From the Sector

From 19 to 24 October 2026, Brazil will host a mission showcasing Italian excellence in the textile and textile machinery sectors, with two workshops scheduled for 20 October in the state of Santa Catarina and 22 October in São Paulo. The initiative will bring together Italian companies specialising in textile machinery, yarns, fabrics and clothing accessories, with the aim of strengthening commercial and industrial ties between the two countries and opening up new opportunities for collaboration.

Organised by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with ACIMIT and Confindustria Moda, the mission will comprise two stages in key areas of Brazil’s textile industry. The programme includes seminars featuring presentations by Italian companies, B2B meetings with local industry representatives and visits to local production facilities. The first stage will take place in the state of Santa Catarina, in the areas of Blumenau, Joinville and Brusque, while the second will take place in the state of São Paulo, with activities also planned in Americana and at Denim City São Paulo, a major centre of innovation and a key hub for the textile and denim industries.

The initiative aims to showcase the expertise and innovative capabilities of the entire Italian supply chain, which is internationally recognised for the high quality of its products and technologies. In particular, the Italian textile machinery industry stands out for its ability to develop advanced, customised solutions that meet the needs of a sector increasingly focused on production efficiency, sustainability and technological innovation.

Brazil is one of the most strategic markets in Latin America for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. In 2025, Italian exports of textile machinery to Brazil reached €48 million, while in the first half of 2026 they amounted to €20 million, placing Brazil tenth among the leading destination markets for Italian textile machinery. The most sought-after technologies are those related to finishing, which accounts for 57% of Italian textile machinery exports to Brazil, followed by accessories and other machinery, each representing 11%, and knitting machinery, at 10%.

“Brazil is a market of great interest to our industry, with which we have well-established commercial relations and significant prospects for collaboration,” said Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT. “This mission represents a concrete opportunity to strengthen dialogue between Italian companies and Brazilian operators, fostering new synergies across the entire textile supply chain. Our companies’ ability to offer innovative, flexible and sustainable technologies can make a significant contribution to modernising the local textile industry and enhancing its competitiveness. The decision to organise two workshops in different manufacturing regions of the country also demonstrates our commitment to fostering direct dialogue with Brazil’s various industrial clusters, thereby making the most of the opportunities offered by this important market.” The initiative, organised by the Italian Trade Agency and ACIMIT with the valuable support of Confindustria Moda, will bring together 22 Italian companies in total, 18 of which operate in the textile machinery sector and are listed below: Biancalani, BTSR, Color Service, Corino Macchine, DURST, Reggiani Macchine, Erhardt + Leimer, Ferraro, I.M.A., Itema, Lawer, M.C.S. Officina Meccanica, Mesdan, Monti – Mac, MSJK (MS Printing & JK Group), Pinter Caipo Italia, Salvade’, Savio Macchine Tessili.

Metsä Group has selected Valmet to supply what the companies describe as the world’s first commercial-scale production line for Valmet’s 3D Fiber technology. The line will be installed in Äänekoski and is scheduled to start up in 2028, with a nominal capacity of more than 100 million three-dimensional fibre products per year.

The process converts cellulose fibres directly into lightweight yet rigid end products. Valmet combines fibre processing, forming, automation and final packing in an integrated production chain. The technology has been co-developed with Metsä Spring since 2020 and was initially validated in a demonstration plant.

Although packaging is the primary target market, the development is relevant to the textile and fibre sector because it demonstrates how fibre-based structures and forming technologies are moving into three-dimensional industrial applications.

Located at the 7H Dyehouse in Kinnahult, Sweden, it represents a significant milestone in the company’s evolution, offering a fully operational environment where brands and manufacturers can experience the future of textile dyeing.

Imogo’s digital spray technology drastically reduces the use of water, energy and chemicals compared with traditional processes, while also lowering production costs.

“For early partners who have followed our journey, this opening marks the moment vision meets reality,” says CEO Joacim Wellander CEO. “While previous discussions have focused on the potential of spray dyeing, we are now fully equipped with the machinery, technical expertise, and operational experience to move projects from the lab to full-scale commercial production.”

The showroom features the latest generation of Imogo technology including both the Dye-max and Mini-max spray dyeing systems capable of handling both laboratory trials and full-scale production for fabrics up to 2.4 metres wide.

High volume production
Imogo is specialising in the coloration of natural fibres for both knitted and woven constructions, with chemistry optimised for the high-performance application of reactive dyes. The Dye-max line enables commercial high volume production, with a capacity of 1.5 metric tons per day.

“We are thrilled to welcome our early contacts and new partners to Kinnahult,” says Wellander at Imogo. “We’ve spent the last few years refining our process and our hardware and today, we aren’t just showing a concept but delivering a proven, high-capacity solution that helps the textile industry meet its urgent sustainability goals without compromising on quality or scale.”

“Imogo’s new showroom marks the third major new expansion from TMAS member in the past 12 months,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “It follows ACG’s expansion at its headquarters in Skene for advanced automation services, and the etsblishment of ReSpin’s new Holma Spinning Mill in Forsa. All three of these new facilties will play cricial role sin shaping the future of textile production technology through digital technologies with a sustainable future at their core.”

The imogo showroom is now open for bookings and the company is inviting industry stakeholders to witness the Dye-max technology in action, conduct trial runs on their own fabrics, and discuss how to integrate its efficiencies into their existing supply chains.”

With the new type 6020 ceramic oiler, Barmag is introducing a powerful addition to its product portfolio for processing PA6 and PA6.6 yarns. The solution is specifically designed for low-titer applications in the range of 5 to 100 denier.

Technological advancement for stable processes
A key feature of the new model is the particularly filament-friendly yarn inlet area, where the yarn is saturated with oil before it comes into contact with the ceramic — a prerequisite for fluff-free processing. The three-waves geometry also ensures minimal yarn contact. The integrated ceramic shaft completes the design — unlike other solutions, where metal shafts are glued in place — and eliminates typical sources of error such as clogged oil lines or ceramic parts falling out. In combination with optimized thread guidance, the geometry of the 6020 ceramic oiler ensures uniform and efficient spinfinish application with minimal spray-off and very high application uniformity (low OCV).

Significant quality and efficiency advantages
The new ceramic oiler was specifically developed for demanding production environments and offers significant practical advantages. It ensures consistently high yarn quality through stable process parameters such as high spinfinish application rate (OPU) and a good distribution uniformity (OCV), while also enabling filament-friendly processing without yarn breaks or loop formations. Thanks to the significantly reduced spray-off — especially in the sensitive low-titer range — material losses are minimized, oil contamination of the quench and winding areas are reduced to a minimum, and process reliability is increased. Furthermore, the solution stands out for its ease of use: A clearly visible and easily accessible thread guide facilitates threading, while precise adjustment options allow for quick and reliable setup during operation.

Successfully tested in practice
Initial applications at international customers demonstrate the performance of the new oiler. In tests with PA6 / PA6.6 POY yarns, completely spray-off-free processing and significantly more uniform yarn tension were achieved. Furthermore, an increase in the spinfinish application rate of approximately 23% was achieved compared to standard solutions. Its performance was also confirmed in applications with PET POY fulldull and very critical flatyarn: In a direct comparison of various suppliers, the 6020 nozzle was the only solution to deliver a stable performance without any loops or BF. With the 6020 spinfinish nozzle, Barmag offers a forward-looking solution for low-titer applications in filament production. The integrated ceramic shaft, combined with optimized yarn guidance and excellent process parameters, enables a sustainable improvement in yarn quality, process reliability, and production efficiency

Niber Technologies, Southeast Asia’s first industrial-scale manufacturer of PFAS-free electrospun nanofiber membranes, announced a strategic collaboration with BRAIND®, the specialist consultancy for ingredient brand strategy. As part of the partnership, BRAIND Managing Director Tomas Vucurevic—widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in ingredient branding—has been appointed Chief Brand Advisor to Niber Technologies. The move signals Niber’s intent to expand its platform beyond materials into a structured ingredient brand, scaling its role as the industry moves toward next-generation performance and material efficiency. 

The collaboration marks an important milestone in Niber’s evolution from an advanced materials manufacturer to a company building a globally recognized ingredient brand for its proprietary electrospun membrane platform. As the performance apparel industry accelerates its transition away from PFAS-based materials, Niber aims to establish its technology that enables lightweight, breathable performance textiles not only as a material solution but as a trusted performance standard recognized across the value chain. The focus is now shifting toward how performance is defined, communicated, and adopted. 

“We’ve always believed that the value of our technology goes beyond the membrane itself and into how it performs in real products. Building an ingredient brand is a deliberate step for us — a direct signal of the seriousness and ambition, and of how we see Niber evolving as a company”, says Jaemin Park, Co-founder, Niber Technologies.

The partnership builds trust in the next generation of PFAS-free performance materials
The performance textiles industry is entering a period of fundamental change. Increasing regulatory pressure on PFAS is reshaping material choices, while brand and consumer expectations around comfort, breathability, and everyday usability continue to rise. While alternatives are emerging, the challenge is no longer only technical, it is also how these innovative technologies are communicated, understood and trusted in the market. 

Niber is addressing this challenge through a structured ingredient branding strategy that translates technical innovation into a clear and credible value proposition for every stakeholder across the supply chain.
Working with BRAIND, the company is developing an ingredient brand platform designed to deliver value on three levels:

• For brand partners: a clearly way to specify and communicate advanced material performance 
• For retailers: a more accessible story that supports product understanding at the point of sale 
• For consumers: a recognizable signal that builds trust in PFAS-free breathable performance