu continues, "things remain critical - not least because of increased price pressure or because orders have not reached the previous level." As a result, the people affected find themselves in an emergency situation that threatens their very existence. Some employees on leave of absence only receive wage substitution benefits for the first 45 days. Dismissed employees who were not previously employed for a certain minimum period of time do not receive any support at all.

Still many workers on leave even though production resumes
In April 2020, the Bangladeshi government launched four economic support packages totalling around EUR 7.3 billion to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. With the emergency aid now launched at short notice, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is topping up the existing EU sector budget support of EUR 93 million by up to EUR 20 million. This grant to the national budget for 2020 not only makes it possible to re-finance wage substitution payments for released textile workers, but also provides support, at least in the short term, to those who are particularly hard hit by a dismissal: for example mothers who do not receive benefits after the birth of a child, or those women and men who have been employed by a company for less than a year.

From November onwards, they are to receive the equivalent of around EUR 30 per month, initially for a maximum of three months, and possibly more. To ensure that this money reaches its destination, it will be transferred electronically to the bank accounts of those concerned via appropriate government platforms. The relevant export associations in the textile sector provide monthly updated figures on the number of workers released or dismissed.

"Subsidy does not release employers from their obligations"
Some 215,000 workers benefit directly from the payments through the German contribution alone, but indirectly almost four times as many benefit from them: Not only the family members, but also the communities where the textile workers live, as well as transport companies, street traders and other local service providers. Without this rapid support and the resumption of production, lasting economic damage to Bangladesh's already small and fragile economy can be expected. But Anirban Kundu also makes it clear: "It is by no means the intention to release employers from their legal obligations to continue to pay wages. Rather, the aim is to ensure that the emergency aid reaches workers who are no longer entitled to statutory continued payment of wages, so that they can at least make up for some of their misery."

 

 

• Hybrid concept to combine the best of both worlds
• Systematic enhancement of ISPO’s digital strategy
• End consumers to be digitally integrated into the event for the first time

The world-leading trade fair ISPO Munich will take place from January 31 to February 3, 2021, for the first time as a hybrid event that will be held both in-person in Munich and online around the world. The new concept marks the event’s systematic transformation into a platform and applies the broad range of digital expertise that ISPO has gained over the past 10 years. With the threat of travel restrictions looming over the trade fair, the digital elements will create the ideal basis for integrating global target groups: While representatives from European markets are generally expected to attend the in-person event, the digital enhancements will enable an intercontinental audience to participate as well. Another new addition next year will be the digital integration of end consumers.

“Sports and outdoor activities – two areas that are closely related to the topic of health at the moment – have never been so socially relevant,” said Klaus Dittrich, the Chairman and CEO of Messe München. “This has created a growing desire in the industry for personal interaction. The urge to present and discuss new potential, partnerships and business models is greater than ever. The industry has been communicating this need to us, and we have come up with the concept to meet it.”

Personal interaction meets global participation
New participation options, new topics, expanded target groups: All of these things are reflected in particular in the large number of physical and digital attendance options devoted to the focus topics of creativity & digitalization, health and sustainability. In addition to product presentations in the trade fair halls, the event will focus on networking, matchmaking, knowledge transfer and innovations.

Thanks to the integrated hybrid stages, people will be able to attend presentations, talks and workshops not only on site, but also from locations around the world. Brands, key players and top athletes will speak with an audience that extends well beyond the walls of the trade fair halls. ISPO Munich will also include two single-day conference formats: ISPO Digitize Summit (February 1, 2021) and the Sports Tech Conference Europe (February 2, 2021).

In implementing the hybrid concept, the ISPO team has drawn on the digital expertise and reach that it has acquired over the past 10 years: They are based on the development of an eco-system with services that extend along the value chain and on the implementation of an entirely digital ISPO Re.Start Days in the summer of 2020.

New: digital integration of end consumers  
For the first time, end consumers will have an opportunity to experience something that was formerly reserved for the B2B audience: the chance to participate digitally and conduct a direct dialogue with the industry. With the help of presentations, workshops and master classes, the brands and companies will have an opportunity to make digital presentations to sports and outdoor fans around the world and speak directly to them. The ISPO Open Innovation Community has already demonstrated the effectiveness of this concept: Approximately 80,000 end consumers contribute their know-how to crowd-sourcing and market research campaigns and provide companies with valuable insights about new products and ideas throughout the year.

Personal interaction on the exhibition grounds in Munich will remain the provision of the B2B audience.  

Markus Hefter: “We are ready for ISPO Munich 2021 and are really looking forward to lots of new ideas. One thing is clear: Even though many issues can be solved digitally, the desire to meet and interact in person has grown dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic. We are really happy about the strong support we have received from the industry and will provide our customers with a safe platform.”

Maximum safety and flexibility  
A comprehensive safety and hygiene concept that Messe München worked out with the state government of Bavaria will be used during the on-site activities of ISPO Munich 2021. The safety of exhibitors and visitors will have the highest priority. Events began to be successfully held once again on the Munich exhibition grounds on September 1. The rule of thumb for international visitors is: Trade fair participants may travel from all countries to Germany provided that certain conditions are met because they are considered to be business travelers on an important mission.

Exhibitors will have more flexibility as a result of the extension of deadlines and flexible cancellation terms. If needed, pre-built booths may be used in order to cost-effectively and efficiently participate in the trade fair.

If exhibitors or visitors have any questions about the safety and hygiene concept, they may contact the Messe München hotline by phone +49 89 949 11400 or e-mail at corona.support@messe-muenchen.de. The service hours are: Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Carl Meiser GmbH & Co. KG - started in the early 1950s as a day- and nightwear manufacturer. Over the last 20 years the company has become a specialist in the field of technical textiles. With its brand nopma Technical Textiles the company is present as developer and producer of textile solutions via coatings. The main products are nopma anti-slip - textiles with anti-slip effect, nopma adhesion - adhesive pre-coated films, spacer fabrics and substrates for lamination in automotive interiors, nopma ceramics - abrasive more resistant textile surfaces and nopma silicones - silicone coatings on textile surfaces.

Textination talked to the managing director, Jens Meiser, who joined the company in 2005, realigned the division and developed it into a service provider, about his plans and objectives.

Founded in 1952, Carl Meiser GmbH & Co.KG has changed from a day- and nightwear manufacturer to an innovator in the field of technical textiles, presenting themselves as a specialist for plastic-based coating processes. If you had to introduce yourself in 100 words to someone who does not know the company: What has influenced you most in this development process and what makes you unique?
Innovation is the new normal - This has been true for the textile industry not just since Sars CoV-2. Our industry was one of the first to be disrupted in the early 1990s and has always been subject to constant change. This urge for further development, which is essential for survival, has left its mark on us intensively and has enabled us to manage huge leaps in innovation in recent years

Today we regard ourselves as an innovative development and production service provider with a focus on textile coating. We develop and produce almost exclusively customized special solutions.

Through the combination of coatings on textiles these hybrid materials receive completely new properties.

You manufacture exclusively at your location in Germany. Why? Have you never been tempted to set up subsidiaries in other countries, for example to benefit from lower wage levels?
Today we supply global supply chains from our headquarter in southern Germany. Although we produce in a high-wage country, much more important for us are know-how and the drive of our team to create something new. Globalization will continue to be the key to success in the future. Therefore, subsidiaries in North America and Asia could be very interesting for us in the medium- and long-term perspective. However, this is still too early for us.

You use CIP and Kaizen techniques intensively in your company. How did a Japanese concept come about in the Swabian Alb?
KAIZEN, the change for the better, are actually German virtues. The urge to improve and optimize things is in all of us. Due to the continuous improvement process we do not stand still but evolve constantly. Besides, there is the personal affinity to Japan. A look at another culture simply opens the horizon. And if you additionally recognize parallels in the working methods, it’s even better. 

10 years ago, you turned your attention to new markets: aviation, automotive, protection, caravan and furniture manufacturing, to name just a few. Some of these segments have collapsed significantly during the Covid 19 pandemic. What market development do you expect in the medium term and what consequences will this have for your company?
Of course, the aviation or automotive industry, for example, have substantial problems during or due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Quite honestly, many of these problems existed before. They were further tightened, as if a fire accelerator has been used. Of course, these cut-backs are also hitting us hard economically. But we are pursuing long-term goals. As a medium-sized company, you have to have the resilience to continue on your path. Thanks to our specialisation and the split of our industrial sectors, which we drive forward every day, we manage to decouple ourselves more and more from economic developments in individual industries. For our customers this is a great advantage of relying on a very stable partner with long-term orientation.

We are positive about the future. Megatrends like sustainability, digitization and ongoing globalization will lead to new business models in the above-mentioned sectors, as in many others, and to renewed growth. Our coatings on textiles and flexible woven materials can contribute a wide range of solutions to this. If, for example, materials become lighter with identical usage properties or suddenly become biodegradable, because of biodegradable plastics, many new opportunities will arise.

Tailor-made instead of solutions for major customers: The topic of individualization down to batch size 1 is making up a large part of the discussion today. In 2015, you opened a large development laboratory where you have a wide range of testing technologies for textiles and plastics available. What do you think about individual product solutions, and in which application areas have you successfully implemented them?
In principle, we do not use any standards. We live individualization with the smallest possible batch sizes. In our field, we do not manage batch size 1, but we start with MOQs of 300 running meters at process-safe series production. We have very few finished products, and above all we have no collections. Our development laboratory is the key for this. Together with our customers we have the possibilities to realize very lean development processes.

Even on a laboratory scale, we can develop and test new products within just a few hours. We then strive to scale up to production at a very early stage in order to obtain production series results. This way, we offer our clients speed and power that represent a special potential for our partners.

You register important input factors in the production process and evaluate them in monthly environmental analyses. What are these factors in concrete terms and to what extent have their analyses already changed production operations? How do you define environmental management for your company?
For us, environmental management means a holistic approach. In principle, we operate production units and manufacture products that consume many resources. Due to the high production volumes, this continues to accumulate. Because of this, it is self-understanding that we record and evaluate our input and output flows and derive measures from them. This makes economic sense, but is also necessary because of our responsibility for our environment. Specifically, these are energy consumption values, consumption data of primary chemicals, electricity load peaks, our Co2 footprint, just to name a few. This consideration has changed us in many areas. Today we operate a power plant with gas condensing technology, our free roof areas are greened or carry photovoltaic modules, we offer our employees and visitors electric filling stations and finally we have converted the entire power supply of our factory to environmentally friendly hydroelectric power.

With nopma, you have been building up a brand for the technical textiles industry since several years and communicate this via an Individual website parallel to Carl Meiser GmbH & Co. KG. How did this brand name come about and what is the product portfolio behind it?
This is the name of a first technical textile product from the 1990s. It was a textile - coated with dots. Dots on a knitted fabric. NOPMA. My father created this brand.

In 2016 you invested in an additional production line for nopma products and were able to start a directly serial delivery in the NAFTA area. How do you currently assess the market opportunities for North America and Mexico?
We continue to see opportunities in globalization and thus on the North American market also. However, these markets are still severely affected by the pandemic and there are major distortions. When these return to normal, we surely will see more success on these markets again.

As an innovation leader, Meiser offers solvent-free PU adhesive systems as pre-coatings for lamination. How do you assess the importance of such innovations in the context of REACH?
These innovations offer our customers the opportunity to decouple themselves from the pressure REACH triggers in some industries. However, we also have some products that have been developed newly in recent months. This keeps us busy, but also creates opportunities to open up new market segments.

How have you felt about the corona era to date - as a company and personally? What would you on no account want to go through again and what might you even consider maintaining on a daily basis?
I think this time has also strengthened us as a society, as people and even as entrepreneurs. Each crisis you go through makes you a little more relaxed for the unforeseen, but also more motivated to achieve your goals. In my opinion, there have been a lot of positive things in the last few months. Suddenly, for example, digitalization tools have become accepted in our everyday lives, and I feel that people are paying more attention to others again. Hopefully this will stay this way.

The futuristic "tube" escalator at the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall is just as impressive as the building itself and the longest escalator in western Europe. In August, a start-up based in Cologne installed an UV technology that keeps the handrails clean at all times. At the same time, you presented an antiviral functional coating that can be applied to all textiles in the form of yard goods. How does this work and for what purposes will this technology be suitable?
We have already been working with antimicrobial finishing techniques for many years. This already started with the swine flu in 2009/2010, when we made initial contacts with a young start-up and launched a development. Due to a lack of market interest, however, this had to be discontinued after a few months. Today we are experts in the field of "antimicrobial equipment by means of coatings". We were also able to build up an enormous amount of knowledge on the subject of approval and biocide regulation. Today, we can support our customers holistically in these areas. The function by skin-compatible active substances from the cosmetics sector with a vesicle booster can kill viruses and bacteria within a few minutes.
Since the pandemic has shown us the enormous importance of a new level of hygiene, the applications are very diverse and differentiated. We have already realized the use in personal protective equipment, work furniture, vehicles and for example gloves. In principle, every application is predestined where textile carriers are exposed to many touches by different persons in high frequency. Here our nopma products offer a new level of protection and hygiene.

To break new ground means decisiveness, overcoming fears - and thus the courage to fail. Not every project can succeed. In retrospect - about which entrepreneurial decision are you particularly glad to have made it?
We fail again and again. This is part of the game. But it has never happened that we did not learn anything. The pandemic situation is another good example. In spring we accepted our corporate responsibility for our society and were one of two companies in Baden-Württemberg to achieve certification for FFP protective masks. Since we did not want to participate in the revolver market at that time, we offered these products only to the public sector at favourable pre-crisis prices. However, the decision makers could not make up their minds for weeks and did not order. This disappointed our whole team very much at that time. Today we have overcome this and have taken a lot of knowledge with us from this development.

The interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH

Die Veranstalter der Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics sind entschlossen, digitale Lösungen zu nutzen und so Aussteller und Besucher zu unterstützen, die weder an der Frühjahrsausgabe der Intertextile in Shanghai im März, noch an der kommenden Herbstausgabe vom 23. - 25. September teilnehmen konnten und können. Zu der in diesem Monat stattfindenden Messe werden rund 3.400 Aussteller aus mehr als 20 Ländern und Regionen erwartet. Mit der mobilen Intertextile-App, einer Online-Business-Matching-Plattform mit verschiedenen Zusatzfunktionen, nutzt die Intertextile weiterhin ihr vielfältiges Netzwerk in der Textilindustrie, um bei der Adressierung von Beschaffungsbedarf und der Entwicklung neuer Geschäftschancen zu helfen.

"Um uns auf die Herbstausgabe der Intertextile vorzubereiten, haben wir in engem Kontakt mit Ausstellern und Besuchern aus Übersee gestanden. Uns ist bewusst, dass einige im September möglicherweise nicht nach China reisen werden können. Wir verstehen, dass in diesen Zeiten alternative Lösungen notwendig sind, um unseren Ausstellern und Besuchern dabei zu helfen, die durch den Ausbruch von COVID-19 verursachten Hemmnisse zu überwinden. Deshalb haben wir die derzeit verfügbaren Online-Tools und -Dienste evaluiert und nach neuen Wegen gesucht, um die Branche digital zu verbinden ", sagte Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager der Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

"Unsere digitalen Lösungen werden allen Szenarien gerecht - Lieferanten und Einkäufer aus dem In- und Ausland, die seit dem Ausbleiben der Frühjahrsausgabe von Intertextile bestrebt waren, miteinander in Kontakt zu treten, und dies gleichzeitig als Werbemöglichkeit oder Geschäfts- und Networking-Angebote vor der Herbst-Ausgabe nutzen. Dies wird einen nahtlosen Informationsaustausch für internationale Online- und Offline-Geschäfte vor, während und nach der Messe ermöglichen, um die Erholung der Branche wirklich zu unterstützen ", so Frau Wen weiter.

Maximierung der Bekanntheit und der Geschäftsmöglichkeiten von Marken:
Mit den digitalen Lösungen der Intertextile erhalten Aussteller Zugriff auf deren wertvolle Datenbank - mehr als 100.000 Käufer aus über 100 Ländern und Regionen. Um inländische Käufer zu erreichen, können Aussteller die mobile Intertextile-App herunterladen und selbst Produktinformationen und Fotos hochladen. Sie können mit Käufern interagieren indem sie ihre jüngsten Unternehmensneuigkeiten, Entwicklungen und Verkaufsförderungsmaßnahmen teilen.
Die Aussteller haben außerdem Zugriff auf die Kontakte der Käufer, sodass sie über die integrierte Messenger-Funktion der App Online- oder Vor-Ort-Meetings im Voraus planen können. Die mobile App enthält Informationen zur Messe wie beispielsweise Updates zu Karten, Verkehr und Rahmenprogrammen, was sie zu einem All-in-One-Tool für Aussteller macht, die Komfort auf der Messe und gleichzeitig zusätzliche Aufmerksamkeit bevorzugen, die nicht auf die dreitägige Ausstellungsdauer beschränkt ist.

Als besondere Maßnahme als Reaktion auf COVID-19 erweitert die Intertextile ihr Angebot für Aussteller und Besucher, auf deren Online-Business-Matching-Plattform Connect PLUS zugreifen zu können. Diese wird normalerweise nur zur Planung von Geschäftstreffen vor Ort vor der Messe verwendet. Connect PLUS ist jetzt verfügbar für Online-Business-Matching vor und nach der Messe. Basierend auf datengesteuerten intelligenten Empfehlungen können Aussteller Käuferprofile aus Übersee aus der Intertextile-Datenbank abrufen und proaktiv Verbindungsanfragen senden. Mit Instant Messaging- und Videoanruffunktionen eignet sich die Plattform für Aussteller, um Käufer aus Übersee zu kontaktieren, die nicht an der Intertextile teilnehmen können. Dies ist auch ein perfektes Instrument für das Business-Matching nach der Veranstaltung und zur Steigerung der Sourcing-Effizienz. Aussteller können darüber hinaus Sponsoren-Pakete nutzen, um auf der Plattform zu werben und so ihre Bekanntheit steigern.

Weitere Informationen zu den digitalen Lösungen der Intertextile finden Sie online: https://intertextile-shanghai-apparel-fabrics-autumn.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shanghai/en/Online_Platforms.html

Online-Inhalte für Teilnehmer aus Übersee
Das Team der Intertextile bereitet eine verstärkte Weitergabe von Inhalten vor der Veranstaltung in Form von Webinaren vor, die als "Textile e-Dialogue" -Serie bezeichnet werden. Durch die Bewerbung von Aussteller-Webinaren vor der Veranstaltung über Newsletter und die Website der Messe, wird dies dem Online-Publikum ermöglichen, um sich über die neuesten Branchennachrichten zu informieren und gleichzeitig mit den Ausstellern über Fragen und Antworten zu interagieren.

Während der Messe werden Rahmenprogramme wie Produktpräsentationen für Käufer vor Ort und das Online-Publikum live übertragen, die wiederum in Echtzeit Fragen stellen und Antworten bekommen können. Die Präsentationen werden aufgezeichnet und zum Anzeigen und Teilen auf Social-Media-Plattformen zur Verfügung gestellt, so dass Aussteller und Käufer aus Übersee und aus verschiedenen Zeitzonen die Highlights der Messe nach Belieben kennenlernen können.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics - Die Herbstausgabe 2020 findet vom 23. bis 25. September gleichzeitig mit der Yarn Expo Autumn, der CHIC und der PH Value im Nationalen Ausstellungs- und Kongresszentrum (Shanghai) statt. Die Messe wird von der Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd., dem Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT, und dem China Textile Information Center gemeinsam organisiert.

 

• Noch 84 Messen bis zum Jahresende geplant

Nach fast sechs Monaten Stillstand aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie finden ab September in Deutschland wieder größere Messen für Fachbesucher und allgemeines Publikum statt, vielfach in veränderten Formaten und teilweise mit digitalen Ergänzungen.

„Viele Aussteller und Besucher warten auf den Messe-Neustart, denn Messen werden den Branchen wieder Nachfrage-Impulse geben, durch die Präsentation von Innovationen und durch persönliche vertrauensbildende Kommunikation“, erläutert Jörn Holtmeier, Geschäftsführer des AUMA – Verband der deutschen Messewirtschaft, die Bedeutung des Re-Starts für die Wirtschaft.

„Aussteller und Besucher zeigen durch ihre Teilnahme, dass sie sich von Messen auch unter veränderten Rahmenbedingungen hohen Nutzen versprechen. Neben dem geschäftlichen Erfolg gehören dazu noch Zusatzeffekte wie Imagebuilding etwa durch die Demonstration von Innovationsstärke, die Präsenz von Unternehmen und Branche in den Fachmedien und der direkte Erfahrungsaustausch innerhalb der Branche.“

Caravan Salon ist größte Messe zum Auftakt
Allein im September sind zwölf Messen geplant, darunter mehrere internationale Veranstaltungen, vom CARAVAN SALON in Düsseldorf als größte Messe zum Neustart und der Kompaktversion der IFA Berlin gleich in der ersten September-Woche bis zur INTERBOOT in Friedrichshafen am Monatsende.

Der Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung der Messe Düsseldorf, Wolfram N. Diener, freut sich auf den Re-Start des Messebetriebs in Deutschland: „Wir wollen ein Signal setzen: Messen können auch in Corona-Zeiten funktionieren. In enger Abstimmung mit Behörden, Partnern und Kunden haben wir den CARAVAN SALON 2020 unter hohen Hygiene- und Sicherheitsstandards realisiert. Das Ergebnis: Rund 350 Aussteller in elf Messehallen präsentieren die gesamte Bandbreite des mobilen Reisens.“

Messen sind keine Großveranstaltungen
Von der Verlängerung des Großveranstaltungsverbots durch die Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz am 27. August 2020 ist die Messewirtschaft nicht betroffen. Bereits seit 6. Mai 2020 werden Messen separat betrachtet. Dementsprechend sind für die Monate September bis Dezember gegenwärtig insgesamt 84 vom AUMA gelistete Messen geplant, davon 47 mit internationaler oder nationaler Bedeutung und 37 mit regionaler Bedeutung. Die Termine für die Messen in der nächsten Zeit sind beim AUMA gelistet unter: www.auma.de/Messedaten.

Basis für die Durchführung der Branchentreffs sind ausgefeilte Konzepte für den Gesundheitsschutz, die von den zuständigen Gesundheitsbehörden genehmigt werden. „Die Messeveranstalter setzen alles daran, für die Aussteller und Besucher sichere und erfolgversprechende Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen. Größe und Qualität der Messegelände bieten sehr gute Voraussetzungen, die Hygiene- und Abstandsregeln umzusetzen“, so AUMA-Geschäftsführer Jörn Holtmeier.

Die Eckpunkte der Schutzmaßnahmen sowie die Sicherheitskonzepte für alle Messestandorte in Deutschland hat der AUMA hat auf seiner Website gelistet:
www.auma.de/de/ausstellen/recht/hygiene-und-abstandskonzepte-auf-messen-in-deutschland

AUMA-Vorsitzender Philip Harting: Wer jetzt auf Messen setzt, kann Marktanteile gewinnen:
„Es gilt das Prinzip: Wer wagt, gewinnt. Wer in den nächsten Monaten auf Messen setzt, hat früher als andere die Chance, auf Innovationen eine direkte, ungefilterte Resonanz zu erhalten, denn auf Messen kann der Kunde prüfen und testen. Und wenn der Kunde sich von der Qualität überzeugt hat, entscheidet er einfach schneller.

Denn gerade neue Kunden zu gewinnen, ist mit Hilfe digitaler Formate äußerst schwierig. Das haben viele Unternehmen in den letzten Wochen und Monaten erfahren. Nebenbei bekommt ein Aussteller noch wertvolle Tipps für die Weiterentwicklung seiner Produkte“. Und, so Harting, wer auf Messen ausstelle, finde schneller fachlich und menschlich passende Kooperationspartner, um die Krise besser zu bestehen. Nicht zuletzt könne man dringend notwendige Geschäftsabschlüsse anbahnen, vielleicht nicht so umfangreiche wie gewohnt, aber aus kleinen Aufträgen würden oft genug mittelfristig große.

Ebenso großen Nutzen bieten Messen in der gegenwärtigen Situation Fachbesuchern. Der AUMA-Vorsitzende: „Fachbesucher können frühzeitig mit potentiellen neuen Lieferanten persönlich verhandeln, Technik- und Design-Innovationen früher als andere live erleben und auch Anregungen finden, wie man im Einzelhandel zögernde Verbraucher begeistern kann.“

• Interview with Klaus Kottmeier, Elke Giese, Markus Gotta, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Maike Rabe

In June 1988, the shareholders and management of Deutscher Fachverlag announced the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation to the textile and garment industry. Its purpose is to promote vocational training, including student assistance as well as science and research.

Upon its establishment, the Foundation received an initial endowment of DM 300,000 from Deut-scher Fachverlag. Today, the Foundation has assets of approx. 2,85 m. Euro (as at Dec 2019). Since 1988, the foundation has awarded sponsorship prizes of around EUR 1,933,564 (as of June 2020) to date, in order to fund the initial and further training of young people from all areas of the textile industry, with a particular focus on young and up-and-coming talents.

Textination talked to the former chairman of the supervisory board of Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH, the current member of the executive board and founding member of the foundation, Klaus Kottmeier, as well as three members of the board of trustees: Mrs. Elke Giese - trend analyst and fashion journalist, Markus Gotta, managing director of Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Maike Rabe, who will take over the chairmanship of the foundation board on September 1, 2020, about the challenging task of continuing successfully the foundation's work in an environment characterized by the pandemic.

The figure 3 seems to play a very special role for the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation (WLS). In 1988 announced on the occasion of the 30th Forum of the TextilWirtschaft, it was endowed with assets of DM 300,000. 2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the award of the sponsorship prizes. If you had to introduce the WLS in 100 words to someone who does not know the foundation: Which 3 aspects have particularly influenced its development and made it unique?

Klaus Kottmeier: In more than 30 years the WLS has been in existence, the foundation has received great support all over the sector from the very beginning. This continues to this day and is not only reflected in the financial support provided by generous grants, but above all in an active commitment of many sector leaders on the foundation board and board of trustees. A second aspect is the unique range in the topics of the support, which extends across design, business and technology, covering young talents in retail as well as university graduates, but also involving educational institutions themselves. And thirdly, the motivation of so many applicants we experience every year, who prepare their applications with incredible diligence and thus impressively demonstrate their willingness to perform.

 

The name of the foundation is a tribute to Wilhelm Lorch, the publisher and founder of the trade journal Textil-Wirtschaft and thus of Deutscher Fachverlag, who died in 1966. Which of his characteristics and traits do you still see as exemplary for the next generation in our industry today?

Klaus Kottmeier: We are a publishing media house where professional journalism based on sound research always forms the basis. This is associated with classic values such as entrepreneurial courage and will, diligence and discipline, but also a sense of responsibility and team spirit, which were exemplified by our founder and which still form the culture of our company today. These all are qualities young people should take to heart and which, coupled with a passion for their profession, encourage them to continue on their path.

 

According to its statutes, the primary purpose of the foundation is the awarding of "... awards and prizes to graduates of continuation schools of the German retail textile trade, textile-technical training institutes and [...] for final degree or doctoral theses from universities, as far as these deal with textile topics.” How nationally and internationally does the WLS work?

Prof. Maike Rabe: The prizes are mainly awarded to graduates and applicants from Germany and German-speaking countries, but there are also always talents from Europe, who have close ties to the German market.

Markus Gotta: The focus is clearly on the core market of Germany or Germany-Austria-Switzerland respectively, which we cover with the TW - accordingly, we do not advertise internationally, but there is no exclusion for foreign applicants, the only requirement is that the submitted works and reports must be written in German or English.

 

Over the past 31 years in which the foundation has been awarding prizes to people, projects and works, you have met many young talents who have moved our industry or will certainly do so. Are there any unusual stories or special award winners that have remained in your memory? And how do you assess the development of the applicants' educational level over the years?

Elke Giese: The applicants come from very different schools and universities, differing significantly in their profiles and focus. The demands on teaching have grown enormously, especially as a result of increasing digitization. Since the job profiles in the fashion business are also constantly changing and will continue to be subject to major changes in the future, the challenges for schools and students remain very high.
From each year, particularly talented and creative personalities remain in one's memory. To name one, Elisa Paulina Herrmann from Pforzheim, who was twice among the prize winners in 2017 and 2019 with her bachelor's and then master's thesis. Her ability and originality were overwhelming for the board of trustees. She now creates exclusive knitwear collections for Gucci. Among the young men is Niels Holger Wien, who received WLS funding in 1995. He has been the specialist for color trends and zeitgeist of the German Fashion Institute for many years and is currently president of the world's most important color committee INTERCOLOR.

Klaus Kottmeier: There are many award winners who have subsequently made a great career, to name just one example, Dr. Oliver Pabst, current CEO of Mammut Sports Group AG and WLS award winner in 1994.

 

Due to its proximity to TextilWirtschaft, the foundation is primarily associated with fashion design and topics related to clothing production or marketing. In 2020 you have put Smart Textiles in the virtual spotlight with two project sponsorships. How do you see future topics in the field of technical textiles? Can you imagine creating a new focus on that field?

Prof. Maike Rabe: First of all, the WLS supports talented young people who, thanks to their training, can take up a career in the entire textile and clothing industry. Of course, this also includes the field of technical textiles, which is of great importance in terms of production in Germany being a technological leader. Here the boundaries to clothing are fluid, just think of outdoor or sports equipment.    „    

Klaus Kottmeier: Our excellently staffed board of trustees is open to all innovative topics in the industry. Innovations in the field of technical textiles in particular are important topics for the future. In 2017, for example, the sponsorship award went to the Anna-Siemsen-School, a vocational school for textile technology and clothing in Hanover, through which we supported the procurement of a pattern design software.

 

The Wilhelm Lorch Foundation has set itself the goal of supporting qualified young people in the textile and fashion industry. However, you preclude the support for business start-ups. In times, in which start-ups receive increasing attention not only through corresponding TV formats but also through industry associations, there must be reasons for this. What are they and how do you assess future prospects?

Klaus Kottmeier: Support for business start-ups is precluded by §2 of our statutes, which defines the purpose of the foundation. The WLS is exclusively dedicated to the charitable purpose. Support for start-ups and business start-ups would contradict this. We therefore concentrate fully on the further education of young professionals in the sector and the promotion of educational institutions, from which the entire sector benefits.

Prof. Maike Rabe: WLS funding is aimed at further developing the skills of graduates and young talents from the sector. They should receive specific further training, possibly reach a further academic degree, and also learn in an interdisciplinary manner. All of this benefits the sector as a whole and this is our strict objective.

          
The foundation also promotes the training and further education of young and up-and-coming talents who are already working in the textile retail trade. Grants are available to cover course or study fees for further qualification. The closure of shops caused by the lockdown  during the pandemic hit the stationary retail trade hard, and even today we are still miles away from regular business operations. Against this background, how do you see focused funding opportunities for further training in the e-commerce sector?

Markus Gotta: The topics of stationary retail and e-commerce can't really be separated, both have long since become part of the basic requirements in fashion sales and thus also of the topics of training and further education in general.
 
Prof. Maike Rabe: E-commerce has become an integral part of our industry and is naturally reflected in many grants and subsidies. The junior staff members are allowed to make their own suggestions as to where and how they would like to train. We support this. But we would also like to strengthen the connection between stationary and digital trade in particular. Our prize winners have come up with wonderful concepts for both sales channels, and of course they can be combined.

 

Breaking new ground means willingness to make decisions, overcoming fears - and thus courage to fail. Not every project can succeed. In retrospect, which decisions in your foundation work are you particularly happy to have made?

Markus Gotta: That we implemented the Summer School project last year. We broke new ground with the foundation, and this - in cooperation with the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences - was very successful.

Elke Giese: Especially in the field of design and creation, it is important to recognize an applicant's future creative potential from the work at hand and the information provided by the applicant. I am therefore always particularly pleased when the board of trustees makes courageous and progressive decisions.    

 

The Wilhelm Lorch Foundation offers project funding of € 10,000 to universities and educational institutions. They do not make any thematic restrictions here, but simply demand that there must be a clear reference to the sustainable further training of young up-and-coming talents in the textile and fashion industry. According to which criteria do you finally decide which project will be funded?

Elke Giese: One criterion is the relevance for future developments in the textile and fashion industry. Projects in recent years have enabled schools and educational institutions to train on laser cutters and 3D printers, for example, but also to purchase modern knitting machines or software programs.

Prof. Maike Rabe: All the projects submitted are evaluated very strictly by the jury's experts using a points-based system. This results in a shortlist which is presented to the board of trustees and intensively discussed by them. In this way, we ensure that all submitted applications are honored and that we then award the Wilhelm Lorch Prize to the outstanding project submissions in a joint consensus. The most important criteria are sustainable teaching of innovative learning content, practical training and the feasibility of the submitted project.

 

There are many different definitions of sustainability. Customers expect everything under this term - from climate protection to ecology, from on-site production in the region to the exclusion of child labor etc. Public procurement is increasingly switching to sustainable textiles. What does this mean for WLS, and what are you doing to promote sustainable thinking and acting, not only among young professionals?

Prof. Maike Rabe: At the foundation, we base our definition of "sustainability" on the 1987 report of the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, the so-called Brundtland Commission: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The textile and clothing sector plays a pioneering role as a globally enormously connected industry with complex supply chains, which should definitely also play a model role. We therefore make it a priority for all award winners to observe these criteria and at the same time try to provide a platform for people who, through their work and actions, offer suggestions for improvement or even already implement improvements.

 

Virtual instead of red carpet: Usually the awards are presented in the festive setting of the TextilWirtschaft Forum. In 2020, due to the Covid-19, there was only a digital version in the form of a short film. How important do you consider networking opportunities that arise from meeting influential personalities face-to-face? Or has such a format become obsolete in the age of video conferencing?

Prof. Maike Rabe: It is certainly remarkable what digital event formats can achieve. But one thing doesn't work: spontaneity, personal contact and closeness. Therefor it is a real pity that the Forum had to be cancelled this year due to corona. Especially for career starters, the chance for direct networking is of great value.

Markus Gotta: The need for personal exchange and meetings will continue to be of great importance and demand in the future. And I can say at this point: We are already working on the plans for the TW Forum 2021 as a live and meeting event with the top decision-makers in the sector.

 

In which socially relevant areas do you see a particularly great need for innovation and action during the next five years? What is your assessment that funding - for example from the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation - can provide targeted support for solutions? And what role do the experiences from the corona pandemic play in this assessment?

Prof. Maike Rabe: We don't think in five-year periods, today's world requires much greater agility - this applies to the Foundation as well as to the entire industry. With each award we re-orientate ourselves towards current topics. Topics such as aesthetics, function and innovation will certainly continue to play a major role, as will quality instead of quantity, eco-social justice and customer loyalty. It is also important, however, that our economy, which is strongly supported by medium-sized companies, is clearly perceived by the public and in politics; we still have to work on that.

Klaus Kottmeier: I gladly agree with Prof. Rabe's closing statement. Agility is also of great importance in a media company like ours. We live in a constant transformation process with constant changes that have to be faced. The corona pandemic has shown us very impressively how quickly original plans can become waste. Today, and more than ever before in the future, a constant willingness to change is required, and this applies not only to us but also to our hopeful young employees.
 

The interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius,
CEO Textination GmbH

• Interview with Michael Steidle, Managing Director Textildruckerei Heinrich Mayer GmbH

At least Europe seems to be able to breathe a sigh of relief after weeks of lockdown during the corona pandemic. The textile industry, an industry that has lived globalisation for so many years, is facing the challenge of maintaining its place in the new normal and building on its previous performance as quickly as possible.
Textination talked to three company representatives along the textile chain about personal and operational experiences.

The Interview with Michael Steidle, managing director at the textile printing company Heinrich Mayer GmbH, marks the provisional end of our series that started with Wolfgang Müller, Head of Sales & Services at Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG and was continued by Andreas Merkel, managing director of Gebr. Otto Baumwollfeinzwirnerei GmbH & Co. KG. The textile printing company Mayer, a family business on the Swabian Alb, is a leader in textile printing, in screen, rouleaux, rotary, sublimation and flock printing and as well as in 3D coating. They are increasingly using these skills in the area of technical textiles.

How have you felt about the corona era to date - as a company and personally?
What would you on no account want to go through again and what might you even consider maintaining on a daily basis?
 The corona time hit us hard. At the beginning of April, sometimes it felt like the lights would go out within the next 24 hours. In numbers there is a drop in sales of 30 percent.
And that's not just the way we are, this crisis has incredibly broader implications. Involved in the word of the Chamber of Commerce I am concerned with many companies in the region. Sectors that would not come to mind spontaneously also feel the effects. This also includes recycling companies. After all, there is also less commercial waste when companies are on short-time work.
At a personal level you can deal with the crisis, hand hygiene, sneeze etiquette, you can learn all of this. But we miss people-to-people contacts. We have a teenage daughter; young people in particular lack the ability to be out and about with their peers.

 
What has the pandemic meant for your company so far?
As I said, the Corona period brought us a significant drop in sales. That means we think twice before spending money. At the beginning of the year we moved to our new, spacious company building. There are still a few small investments to be made. So far, we have put it off until the situation has calmed down again. And so do many. The economic network extremely got out of hand due to the lockdown.
We applied for short-time work, which has been running for three months now. However, you have to see how long that makes sense. Our customers also had a drop in sales, which they first of all have to recover.

 
What adjustments or innovations to your product portfolio have you felt obliged by the pandemic to undertake?
The mask production was a very strong topic in April and May, the phone almost rang continuously. This enabled us to compensate for many orders that were lost otherwise.
We reacted quickly, not only printing masks classically, but also developing coatings for medical face masks and protective clothing. The coatings that we offer are antibacterial and have the lotus effect. This results in the formation of droplets in the aerosols. We have had checked and certified these innovations in an urgent procedure.
We converted our machines ad hoc so that we could apply innovative coatings instead of paint. This was even possible for ready-made masks.
In general, I rate this ability to react quickly as one of our great strengths. We are a small company, so the path from idea to implementation is rather short. If we recognize a trend, an opportunity in our industry, we examine ourselves: Do we have resources that could be used or adapted to offer a solid, marketable solution in a very short time? This refers to know-how, ideas, machines and, for larger projects, also partners. Experience has shown that on the one hand we have the necessary imagination, but on the other hand we also have a fairly realistic view of ourselves. If we can answer the question with “yes”, then we get started without delay. We can evaluate a trial in the evening and continue working on it the next day. There is no need for a meeting with five persons beforehand.
 

What are your views on global supply chains in the future, and will you be drawing consequences for your procurement policy?
We cannot avoid global supply chains; and it will remain this way. In the short term, you may reflect on regional procurement, as far as that is still possible. Many things are simply no longer available and the development over the past 30 years cannot be turned back. Let's take pigment paint: it comes from India and China, otherwise it doesn't exist anymore. Nobody in Europe can keep the prices. And yes, that also means that the production of systemically relevant products can no longer be guaranteed.

          
How do you rate the importance of partnerships within the industry in the future? Does Covid-19 have the potential to promote the creation of new cooperation arrangements in the industry? Or have they already taken shape?
Existing partnerships are important. We must keep the ball rolling: Interrupted projects have to be continued with existing partners.
I think it is important to maintain partnerships at eye level. Sure, now everyone has to see how they can make ends meet. It will be shown, however, who works loyally in the long term and with respect to the business.
Personally, it is important for me to be true to my word. Only a few days ago I spoke to a student, whom we promised her internship and a corresponding payment in February. This young woman can start her internship with us; what paying is concerned, I had to tell her honestly that we have to talk about it again. Fortunately, that was not a problem. It is important to the student that she can complete the required internship at all. This is not so easy since most companies do not accept anyone right now. That is understandable too, but we will need the well-trained people again soon, that’s for sure!

 
What initiatives or approaches for your industry would you welcome for the near future?
I would be very interested in a positive and comprehensive description of what value added is still available in Germany. An initiative that illustrates that the textile industry is an important industry, with many companies that have been family-owned for generations, often with a young, dynamic management and high-quality products. Really nobody has that on his radar. Just today, two designers from a company nearby visited us. They were surprised which services we offer in the field of technical textiles - they were not even aware of it.
The textile industry has played itself down for a long time, that has to stop. Of course, we no longer have added value like the machine building industry. But now, in the corona crisis, it would have been the right time to take advantage of the situation and to initiate much-needed lobbying..

What would you like to see as part of the German textile industry? Do you feel that the status of the German textile industry has changed as a result of the pandemic, especially in respect of public procurement?
No, only at very short notice. Everything was taken during the crisis, the main thing was that the requested product, i.e. masks and protective clothing, was even available. Now the old cycle is back: I have a certain budget, where can I get the most for it? This is frustrating because the willingness to face this challenge was high on the part of the companies.
We also have driven the development and had our coatings for masks certified in an urgent process. Others have switched their entire production at a significant cost to meet demand. Nobody became a millionaire this way.
I think the textile industry could have sold better here. We could and should have appeared better as noble knights. Unfortunately, this was lost in the heat of the battle.

Until now the big issues have been globalisation, sustainability / climate change / environmental protection, digitisation, the labour market situation and so on. Where do they stand now and how must we rate them against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic?
We take sustainability into account with our certifications, with GOTS and ISO 9001. Digitisation does not work quickly for us; it will take years before we can digitise processes. Sure, in administration we are now increasingly working with web meetings and video conferences, but personal contact is important to me. I regularly give lectures; my next one will be at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and I very much hope that it can take place. I am just a guy for direct contact.
The labour market situation depends on the pandemic and how it develops. In any case, it remains difficult to get young people excited about textile professions. When I open a mobile phone store, I don't need a day to have my employees together. When we present ourselves at a training fair, we are happy to have a handful of good conversations.
Training is so valuable. Someone who has one will always have a different status than an unskilled person, even if - at some point - he works in a completely different branch. The dual training system is absolutely untouchable for me, because we live from this economic performance. We have nothing else but our knowledge. And we have to keep developing because only the high level gives the necessary output.
 

What lessons are to be learnt in respect of these targets for the post-corona era?
Innovation, innovation, innovation. You must not stand still. Nobody knows what to do next. But in three years from now I have to live from what I am developing today, just like I live from what I developed three years ago. Now, in times of Corona, it is much harder to remember, but it does not help: I can’t stand still, waiting for what is happening next, being like a deer caught in the headlights.

This interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH