From the Sector

Maintaining a focus on innovation despite the uncertainties that characterize the current international scenario was emphasized during the General Assembly of ACIMIT, the Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association, held in Milan on July 9. ACIMIT president, Marco Salvadè, showcased the data of the Italian textile machinery industry. In 2023, production decreased by 16%, settling at a value of 2.3 billion euros, as did exports, which also fell by 16% (2 billion euros).

China, Turkey, India, and the United States remain the main destinations for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. In 2023, demand for machinery in these markets was weak, but some positive signals emerged in the first quarter of the current year, especially from the Chinese market and again from Egypt, Pakistan, Brazil, and Japan. “2024 will still be a year characterized by many uncertainties,” commented Salvadè, “mainly due to the uncertainty of the geopolitical situation and fluctuations in final demand”.

In an especially difficult international scenario and with a still sluggish market, the Italian textile machinery sector remains a leader alongside a few other Countries, such as China, Germany, and Japan. “Our sector is renowned worldwide for its reliability, know-how, and the uniquely Italian ability to combine tradition and innovation,” noted the ACIMIT president. Accelerating innovation remains crucial, particularly to meet the challenges that await Italian manufacturers in supporting textile companies on their sustainable transition journey.

To highlight the opportunities that the European green transition opens up for technology suppliers, the public section of the ACIMIT General Assembly addressed a very current issue: textile recycling. The EU’s legislative guidelines aim to accelerate the green and circular transition of the textile sector with various actions: from ecodesign to EPR, from waste export regulation to green claims. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for recycled textile fibers driven by the sustainable policies of brands that should not be underestimated.

Thus, technologies play an important role in providing solutions to companies engaged in the new circularity supply chain: from sorting and selection of garments to preparation phases and recycling processes. During the event several speakers agreed that the experience and capabilities of the Italian textile and textile machinery sector should be fully leveraged at this crucial stage for the entire supply chain. As President Salvadè noted, “Textile machinery companies intend to increase R&D activities in this area, collaborating with their textile customers in the belief that the circular transformation of business models also represents an opportunity for technology suppliers to increase their competitiveness.”

The 2nd Textiles Innovation Conference held by KARL MAYER North America proved to be a complete success. The trade event took place from June 25 to 27, 2024 at the headquarters of the KARL MAYER GROUP subsidiary in Greensboro, North Carolina. The conference boasted a turnout with over 200 attendees, exhibitors, and keynote speakers. While the majority hailed from many states across the USA, the event also attracted a global audience, including participants from Italy, Canada, Mexico, and other countries. The central theme: the importance of textiles made in the USA, their value and influence on global markets.

The conference brought together leading industry brands and academic institutions to delve into the future of product development and sustainability in textiles. KM.ON, Black Swan, Meta, and Supreme shared a convergence of ideas, challenges, and groundbreaking advancements shaping the textile landscape. NC State and Kent State universities highlighted their efforts in developing local talent and enhancing research capabilities to meet industry demand for regional supply chains. Manufacturing Solutions Center, Southern Textile Association, and AFFOA (Advanced Functional Fabrics of America) explored research capabilities and technology testing to foster funding opportunities and generate ideas for the future.

The recipe for success also included a lecture program. The conference kicked off with a keynote speech from New Balance, a brand that empowers people through sport and craftsmanship. New Balance MADE U.S., their premium collection manufactured domestically, reflects their commitment to quality and community impact. On day two Kenny Wilsey, Sourcing Director at Dillard’s, shared his expertise to ensure adherence to quality standards and social compliance requirements for private label brands. To complete the speaker series, Allison Hicks, Lead Knit Engineer at Under Armour, inspired attendees with her innovative approach to performance footwear, apparel, and accessories.

Important topics at the conference were sustainability and digitalization: Unifi showcased high-performance fibers made from recyclable materials and pre- or post-consumer waste management initiatives. KM.ON, the digital solution company of the KARL MAYER GROUP, displayed artificial intelligence applications for quality control, supply chain optimization, and predictive maintenance for warp knitting and knitwear production.

The Textile Innovation Conference program was rounded out by an exhibition of selected textile supply chain partners. These business partners supplemented the information about innovation presented in the lectures and performance demonstrations of the latest STOLL flat knitting and KARL MAYER warp knitting machines.

After navigating the challenges of 2023, Vietnam's textile and garment exports have been gradually recovering. Additionally, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam during the first five months of this year reached USD 11 billion, a 2% year-on-year increase, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). To cater to Vietnam’s renewed business opportunities, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will return from 26 – 28 February 2025 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC).

The fair’s inaugural edition attracted 409 exhibitors and 17,262 visits from 17 and 55 countries and regions respectively. Building on this solid foundation, VIATT 2025 will continue to showcase the latest industry trends, and expand its focus on various pertinent areas. This will include the fair’s new Econogy Hub, a dedicated zone to advance the topic of sustainability in the textile industry, and to relate it closely to the demands of economic and social change. Together with the evolving environmental landscape, the fair will also help industry players adapt to the rapid adoption of new technology in the business world with the debut of the Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone. This zone will allow exhibitors to unveil the latest technology and solutions such as AI design, digital manufacturing, big data analytics, and more.

Concurrently, VIATT 2025 will continue to present a diverse range of exhibitors across the apparel, home textile and technical textile sectors, with positive feedback received from many quarters at the fair’s inaugural edition.

Apparel Fabrics & Fashion
In the first four months of 2024, textile and garment exports grew 6.3% year-on-year to over USD 10 billion. The US remains Vietnam’s top export market, followed by the EU, South Korea, China, and Japan. To meet this demand, Vietnam's textile industry continues to import a significant amount of raw materials. At VIATT 2024, yarns, fibres and fabrics for casualwear, sportswear and uniforms, as well as garment accessories, were in high demand.

Home & Contract Textiles
Vietnam’s home textile market is projected to undergo a steady CAGR of 2.4% from 2024 – 2032, driven by the rising need for modern and stylish home textiles, e-commerce expansion, and favourable government initiatives. At the fair’s previous edition, product groups included bedding, loungewear and bathroom textiles, curtains and curtain fabrics, upholstery and sofa fabrics, and home textile accessories.

At VIATT 2025, exhibitors can additionally present their latest offerings in the Home Textiles Display Zone or at dedicated product presentations, to maximise their visibility to potential buyers.

Technical Textiles & Technologies
Across the textile industry, investors are now focusing on optimising production capacity, streamlining supply chains, and enhancing product quality to maintain competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. With the new Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone to supplement the textile technology category, VIATT 2025 is set to play host to providers of textile and nonwoven machinery, CAD/CAM, CMT, and technology for embroidery, knitting, sewing, printing, and more. Exhibitors can draw more attention to their latest solutions by participating in the fair's new innovation showcase area.

The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), covering the entire textile industry value chain. The second edition will be held from 26 – 28 February 2025.

TrusTrace, a SaaS company with a platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced the launch of its upgraded AI-powered Forced Labor Prevention (FLP) Solution, which will help brands proactively map out supply chains, screen it for risk, and efficiently gather evidence for regulatory compliance.

The Forced Labor Prevention solution combines the power of AI to manage large quantities of data from complex supply chains with scalable collection of primary data per purchase order, which is screened and validated for risk, ensuring brands have validated evidence at a product and shipment level.

The solution collects primary data directly from suppliers to ensure detailed and reliable information about facilities, products, and materials. The primary data collected through the TrusTrace solution is specific to the context of the traced products, contrary to solutions leveraging third party data, which can introduce large quantities of irrelevant information from various sources, creating ‘noise’ that can obscure critical insights and quickly become unmanageable. TrusTrace has traced more than two million purchase orders to date and has more than 55,000 suppliers and facilities mapped globally, demonstrating the capacity to automate the collection of primary data at very large scale.

The data is proactively screened for risk against the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) entity list, and the solution can integrate with any relevant risk screening database.

AI-Powered Chain of Custody Creation and Document Collection drives speed, accuracy and cost savings, making it quick and easy to gain supply chain visibility and stay on top of documentation for compliance. The FLP solution can classify, extract, and translate large volumes of documents in over 100 languages, facilitating the creation of a digital chain of custody, and transforming traditionally time-consuming manual processes, increasing efficiency, and reducing the likelihood of human error.

15 brands worldwide are already using TrusTrace for forced labor prevention, including Vera Bradley, who see proactive supply chain traceability and data management as key in achieving their ESG commitments.

Portuguese textile entrepreneur, Mario Jorge Machado, has been elected President of EURATEX during its General Assembly on 14 June. The Assembly also nominated Alberto Paccanelli as Honorary President.

Mario Jorge Machado has an extensive career in textiles. Mario is currently a shareholder and director of "Adalberto Textile Solutions, S.A.", where he applies advanced management practices to boost competitiveness and innovation. He has been president of the Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) since 2019, and he stands out for his strategic leadership in the textile and clothing sector, promoting innovation and sustainability. He represents ATP on the Board of CIP - Confederação Empresarial de Portugal and chairs CIP's strategic council for the environment and sustainability.

With a degree in Production Polymer Engineering from the University of Minho, his expertise ranges from continuous process improvement to the development of B2B commercial teams and B2C business models. His vision encompasses operational excellence and the implementation of sustainable practices, contributing to the evolution of the textile industry.

The Assembly also nominated Alberto Paccanelli as Honorary President, recognising over a decade of commitment to EURATEX and the European textile industry.

EURATEX General Assembly also elected 4 other members of the Presidency Team: Michael Kamm (ZWILLING Gruppe, Germany), Barbara Cimmino (Yamamay, Italy), Grégory Marchant (UTT, France) and Ismail Kolunsag (Cross Tekstil, Turkey). During the Assembly, EURATEX also welcomed new memberships from CEMATEX and Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V., and a partnership with Reju. (France).

Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies has signed a binding agreement to acquire two strategic business units of the Swiss company Cilander, much renowned worldwide for its expertise in the supply of high-end textile fabrics and finishing services for complex textiles used in a wide range of applications.

The project includes the acquisition of the historic factory of the company, Geissbühler, located in Lützelflüh. The factory is a cornerstone of its finishing activities for high-tech textile solutions to address demanding markets such as the military, interior design, sports, and mobility. The site is the legacy of an industrial history that began in 1677, almost 350 years ago. With its Planofil® brand, Cilander markets high-performance textile fabrics for outdoor use, particularly in the nautical world. Cilander also offers a range of finishing options and can tailor-make products to customer specifications.

Under the agreement, CFT PCC also plans to acquire the shirt fabrics business, which mainly comprises the ALUMO brand, founded by Karl Albrecht, joined by Robert Morgen in 1941. For over a century, ALUMO has been at the forefront of offering fabrics made from the finest, highest-quality cotton for men's shirts. The company is the preferred supplier of tailors and specialized luxury brands worldwide, relying on its E-commerce platform.

In addition, Cilander's fabrics business includes the Eugster & Huber brand, aimed at women's fashion brands. The portfolio also comprises Brennet, known for its high-quality fabrics with a contemporary touch, and Swiss Ghutra, a brand specializing in high-end fabrics and headpieces for a clientele in the Middle East.

When completed, this acquisition will strengthen the development capabilities of Chargeurs PCC Fashion Technologies, a leader in interlinings for the garment industry. Thanks to Cilander’s high-tech products and solutions, the business line will open doors to new, particularly demanding niche markets, notably the military market and reinforce its market share in the apparel segment, especially shirt-making.

The Schneider Group officially launches Authentico® by Schneider Group, a brand that stands for a transparent, verified, traceable, ethical and high-quality wool supply chain. It aims to be recognised as a global brand that enables the fashion industry, together with end-consumers, to choose new levels of premium quality comprising fully traceable and responsible wool, in compliance with a carefully structured approach that verifies, traces and brands the sourcing and manufacturing processes throughout the whole supply chain. Authentico® is based on the Schneider Group global certified network.

To achieve these goals, the Schneider Group has created the Authentico® Verification System, a simple and reliable way to provide criteria and guidelines for all Authentico® supply chain partners including:

• Authentico® Integrity Scheme, best practices for growers’ implementation at farm level. Animal welfare is at the heart of the Authentico® Integrity scheme, together with being mulesing-free, in accordance with The Five Domains. But the scheme goes further and encompasses also land and pasture management and social responsibility. The wool is sourced from carefully selected and highly committed growers, who apply best practices and choose to subscribe to the dedicated Authentico® platform. The selected fibres are processed into tops in the Schneider Group’s own mills located on several continents, which are directly operated and fully certified.
• Authentico® Brand Guidelines, for all other supply chain players (from spinners, weavers and knitters to garment makers, brands and retailers), that include precise criteria set by the Schneider Group to ensure alignment with Authentico® brand values.

In addition, the Schneider Group incorporates the traceability platform TextileGenesis™ within its Authentico® Verification System, to digitally track all incoming and outgoing wool.

The group has developed a marketing & communication plan to support its Authentico® brand. Upcoming events where Authentico® will be featured are: Pitti Filati in June, Milano Unica in July, the Natural Fibre Connect (NFC) in Biella in mid-September and the Textile Exchange Conference at the end of October in Pasadena.

The Fashion for Good Museum publishes its legacy document. The report was prompted by the museum’s closure on June 5th, 2024. It represents the museum’s mission, summarising invaluable insights gathered over six years and key results such as reaching 115.000 visitors and creating a dedicated community of more than 250.000 followers online. Committed to transparency and collaboration, Fashion for Good shares its reflections, tools, and transferable learnings, as well as the future of its collections and next steps, continuing to inspire positive change within the fashion ecosystem. All information can be accessed on the Fashion for Good website for continued use and benefit of educators, the cultural sector, and the wider public.

Looking back on its journey, the Fashion for Good Museum celebrates achievements such as hosting 115.000 visitors, including 8.000 students from 200 schools, curating 13 exhibitions, offering over 75 events, launching 4 educational programmes, reaching both current and future generations, and inspiring many to drive change in the fashion industry. With an earned media value of over 46 million Euros through press coverage since 2017, Fashion for Good's influence has been significant, evident in its 250.000 social media followers and 15.000 newsletter subscribers.

The report fulfils the promise Fashion for Good made in 2017 – to share their journey, learnings, and most impactful activities with the world. Within these pages, readers will discover reflections on their messaging, insights about creative partnerships with entities such as Lowlands Festival, Dutch Design Week, and Museumnacht to case studies of pioneering exhibitions. Their programming was created around themes and topics, such as the untold stories around cotton, circularity, and the future of biomaterials to educate and inspire visitors, ultimately empowering them to take action themselves.

Reflecting on the output of the museum during its short existence, as well as its footprint and wide reach, while acknowledging the challenges encountered during its establishment and development, Fashion for Good distilled six key lessons from Fashion for Good's sustainable museum practices:

• Recognition of Broader Shift: There is a wider movement towards sustainability in the museum sector, exemplified by Fashion for Good and the new ICOM definition.
• Storytelling for Societal Change: Cultural institutions are crucial in driving societal change in fashion consumption through storytelling.
• Innovation through Limitations: Embracing organisational limitations can stimulate innovation in museum collection management and education.
• Audience Engagement: Understanding and expanding the core audience is essential for effective engagement in sustainability initiatives.
• Measuring Impact: It's challenging to measure impact for organisations with social missions, requiring clear success criteria.
• Establishing a Sustainability Framework: Defining sustainability within context is fundamental for organisational sustainability efforts.

Polyurethane has become an integral part of our daily lives, whether in the construction industry, in leisure activities, in the manufacture of furniture or in numerous other applications. The precision gear pumps from Oerlikon Barmag, which will be presented at this year's UTECH Asia / PU China 2024 in Shanghai, impress with customised solutions for demanding tasks in the chemical industry. They increase the productivity of the often complex manufacturing processes for this wide range of applications.

Oerlikon Barmag pumps handle demanding processes in PUR applications, in the chemical, plastics or paint and lacquers industries. One of the greatest challenges lies in the accurate and reliable metering of toxic or low-viscosity media. With the GM and GA series and the associated components, Oerlikon Barmag presents the optimum equipment for these applications.

GM pump
Pumps in the GM series achieve precise dosing by feeding the flow with low pulsation. The multi-stage GM pump conveys low-viscosity media even under high pressure and the most difficult operating conditions (e.g. 250 bar, 100 mPas). The standard pump for many dosing tasks is the GM series in a square design. With the development of the multi-stage pump, the range of applications for the GM series has been significantly expanded. The round 2-stage GM pump has been specially developed for use in high-pressure technology. It fulfils the special challenge of pumping small flow rates with low viscosities. The pump serves flow rates from 0.05 to 20 ccm/rev and is therefore particularly suitable for the production of PUR moulded parts, block foam, refrigeration unit insulation or sandwich panels.  

GA series
Making products and processes more efficient is a constant challenge for manufacturing companies. This is why Oerlikon Barmag has added the GA series to the GM series especially for the demanding conveying of high-viscosity media. The GA series is available in delivery volumes of 1.25 - 30 cm³/rev (0.6-144 l/h). It is designed for pressures up to 200 bar, for viscosities up to 1,500 Pas and for temperatures up to a maximum of 225°C. With this pump series, Oerlikon Barmag offers customised solutions for process engineering processes where highly accurate and uniform metering is required.

The drum pump
The drum pump from Oerlikon Barmag is specially designed for conveying and dosing highly viscous materials such as adhesives, silicones and other highly viscous materials from drums and other large containers and for pressures of up to 250 bar. One of its special features is not only that it discharges highly viscous materials from the drum, but also that the medium can be dosed directly without an intermediate stop.

The gear pump and drum follower plate are synchronised so that the plate effortlessly reaches the bottom of the container, leaving behind only a very small residual quantity of < 1%. This reduces material costs and has a positive effect on the production process.

Stratasys Ltd., a company in polymer 3D printing solutions, announced their financial results for the first quarter 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Financial Results Compared to First Quarter 2023:

• Revenue of $144.1 million compared to $149.4 million.
• GAAP gross margin of 44.4%, compared to 43.8%.
• Non-GAAP gross margin of 48.6%, compared to 47.3%.
• GAAP operating loss of $24.5 million, compared to an operating loss of $16.8 million.
• Non-GAAP operating loss of $1.2 million, compared to non-GAAP operating income of $1.5 million.
• GAAP net loss of $26.0 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $22.2 million, or $0.33 per diluted share.
• Non-GAAP net loss of $1.7 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $1.1 million, or $0.02 per diluted share.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $4.1 million, compared to $7.0 million.
• Cash generated by operating activities of $7.3 million, compared to cash used by operating activities of $17.9 million in the year-ago quarter.

2024 Financial Outlook:
Based on current market conditions and assuming that the impacts of global inflationary pressures, relatively high interest rates and supply chain costs do not impede economic activity further, the Company is reiterating its outlook for 2024 as follows:

• Full-year revenue of $630 million to $645 million.
• Compare to 2023 revenue of approximately $616 million excluding divestments and annualizing Covestro.
• Full-year non-GAAP gross margins of 49.0% to 49.5%, improving sequentially throughout the year.
• Full-year operating expenses in the range of $292 million to $297 million.
• Full-year non-GAAP operating margins in a range of 2.5% to 3.5%.
• GAAP net loss of $88 million to $72 million, or ($1.24) to ($1.01) per diluted share.
• Includes one-time extraordinary costs associated with Stratasys’ strategic alternatives process.
• Non-GAAP net income of $9 million to $14 million, or $0.12 to $0.19 per diluted share.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $40 million to $45 million.
• Capital expenditures of $20 million to $25 million.
• Positive cash flow from operating activities.

Non-GAAP earnings guidance excludes $29 million to $31 million of share-based compensation expense, $26 million to $28 million of projected amortization of intangible assets, and reorganization and other expenses of $29 million to $35 million. Non-GAAP guidance includes tax adjustments of $2 million to $3 million on the above non-GAAP items.