From the Sector

Process control, intelligent automation and long-term industrial reliability remain the shared priorities that continue to define members of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association.

“Across different stages of textile and material production, TMAS members are united by a common belief that productivity begins with stability,” says TMAS General Secretary Therese Premler-Andersson. “Rather than focusing on isolated machine functions, the emphasis is on controlling the critical variables that directly influence quality, efficiency and uptime.”

Examples of this approach will be demonstrated at Messe Frankfurt’s forthcoming Techtextil and Texprocess exhibitions taking place concurrently in Frankfurt from April 21-24.

Operational value
In weaving and related processes for example, Vandewiele Sweden AB has long-standing expertise in weft feeding and tension control. At Techtextil 2026 in Hall 12 stand C21, company experts will be on hand to explain how, through ensuring repeatable, predictable yarn delivery at ever higher loom speeds, it is enabling weaving mills to operate closer to their technical limits while maintaining fabric quality. 

The company’s continued development of data-ready weft feeders reflects a broader approach to digitalisation, embedding intelligence where it delivers clear operational value rather than adding complexity to already demanding production environments.

Quality assurance
Eltex of Sweden addresses the same challenge from a complementary angle. Its electronic yarn sensors and tension monitoring systems focus on early detection, identifying yarn breaks, end-outs or abnormal tension before they lead to waste, downtime or quality claims. From weaving and warping through to tufting, braiding, quilting and sewing, Eltex technology provides the assurance that modern automated processes depend on. As production speeds increase and manual supervision is reduced, the ability to monitor yarn behaviour in real time becomes a key enabler of stable, high-quality output.

At Techtextil 2026, Eltex will highlight its latest EyETM Multiact system for heat setting machines, guaranteeing yarn consistency throughout the entire process via individual yarn tension monitoring and control according to a predefined reference tension. 

Each channel operates independently and the system also includes a machine stop function in the event of yarn breakage or if yarn tension operates outside preset limits.

Also showcased, will be the ACT-R system for rapier weaving machines which is highly effective in achieving constant weft yarn tension for yarns based on recycled fibres at one end of the scale, and for expensive technical yarns such as Kevlar at the other.

Consistency
Further downstream, BW Converting, extends this focus on control and assurance into dyeing and finishing. 

Following the runaway success of the company’s Baldwin TexCoat G4 finishing system in the past few years, the Baldwin TexChroma digital spray dyeing system is currently being launched.

“Since its introduction, global textile finishers have embraced TexCoat and are now reaping the benefits,” says vice-president of global business development Rick Stanford. “They have been able to increase profitability, cut energy use and reduce their carbon footprint, in addition to exercising precision control with our patented precision spray technology. In the past two years we have been very active in Asia, and many of these customers have been asking for a similar technology for the dyeing process.” 

From production data to date, TexChroma can achieve savings in energy, dyes and chemicals of more than 30% compared to conventional continuous pad batch dyeing using steam, and up to 50% compared to exhaust reactive dyeing. 

It also benefits from an advanced technology enabling reactive dyestuffs and alkali fixation chemicals to be mixed just seconds before spray application, in order to completely eliminate any ‘tailing and listing’– uneven dye application or colour variations.

Eton aUPS
Meanwhile, at Texprocess, Eton Systems will outline how Industry 4.0 and AI are further boosting the capabilities of its aUPS (AI powered unit production system) technologies.

Eton Systems productivity and management system have a positive impact on the productivity of thousands of production lines for a range of industries. Designed to increase value-added time in production by eliminating manual transportation and minimising handling, the individually addressable product carriers are now fully managed and controlled by the company’s advanced software.

The UPS works perfectly for mass production but provides companies with an extra competitive edge through its ability to quickly respond to special custom- made orders - even without disrupting an ongoing larger production batch. The aUPS is developed for circular garment identification, but the ambition is also to cover quality control in future linear production.

The individually addressable product carriers of these fully automated and digitised handling solutions for finished garments, home textiles and furniture are fully managed and controlled by the latest ETONingenious™ software.

This web based real-time data collection and information system continuously accumulates, processes, and makes all production information instantly available to supervisors, quality control personnel, and management.

Precision slitting
Also at Texprocess Svegea will demonstrate its EC 200-C colarette cutter as well as an FA 350 fully automatic roll slitting machine.
 
Svegea’s colarette technology is used by knit garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular components such as cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements.  

“In Europe, while the garment manufacturing sector is relatively limited in size, interest in these machines has increased in recent years, mainly driven by logistics, cost and lead-time considerations as production moves closer to the market,” says Svegea Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The ongoing shortage of skilled operators has also increased the demand for such automated solutions.”
 
Svegea’s fully automatic FA 350 roll slitting machine meanwhile addresses a wider range of needs for roll conversion within the technical textiles sector, combining high capacity with very low power consumption and providing extremely accurate cutting precision. Capable of cutting both knitted and woven fabrics – including those produced from a wide range of technical fibres – it can accommodate different shaft sizes and is fully electronically controlled with servo motors. The touchscreen interface has recently been redesigned and expanded with new functions, including automatic control of the knife surface speed during the cutting cycle, maintaining consistent cutting conditions as the roll diameter decreases for improved cutting quality and material handling.
 
Bespoke bias cutting systems are another speciality of the company, for specifically contoured technical textile-based components.

Essential foundation
A second theme linking all TMAS members in Frankfurt is a shared response to the economic realities facing textile manufacturers worldwide. 

“Rather than promoting automation as an abstract objective, Swedish machinery suppliers focus on tangible productivity gains that help manufacturers in high-cost regions remain competitive,” says Premler-Andersson. “Reduced waste, higher uptime and repeatable quality are the essential foundations for sustainable manufacturing. 

Reju, the textile-to-textile regeneration company based in France, announces the site selection for an industrial sized Regeneration Hub, in Lacq, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, on the Induslacq platform. Reju, a Technip Energies owned company, is deepening its roots in France through the development of this new Regeneration Hub. 

Every year, 121 million tonnes of textiles are discarded, yet only 1% are recycled into new garments. The vast majority end up in landfills or are incinerated, creating a severe environmental challenge for the world. Reju is tackling this global issue by developing solutions to regenerate textile waste into new materials. 

This Regeneration Hub will strengthen France’s leadership in circular, low carbon industrial innovation. Backed by Technip Energies’ global engineering expertise, Reju will bring cutting edge textile to textile regeneration technology to French industry. The plant will utilize Reju’s proprietary depolymerization technology to take post-consumer textiles from national waste streams as feedstock and to transform them into rBHET, a regenerated raw material for making new polyester from textile waste, that will then be repolymerized into Reju PET. 

The project is subject to final investment decision by the board of Technip Energies, the parent company of Reju. 

This project will help structure a new local industry, contributing to decarbonization. It would generate 80 direct jobs and more than 300 indirect jobs. “This French Regeneration Hub builds on our strategy to industrialize a circular post-consumer textile-to-textile model,” said Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju. “By leveraging France’s ambitious circular-economy agenda and advancing our technology to new markets, we are reinforcing our mission to transform textile waste into valuable, circular resources.” 

Through its French Hub, Reju aims to build a scalable circular infrastructure in France and Europe, enabling textile-to-textile traceability and closing the loop on fiber use. The project aligns with Reju’s established operations, including Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt, the announced site selection in Chemelot, Sittard-Geleen the Netherlands and the recently announced United States Hub to be located in Eastman Business Park, in Rochester, New York. 

The Regeneration Hub will be located on the Induslacq platform, owned by TotalEnergies. 

Owned by Technip Energies, Reju utilizes proprietary technology developed in conjunction with IBM Research to recover, regenerate and recirculate textile waste, starting with polyester. 
Reju actively participates in the work of several bodies and organizations such as ReHubs, Petcore and Evolen. This will create a circular ecosystem, developing a textile-to-textile sector in France in line with European requirements and based on traceability.

Nancy Kowalski has been named new president and CEO of INVISTA, a Koch company, effective March 1, 2026. In this role, she’ll be responsible for continuing to adapt and improve business models across INVISTA, a global manufacturer of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers used in parts for the automotive industry, medical equipment, airbags, food packaging and clothing.

Nancy has 22 years of expertise across INVISTA in a variety of its business lines and its global supply chain. She joined INVISTA as a director of corporate reporting in 2004 and went on to hold leadership roles in treasury, global finance and global supply chain.

She was most recently executive vice president for INVISTA’s global nylon business, with operations in China, Europe, and the United States, leading its overall profit and loss management and overseeing Nylon Sales and Marketing, the strategic management of feedstock procurement and purchasing processes for the company.

After more than 30 years of service to Koch, Brook Vickery, president and CEO of INVISTA, has announced his retirement, effective March 1, 2026. Brook joined Koch in 1991 as an instrument engineer for Flint Hills Resources. He joined INVISTA as its global operations leader in 2023 and then became president and CEO in January 2025.

Brook has been fundamental in helping transform Koch’s operational models both at Flint Hills and INVISTA. His ability to build culture, apply Principle Based Management™, and deliver results and operational reliability will continue to create long-term value.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, applauded the launch of the House Berry Amendment Caucus. 

Statement from National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas

“On behalf of the U.S textile industry, NCTO sincerely thanks Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) for their leadership in co-chairing the new bipartisan House Berry Amendment Caucus, aimed at strengthening national security and the U.S. defense industrial supply chain through the federal procurement of American-made mission critical clothing, textiles and gear. 

“NCTO strongly supports this new caucus to promote and expand the Berry Amendment, a law requiring the Department of War (DOW) to buy textile and clothing products made with virtually 100% U.S. content and labor to support our U.S. warm industrial base. 

“The U.S. textile industry provides $1.8 billion of high-tech and functional components for vital uniforms and equipment for our armed forces each year. The Department of War estimates that over 8,000 different textile items are purchased for use by the U.S. military—and over 30,000 line items when individual sizes are considered.

“It is vital to America’s national security that the U.S. military maintain the ability to source high-quality, innovative textile materials, apparel, and personal equipment from a vibrant U.S. textile industrial base and key to this goal is defending and strengthening the Berry Amendment.

“We look forward to working with the new caucus’ leadership and our industry partners to focus congressional efforts on preserving the Berry Amendment and expanding opportunities for U.S. textile manufacturers, safeguarding domestic supply chains, and ensuring our troops continue to receive innovative, high-quality American-made products.”

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a global leader in spider silk technology*, announced that its 2026 production plan has officially moved from strategy to execution.
 
The Company has now moved bio-material to incubation, getting a jumpstart on its March production plan and formally initiating its multi-ton spider silk scale-up initiative.
 
This milestone follows Kraig’s recently announced 2026 production schedule. This aggressive plan is set to achieve sustained monthly production of recombinant spider silk cocoons at unprecedented commercial volumes. With the release of the first wave of production materials now complete, Kraig Labs has activated its expanded manufacturing pipeline and commenced field-level implementation.
 
"This is the moment where planning becomes production," said Kim Thompson, Kraig Labs CEO and Founder. "Our 2026 roadmap was built around disciplined expansion, operational efficiency, and multi-ton output. Today, that roadmap is in motion. Bio-materials have recently been moved to incubation in preparation for the March production run."
 
The March production run represents the first major deployment under the Company's 2026 plan. The initiative is designed to drive consistent output at levels never before seen, while reinforcing quality control, supply chain stability, and downstream processing capacity.
 
By initiating this production cycle, Kraig Labs is delivering on its commitment, creating the world's first reliable, repeatable, and scalable commercial spider silk manufacturing. The Company's vertically integrated model enables rapid deployment of materials, controlled expansion of silkworm rearing operations, and alignment with future customer demand.
 
"Our focus is clear," Thompson continued. "Execution. Volume. Commercialization. Every production cycle strengthens our position as the global leader in recombinant spider silk."
 
Kraig Labs expects this March run to set the pace for subsequent production cycles throughout 2026, forming the foundation for sustained monthly metric-ton-level spider silk production.

Stretching Circularity is a collaborative project initiated by Fashion for Good dedicated to accelerating the adoption of lower-impact elastane alternatives that are compatible with circular textile systems. By validating bio-based and recycled elastane solutions through pilot-scale testing and demonstrator garments, the initiative aims to remove one of the most significant technical barriers to a circular textile economy.

Present in approximately 80% of all clothing, elastane is a material added in varying concentrations (typically from 1–5% by weight in cotton or wool garments to up to 20% in polyester or polyamide garments) to provide stretch and comfort. This fossil-based material creates two critical sustainability challenges:

• First, it contributes to carbon emissions and non-renewable resource consumption across the industry. 
• Second (and more critically for circularity), even minimal concentrations of elastane act as a “contaminant” in textile recycling feedstocks, compromising fibre-to-fibre recycling of high-volume fibres like polyester and cotton. This effectively blocks circularity for the vast majority of clothing, leaving the industry with limited options beyond downcycling or landfill.

Stretching Circularity is a project initiated by Fashion for Good which tackles this challenge through two key workstreams. One workstream focuses on testing next-generation elastane materials made from alternative inputs, including bio-based materials and other feedstocks. This phase includes the creation of “demonstrator” garments, specifically a technical t-shirt (with 10% elastane) and a non-technical t-shirt (with 2% elastane). The other focuses on testing regenerated elastane made through emerging recycling innovations. Both workstreams follow a pilot-scale validation approach to generate comparable data on performance, impact, economical feasibility and scalability.

Driving this work is a powerful coalition of industry stakeholders representing the entire value chain. The consortium includes Fashion for Good partners Levi Strauss & Co (Beyond Yoga), On, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials, and Reformation, with Ralph Lauren Corporation as an Advisor. Supported by ecosystem experts like Materiom and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the group will support knowledge sharing across the consortium to identify gaps and generate comparative data to de-risk the adoption of these circular solutions for the wider industry. Stretching Circularity operates under a structured due diligence and validation framework to assess if alternative materials are not just conceptually sound but also meet the performance standards of conventional elastane. 

“Lower-impact elastane solutions exist, but they lack the pilot-scale validation brands need to scale them confidently,” Katrin Ley, Fashion for Good Managing Director. “This initiative seeks to provide that missing data, turning a well-known recycling “contaminant” into a functional component of a circular supply chain.”

“Elastane is one of the most overlooked blockers to true circularity in fashion: it’s everywhere and yet there is a significant challenge to recovering it at scale. Stretching Circularity is about tackling that problem at the root and proving that lower-impact stretch materials and new recycling pathways can meet real performance and design standards.” Carrie Freiman Parry, Senior Director of Sustainability at Reformation

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is returning to the Wire trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, after a gap of several years. The experts from one of the world's leading suppliers of technical textiles are looking forward to presenting their comprehensive range of high-performance tapes for power, data, and specialty cables to visitors at the trade fair and discussing solutions from April 13-17.

Freudenberg will showcase its high-performance cable tapes for all kinds of applications, including power, data, fiber optic, telecom, and special cables. Its cable tape product range for medium (MV) and high (HVDC and HVAC) voltage cables includes semi-conductive and non-conductive water-blocking tapes, binding tapes, bedding tapes, separation tapes, and special developments. These tapes are critical for protecting and maintaining the structural integrity of cables, in particular thanks to their outstanding swelling performance and conductivity. For submarine cables, Freudenberg offers tapes with exceptional water-blocking capabilities that are specifically designed to react instantly upon contact with water, swell into the fine spaces inside the submarine cable, and seal against moisture.

“Freudenberg is a globally preferred partner of cable manufacturers as regards the development, manufacture and supply of high-performance tapes for the most demanding power and data transmission applications. By returning to Wire in Düsseldorf, we are strengthening our ties within the industry and demonstrating our commitment to supporting cable manufacturers in meeting today's and tomorrow's energy and digital challenges” says Jochen Bialek, Head of Global Sales Cable & Electro.

On 30 January, RWTH spin-off Solid Air Dynamics was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Awards for its research in the field of aerogel fibres. Manufactured from renewable raw materials, aerogel fibres offer outstanding thermal insulation, are extremely lightweight and completely biodegradable, and can consist of over 90 per cent air.

The founders, Dr Sascha Schriever, Dr Jens Hofer and Maximilian Mohr from Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) and Dr Christian Schwotzer from Department for Industrial Furnace and Heat Engineering (IOB) of RWTH Aachen University, want to revolutionise the market in the future with high-performance materials for sports and outdoor clothing or the mobility and construction sectors.

The award ceremony took place during the annual RWTHtransparent event in Aachen. The top three places were honoured with the RWTH Innovation Award. The RWTH Innovation Award recognises contributions that demonstrate particular innovation and charisma in the Aachen region.

EURATEX, representing the European textile and fashion industry, joins the Antwerp Declaration Community’s call on EU Heads of State and Government to adopt emergency measures that restore industrial competitiveness and deliver tangible results for Europe’s manufacturing base in 2026.

The call was made at the European Industry Summit, which brought together over 500 business leaders, 30 factory workers, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, under the auspices of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Senior EU leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, as well as Executive Vice-Presidents Teresa Ribera and Stéphane Séjourné, and Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, also joined the discussions — underscoring the growing political urgency of Europe’s industrial competitiveness crisis.

The European Industry Summit urged a coordinated package focused on:

• Reducing energy and carbon costs to restore competitiveness; 
• Ensuring fair competition through strong trade instruments and enforcement; 
• Boosting demand for EU-made products, including via public procurement and transparency tools that empower buyers. 

With 200,000 companies and 1.3 million workers, Europe’s textile and fashion ecosystem produces not only apparel, but also technical textiles for medical, automotive and defence applications. Yet the sector is facing mounting pressure from high energy costs and millions of non-compliant, low-quality products entering the EU market via online platforms, undermining responsible manufacturers and accelerating closures across Member States. 

During his speech, EURATEX President Mario Jorge Machado underlined that Europe must move from announcements to delivery — with measures that directly strengthen demand for sustainable, high-quality products made in Europe, while ensuring imported products comply with EU rules. 

“Europe must regain confidence and pride in what it produces, and stimulate demand for high-quality and sustainable textiles made in Europe. This requires three concrete actions: public procurement that goes beyond price and reflects origin, sustainability and security for strategic textiles; increased transparency, feasible for SMEs; and effective market surveillance to stop non-compliant imports from dominating the market” affirmed the President.

Textile products made from synthetic fibres, finished fabrics or dyed materials release fibre fragments into the environment at every stage of their life cycle. With the new DIN SPEC 19296, Hohenstein has developed a standardised testing method to analyse how these fragments behave in soil under natural conditions. Until now, little was known about their environmental behaviour or potential ecological effects once released.

Holistic testing approach
DIN SPEC 19296 focuses on textile products and the fragments released through use, abrasion or disposal. Tests are conducted in standardised soil under defined climatic conditions over a period of up to 180 days.

The method combines several parameters: a respirometer system measures the oxygen consumption of microorganisms during degradation, enabling the biodegradability of textile fragments to be quantified. Plant growth tests using cress seeds assess potential effects on vegetation after degradation. In addition, earthworms are used as sensitive bioindicators to evaluate possible toxic effects. Survival rates and changes in body mass indicate whether degraded fragments or residues have a negative impact on soil organisms.
This integrated approach not only determines whether materials are biodegradable, but also whether their fragments could harm plants or soil organisms. 

Practical relevance and added value
“Textile fibres and fragments are released into the environment not only during washing, but also during everyday wear,” says Juliane Alberts, Project Manager at Hohenstein. “DIN SPEC 19296 allows us, for the first time, to assess under realistic conditions how different textile fragments behave in soil. It makes an invisible issue visible and supports the development of more sustainable textile products.”
The new DIN SPEC enables companies to compare textile products in terms of their potential environmental impact resulting from fibre release. It also provides a scientific basis for evaluating environmental claims such as “compostable”.

Jointly developed – publicly available
DIN SPEC 19296 was developed by Hohenstein in cooperation with industry partners and is publicly available. The results can help to better assess the actual environmental impacts of textile fiber loss, derive appropriate mitigation measures, and develop materials with lower environmentally harmful fiber shedding for the textile industry.