From the Sector

Companies, designers, architects and agencies worldwide are now invited to submit their products and projects for the German Design Awards 2025. The German Design Awards by the German Design Council honours projects that are pioneering in the German and international design landscape and highlights positive developments in circular design. The award not only makes success visible, but also opens up a network, international reach and additional market opportunities for the award winners. Application deadline is 6 September 2024.
 
Whether digitalisation, AI or circular design - the German Design Award platform reveals the contribution that design can make to the sustainable transformation of the economy. Now more than ever, outstanding design can provide answers to the challenges of our time, focussing on the impact of products and services on the planet and our society - through multi-perspective approaches, sustainable and circular design processes or resource- and environmentally friendly production. The German Design Award has set itself the goal of promoting the diverse transformation tasks of our time through design and providing orientation for others through outstanding examples.

Focus on circular design
Starting this year, companies and designers can submit their projects in an additional category called "Circular Design". This category recognises particularly innovative solutions that implement the current objectives of the circular economy and provide inspiring impulses.

The  international jury of the German Design Awards honours these pioneering design achievements in three main categories: "Excellent Product Design", "Excellent Communications Design" and "Excellent Architecture".

New category
To visualise pioneering developments in architecture through the influence of artificial intelligence and digital design methods, designers and developers can submit projects, service designs and virtual architectures in the "AI in Architecture and Metaverse Space Design" category from this year onwards.

Access to the American market
The German Design Council has entered into an exclusive TV partnership with CBS/Paramount's new US documentary series Europe ByDesign, offering German Design Award winners far-reaching opportunities to position themselves on the US market. You can present your work in the next season of Europe ByDesign, which will be broadcasted in prime time on CBS in the USA as well as streamed worldwide.
 
Important dates at a glance

• Call for entries: 23 April 2024
• Register at the Early Bird price: until 21 June 2024
• Deadline for grant applications: 30 August 2024
• Registration deadline: 6 September 2024
• Jury meeting: 26 and 27 September 2024
• Awards Show: Beginning of February 2025

The transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas, while in others, it is just beginning. This is the finding of a first, joint Europe-wide assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The benchmarking found that more work is still needed to reduce the impact of harmful substances on human health and the environment.

The number of industrial chemicals scrutinised under the EU’s chemicals legislation to determine their safety has increased substantially. Authorities now have much better knowledge about the hazardous properties of chemicals that are used across the EU, resulting in many actions to minimise and control the risks of several groups of substances.

According to the joint EEA-ECHA synthesis report on the EU indicator framework for chemicals, the overall use of the most harmful chemicals (in particular those that are carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) is still growing but more slowly than the overall chemicals market growth. Pressure is increasing to avoid the use of so-called substances of concern and to implement the principles of the safe and sustainable by design framework.

There is a need to more effectively ensure that consumer products do not contain the most harmful substances, for example chemicals that are endocrine disrupting, that negatively affect the hormone system, or substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, which present a risk for years to come even after their use has ceased.

More data and information are needed to better understand human and environmental exposure to those most harmful chemicals and their impacts. Still, the indicators show clearly that the shift to safe and sustainable chemicals must continue and should even be accelerated.

The report is based on a set of 25 key indicators, which monitor the drivers and impacts of chemical pollution in Europe.

Key findings

• Transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas while in others it is just getting started.
• Action by authorities and industry has supported minimising and controlling the risks from several groups of hazardous chemicals. Efforts are ongoing to increase knowledge on chemical hazards and support risk management action where needed.
• Available data suggest that there is little evidence of progress towards eliminating substances of concern from waste and secondary materials. This is a barrier to the transition towards a more circular economy.
• Emissions of certain chemicals to water and air have fallen following specific EU regulations (e.g., on industrial emissions) and international actions, but further measures are needed to reach concentration levels that are not harmful for human health and the environment.
• Emissions from industry still lead to major costs in terms of damages to human and ecosystem health.
• Human biomonitoring offers the opportunity to understand human exposure to chemicals from multiple sources and thus health risks associated with chemical pollution. As such, biomonitoring forms a key tool to measure the effectiveness of chemicals legislation in protecting human health and the environment.

With the aim to help the denim industry reduce the environmental impact of its wastewater and move towards circularity, Archroma, G-Star RAW and Advance Denim have renewed their joint commitment to the production of aniline-free denim apparel based on Archroma’s DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30.

Their joint aim is to produce high-quality denim in authentic blue shades without the aniline impurity carried through from the synthesis of standard synthetic indigo. In traditional denim production, this aniline remains bound with the indigo pigment on the fabric; the remaining aniline is discharged during the dyeing and washing process. This can be a problem because aniline is toxic to aquatic life and two-thirds of aniline waste currently ends up in wastewater discharge where it could potentially pollute waterways and the ocean.

Archroma developed DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 to answer this key challenge. A 30% pre-reduced indigo solution, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 makes it possible to produce indigo-dyed denim without aniline impurities throughout the process.

Easy to use with automated dosing, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 reduces the water needed for preparation, washing and wastewater treatment compared to indigo grains. It also reduces hazardous chemical consumption while allowing high reproducibility and creating the authentic and iconic deep indigo shades traditionally associated with denim.

G-Star RAW is working towards making 20% of its entire collection from Cradle to Cradle Certified® fabrics by 2025. Its partnership with Archroma and Advance Denim contributes to this goal, since the aniline-free DENISOL® holds a Gold Level Material Health Certificate from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 is also compliant with other eco-standards and the requirements of leading retailers and brands.

Advance Denim, G-Star RAW and Archroma have previously collaborated to launch collections based on Archroma’s EarthColors® technology, which upcycles plant waste from the herbal industry to create sustainable colorways.

The fifth edition of the Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair from 6 to 8 March 2024, organised by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in cooperation with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB), presented 557 exhibitors showcasing the entire range of the textile supplying section: from woven and knitted fabrics to accessories and artificial leather. A new addition was a separate hall for yarns and denim, the BlueBlackDenim hall. With this trade fair, Texhibition has more than doubled its floor space compared to the last event to 35,000 square metres.

Exhibitors
Texhibition Istanbul acts as a central point of contact for the entire international industry, with a clear focus on quality, innovation and the latest trends like the denim companies Bossa, Çalık, İsko, İskur and Kipaş at the BlueBlackDenim Hall.

Yarn companies such as Aksa, Diktaş, Ensar, Karafiber, Kaplanlar, Korteks, Migiteks, Sasa, Tepar showed the production power of the yarn sector, where the product quality, design and workmanship came together.

In addition to well-known companies such as Almodo, Bahariye, BTD, Can Textile, Iskur, Kipaş, Menderes, Söktaş, Yünsa, Zorlu, İpeker a large number of other export-oriented companies from the segments of textiles (woven fabrics, knitting) presented their latest designs and products.

Visitors
25,752 visitors came from over 112 countries, 41.8% from the European Union (including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania etc.) and Great Britain, Ukraine,26.5% from Asia (including Russia etc.), 14.8% from the Middle East (including Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia) 10.7% from North Africa (including Algeria, Tunisia etc.), 3.1% from North America (United States, Canada), 3.1% from South America and other countries.

American buyers from the USA and Canada in particular, but also a large number of Mexican and Colombian buyers took advantage of the numerous match-making opportunities at Texhibition. Many B2B meetings took place and led to numerous orders being placed, including from key accounts such as Alexander Wang, Asos, Forever 21, Sainsbury's, Veronica Beard etc.

Autoneum significantly improved revenue in local currencies by 34.8% in 2023 compared to the previous year, supported by inorganic growth and a positive market environment. Consolidated in Swiss francs, revenue increased by 27.6% to CHF 2 302.3 million. The acquisition of Borgers Automotive already made a positive contribution to earnings and value in the first year and Business Group North America achieved a turnaround. EBIT adjusted for one-time effects more than doubled year-on-year to CHF 99.2 million and, with an EBIT margin of 4.3%, was at the upper end of the guidance. Net profit for the full year 2023 increased by an impressive CHF 50.2 million to CHF 61.1 million. Based on the positive net results, the Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of CHF 2.50 per share.

Outlook
According to forecasts, worldwide automobile production will be somewhat restrained in 2024 and may even decline slightly compared with 2023. Based on these market forecasts¹, Autoneum expects revenue in 2024 of CHF 2.3 billion to 2.5 billion. The Company anticipates an EBIT margin of 4.5–5.5% and free cash flow in the high upper double-digit million range for 2024.

¹ Source: S&P Global Light Vehicle Production Forecast of February 16, 2024.

In a move to enhance the global competitiveness of the Turkish apparel industry, the Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association (IHKIB) has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP).

IHKIB, representing 80% of Türkiye's apparel exports, aims to facilitate and guide its members in navigating new markets and staying abreast of sectoral developments.
WRAP, a US-based non-profit organization, focuses on promoting safe, lawful, humane, and ethical working conditions within the textile and apparel industry.

Mr. Selcuk Mehmet Kaya, Chairman of the International Relations and Sustainability Committee of IHKIB, and Mr. Avedis Seferian, President and CEO of WRAP, officially inked a collaboration agreement on March 8, 2024, marking a significant step towards fostering business relations between Türkiye and the USA. The agreement focuses on a pilot project developed by IHKIB and WRAP, aiming to identify leading Turkish apparel companies exporting to the USA and encouraging these facilities to attain WRAP certification. In return, WRAP will provide in-person and virtual training at no charge to guide these facilities through the certification process. The project seeks to strengthen business ties between Türkiye and the USA, creating additional opportunities for mutual cooperation between the parties in both countries.

• Sales of CHF 1 418.6 million in the 2023 financial year
• Order intake of CHF 541.8 million in the 2023 financial year; order backlog of around CHF 650 million as of December 31, 2023
• EBIT margin of 7.2%
• “Next Level” performance program on track
• Proposed dividend of CHF 3.00 per share
• Outlook 2024 with sales of around CHF 1 billion

The Rieter Group closed the 2023 financial year with slightly lower sales of CHF 1 418.6 million (2022: CHF 1 510.9 million), down 6% on the previous year. In line with expectations, the order intake of CHF 541.8 million was considerably below the prior year period (2022: CHF 1 157.3 million). In a challenging business environment, Rieter generated an EBIT margin of 7.2%. Implementation of the “Next Level” performance program to increase profitability is proceeding according to plan.

Outlook 2024
Markets remain under pressure from the economic slowdown, high inflation rates and noticeably dampened consumer sentiment. Customers are reluctant to place orders due to financing challenges. The first signs of a recovery in the 2024 financial year have emerged in the key markets of China and India. Rieter expects demand to increase in the coming months.
For the full year 2024, Rieter anticipates sales in the region of CHF 1 billion and a positive EBIT margin of up to 4%.

Turkey's leading garment machinery manufacturers and representatives have collaborated with Teknik Fuarcılık for GarmentTech İstanbul Garment, Embroidery Machines Spare Parts and Sub Industry Exhibition to host the first GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition.

The GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition will be held at İstanbul Expo Center (IFM) between June 25-28, 2025 and brings together all the technologies used in garment and ready-to-wear production.

The ready-to-wear and garment sector is among the locomotive sectors of the Turkish economy with both employment and export income. With 22 thousand 640 exporters and 42 thousand 434 manufacturers, the sector is among the priority sectors in the country's employment with approximately 700 thousand people working in production. Together with the retail and ready-to-wear sectors, total employment exceeds 2 million.

On the other hand, ready-to-wear and garment sector is the 3rd largest exporter in Turkey. Turkey is the 5th country in the world that exports the most ready-to-wear and garment. In 2023, the sector reached 19.3 billion dollars in exports and has a share of 7.5% in general exports.

Teknik Fuarcılık, which has more than 30 years of experience in exhibition organization and has made the ITM International Textile Machinery Exhibition a world brand, has taken action to make the success achieved by the garment and ready-to-wear sector sustainable. GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition, which will be organized with the support of the members of the Garment Machinery Advisory Board and in cooperation with the Apparel Automation and Machinery Manufacturers Association (KOMİD), will host professional visitors and global buyers from all over the world.

The press conference of GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition was attended by members of the Garment Machinery Advisory Board, Vice Chairman of Astaş Holding H. Kaya Aşçı, Astaş Juki Board Member and General Manager Turgay Aşçı, Chairman of the Board of Çatma Makine Yavuz Çatma, Chairman of the Board of Alba Makine Cengiz Albayrak, General Manager of Malkan Makine Alparslan Er, General Manager of Uğur Makine Temel Kamiloğlu, Tetaş Sales and Marketing Assistant General Manager Murat Eren, Malkan Makina Factory Manager Metin Kılıç and KOMID President Haluk Akın, TEMSAD President Adil Nalbant, KOMİD Members Serkon Makina Chairman İzzet Savaş, Robotech General Manager Hüseyin Çetin, Chairman of the Board of NewTech Machinery Nezir Yazıcı, LGM Foreign Trade Specialist Yiğit Sağdık Manav, Avtek Manager Oğuz Avcı and many sector representatives.

Mayer & Cie. CN Changzhou LLC, the Chinese subsidiary of the German circular knitting and braiding machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie., settled in Jiangsu Province at the beginning of the year. Until now, the Sales & Service subsidiary Mayer & Cie. China, founded in 2003 and later to become Mayer & Cie. China, had been based in Shanghai.

The new location within a Sino-German Innovation Park comprises a production hall of around 5,000 square meters. In the future, the circular knitting machines assembled for the domestic market will increasingly consist of locally sourced parts and components from various suppliers.

Since 2011, Mayer & Cie. has been assembling selected machine types for the domestic market at its Chinese plant in Shanghai. It started with a single jersey machine for the most common requirements. Today, China's domestic portfolio includes four types of machines. Until now, the knitting heads for these circular knitting machines had been pre-produced at the Mayer & Cie. plant in the Czech Republic and then transported to China.

The manufacturer is now saying goodbye to this "knitting head principle". It made perfect sense for the start of the assembly line, says Benjamin Mayer, managing partner of Mayer & Cie. However, it leaves little room for flexibility. He explains: "In the future, we will source all parts and components of the machines assembled in China from various local suppliers. This allows us to offer our local customers more attractive prices and faster delivery times with the same quality standards. We expect this change to improve the positioning of our products in the domestic market." In addition, the new plant will be connected to the parent company in Albstadt via an SAP connection. This was imperative to increase efficiency, transparency and quality.

The new headquarters of Mayer & Cie. CN is the German Chinese Innovation Park in Jintan in Jiangsu Province. The companies based there enjoy various advantages, including attractive location costs as well as proximity and exchange with other German companies on site. In addition, the administration of the SGIP supports companies in their search for employees, suppliers and service providers.

The 17th World-Pultrusion-Conference (WPC) took place in Hamburg from 29 February to 1 March. Pultrusion, also known as the extrusion process, is a highly efficient method for producing fibre-reinforced plastic profiles for various applications in the construction/infrastructure and transport sectors.

A record number of almost 150 participants from all over the world attended the event. An international audience of experts from Europe and the USA, as well as China, India and Japan was represented.

The lecture programme with a total of 25 specialist lectures was strongly characterised by the topic of sustainability. The process development of thermoplastic pultrusion and applications in wind energy, solar panels, bridge construction and the automotive industry were also discussed at length. Despite the difficult market environment, many opportunities and possibilities for the pultrusion industry were presented.

The conference takes place every two years in a European country of importance to the pultrusion industry and is organised by AVK for the European Pultrusion Technology Association (EPTA), in cooperation with the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA).