From the Sector

eVent® Fabrics, an expert in breathable waterproof, weatherproof, and windproof fabric laminates, announces the launch of its new circular fabric collection, purpose-built, plant-based, and fully recyclable for a more sustainable future without compromising performance.

Featuring 11 different laminate configurations across the eVent stormST™ and windstormST™ technology platforms, this plant-based collection is engineered for recyclability and designed to support closed-loop product systems. By utilizing monomaterial constructions, these laminate fabrics make mechanical recycling more feasible, while maintaining the trusted breathability, durability, and weather protection that outdoor brands and consumers expect from eVent.

“Circularity starts with design,” said Chad Kelly, President of eVent Fabrics. “With these stormST and windstormST fabrics, we’re giving brands the building blocks to create products that are easier to recycle at end-of-life—without sacrificing technical performance.”

The new circularity collection is a major step in eVent’s long-term sustainability strategy, addressing the industry’s growing need for performance materials that align with circular economy principles. And with the EU’s pending Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulations set to take effect in the coming years, apparel brands selling into the EU will be incentivized to further incorporate more circular, sustainable materials.

The stormST™ fabrics offer breathable waterproof protection with low environmental impact, making them ideal for outerwear, footwear, and accessories in active outdoor and urban use. The windstormST™ fabrics provide highly breathable windproof protection, perfect for blocking the chilling effects of the wind in dynamic conditions. All fabrics in the collection are PFAS-free, bluesign®, Oeko-Tex®, and/or GRS certified.

Thermore, a pioneer in responsible thermal insulation, introduces Ecodown Fibers Sync — a free fiber inspired by the physics of stellar fusion. This new development represents a perfect balance between high performance, luxurious touch, and mindful design. At the core of Ecodown Fibers Sync lies the power of dual-performance fibers, engineered to offer exceptional ultra-lofty softness and resilience. The result is a next-generation insulation with a cloud-like handfeel that resists clumping — a rare combination that ensures lasting volume, even after multiple washes.

This highly flexible insulation offers unmatched versatility, making it ideal for both streamlined for technical outerwear and voluminous for fashion silhouettes. Faithful to Thermore’s legacy, Ecodown Fibers Sync also marks a step forward in sustainable progress. Crafted entirely from 100% recycled fibers sourced from post-consumer PET bottles, it reflects the brand’s enduring commitment to a more responsible design. Every fiber tells a story of transformation — from waste to warmth, from plastic to purpose.

In line with Thermore’s quality standards, Ecodown Fibers Sync is certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard), confirming the authenticity of its recycled content and traceability throughout the production chain. Ecodown Fibers Sync is bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified, ensuring that the product is free from harmful substances and meets the highest criteria for environmental and human safety. With this launch, Thermore redefines what thermal insulation can be — not just a functional layer, but a core element of a garment’s identity.

Fibre and fabric production technologies – especially in the area of composite reinforcements – have played an as-yet largely unheralded role in the development of the UK’s Formula One industry, but the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) aims to change that.

Motorsport Valley
“If there’s one thing the UK does well, it’s Formula One, with seven of the ten F1 teams located within just an hour of each other in the midlands region known as Motorsport Valley,” explains BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “They are all linked to a national network of around 4,500 companies involved in a motorsport and high-performance engineering industry worth around £9 billion annually and employing 40,000 people. This network draws on the services of a significant number of our member companies.”

“With the exception of the engine, virtually every part of a Formula One racing car now starts from a textile, including the bodywork, the tyres and many of the latest fuel systems,” says Richard Kirkbright, project manager at Leeds-based Roaches International. “This has influenced developments in the broader automotive sector, in addition to the aerospace industry.”

Show cars and memorabilia
While best known as the developer of textile testing systems, Roaches has over the years also supplied advanced autoclaves to the UK’s composites industry, including a recent delivery to Northampton-based Memento Exclusives, a specialist in the production of show cars working directly with F1 and its leading teams.

Each major F1 team sponsor is supplied with one or two show cars for use at exhibitions and a wide range of other promotional activities arranged around the racing event calendar. These cars have no engine and their bodies may be made of fewer carbon fibre plies, but they are otherwise identical to the latest cars being raced by the F1 teams.

Memento Exclusives has its own in-house carbon fibre parts manufacturing facility and the integration of the Roaches autoclave has significantly expanded its capabilities in show car production.

Master bakers
“Composite materials undergo a metamorphosis in the autoclave which subjects them to both mechanical and chemical processes,” explains Richard Kirkbright. “Trapped air and volatiles are expelled and plies are consolidated under precise pressure. Heat cycles are then introduced, curing the resin systems and yielding flawlessly crafted components. Autoclave specialists are a little like master bakers, knowing exactly how to treat their ingredients at every stage of the process, to achieve the desired final product.”

“The Roaches autoclave now enables us to cure large components with full control and achieve a swift turnover of parts while ensuring the highest quality finish,” adds Terry Wasyliw, Head of Build for Memento Exclusives.

McLaren’s influence
Woking, UK-headquartered McLaren was the very first F1 team to introduce a car chassis manufactured entirely from carbon fibre composites back in 1981, setting the ball rolling for the creation of a completely new and global supply chain.

McLaren has this year unveiled a world-first in supercar engineering – aerospace-derived Automated Rapid Tape (ART) carbon fibre, developed at the dedicated McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) facility in Sheffield. This is being employed to create the active front wings of the W1 hypercar which has a starting price of $2.1 million.

A rear floor component was also developed for McLaren as part of the recently-completed £39.6 million ASCEND programme involving a range of UK partners, including BTMA member Cygnet Texkimp.

Handling, converting and decarbonisation
A wide range of handling and converting machines are supplied to the composites industry by Cygnet Texkimp, including bespoke creels, prepreg, coating, slitting and filament winding machines.

Its technologies are employed in the construction of composite components for aerospace and automotive, as well as in the production of tyre cord and more recently in the advanced construction of hydrogen storage vessels which are largely viewed as the future of F1 propulsion, along with advanced batteries for electric vehicles.

Cygnet Texkimp has been involved in the F1 supply chain for over 20 years and most carbon fibre used in the industry has been processed on one of its VHD creels. The company is also the largest independent manufacturer of prepreg machines in the world and is currently leading the design and build of the UK’s first carbon fibre research lines for a project led by NCC (National Composites Centre) to accelerate the development of more sustainable carbon fibres.

In addition, Cygnet is licensed to design and build the DEECOM® composite recycling system developed by new BTMA member Longworth Sustainable Recycling Technologies, the first of which was recently commissioned by the Henry Royce Institute in Manchester. DEECOM® is a zero emission, low carbon pressolysis solution using pressure and steam to reclaim pristine condition fibres and resin polymers frocm production waste and end of life composites.

“Decarbonisation is a major priority for manufacturers globally,” says Cygnet CEO Luke Vardy. “At Cygnet Texkimp, we’re developing the capability to process technical fibres in ways that enable lightweighting, hydrogen power and electrification, reduce waste and revolutionise the end-of-life management of composite materials and parts. In collaboration with our industry partners, we’re bringing to market some of the most innovative new fibre processing technologies ever developed to deliver real-world benefits that support the sustainability agenda.”

Prepregging
Another new BTMA member, Emerson & Renwick (E+R), a specialist in print, forming, vacuum and coating technologies, also supplies technology for the production of carbon fibre prepregs, which are integrated rolls of fabrics and resins.

Its most recent 1.7-metre-wide line supplied to a customer in Italy operates at speeds of 40+ metres per minute for web coatings or prepreg fibre and resin consolidation, or a combination of both processes. It is distinguished by an ultra precise three-roll reverse roll coater for the processing of high viscosity thermo-activated resins and enables the automatic changeover of sensitive woven fabric materials at zero tension, with three high precision calendaring nips with hot/cool plates. Multiple unwind and rewind systems for intermediate lamination steps include side loading and reliable lap splicing and zero speed splicing with a web accumulator for the main product rewind.
 
 E+R has also been part of a consortium working on the development of lithium-sulphur (Li-S) batteries within the £540 million UK Faraday Battery Challenge. Once commercially viable, Li-S batteries promise to provide relatively high energy density at low cost for sustainable electric vehicles of the future – inevitably starting with F1.

Strong links
“In addition to our powerful base of textile testing and control companies, many other BTMA members are working on further F1 and advanced composite projects,” says Jason Kent in conclusion. “We are also forging strong links with the UK’s key research hubs such as Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, the Northwest Composites Centre in Manchester, the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering in Bolton and the National Composites Centre in Bristol.

“The BTMA recently became an associate member of Composites UK too, because this sector is the crucible of innovation for tomorrow’s textiles.”

Ina Brandes, Minister for Culture and Science of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, visited Institute Director Professor Dr Thomas Gries in person on 7 March to gain an impression of research at Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University. Their tour took them through the central steps of the textile process chain - from primary spinning and fibre spinning processes to modern composites such as fibre composites and textile concrete. The ITA focuses on sustainability, circular economy and bioeconomy and offers comprehensive training programmes, from industrial training to doctorates. As a technology driver in textile technology, the ITA emphases on digitalisation and automation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), especially neural networks, which have been under development at ITA for more than 30 years.

ITA researches and develops technical textiles for the needs of today and tomorrow. This includes, for example, the BIOTURF project. It is part of the BIOTEXFUTURE innovation area for bio-based textile research funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The aim here is to convert the textile value chain from petroleum-based to bio-based. Another major project is WIRKsam Competence Centre. By designing AI-supported work, WIRKsam aims to improve the competitiveness of companies and to make work healthier and more attractive. Other project examples include sustainable pipeline systems for the future, textile recycling and reducing the CO² footprint. ITA is researching, for example, how recyclable insulation textiles can contribute to thermal insulation or how textiles can be used to automatically and sustainably remove oil spills from water. To this end, ITA is active worldwide and internationally, including in cooperation with South Korea on industrial digitalisation and renewable energies, to name just a few examples.

With more than 100 doctoral students and a total of around 400 employees, ITA is one of the five largest institutes at RWTH Aachen University.

Science Minister Ina Brandes: “Prof. Thomas Gries and his team are demonstrating outstanding work at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University. For over 90 years, ITA has been researching, developing, and designing advanced textiles – for example sustainable fibres that reduce the use of petroleum-based materials. The different possible uses of the materials are impressive: from artificial soccer turf to sportswear, medical materials such as heart valves, and textile-reinforced concrete for building construction. New technologies and strong networks between science and industry empower ITA to significant textile progress.“

NEXT-STEP realizes a sustainable, safe, and affordable way to produce groundbreaking bio-based chemicals at a large scale. These innovative molecules will improve the sustainability and recyclability of Polyurethane products and Polylactic acid (PLA) co-polymers.

The project, coordinated by AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and its members and gathers 12 partners across Europe.

Scaling up sustainable and biodegradable materials is crucial for the future advancement of European industry. Currently, many bio-based alternatives struggle to compete with established fossil-based chemicals due to challenges in environmental, economic, and societal performance. To overcome this, NEXT-STEP aims to develop recyclable products from wood production residues for everyday applications. New biochemical materials will be developed for shoe soles and insulation materials for construction.

By reducing manufacturing costs and using second-generation feedstocks such as hardwood sugars produced from residues derived from sustainably managed forests, NEXT-STEP aims to develop a new chemical platform, 3-methyl-d-valerolactone (3MdVL) that will improve the sustainability and recyclability of polyurethane (PU) products and unlock new engineering plastic applications for polylactic acid (PLA) co-polymers. This initiative seeks to address environmental concerns while fostering the adoption of bio-based materials in various industries.

Thus, NEXT-STEP realizes a sustainable, safe, and affordable way to produce groundbreaking bio-based chemicals at a large scale.

This will be achieved through 6 specific objectives:

• Sourcing and process optimization for EU-based and sustainable feedstocks.
• Scale-up and demonstration of an innovative and resource-efficient process to produce aMVL.
• Scale-up resource-efficient catalytic processes to unlock the use of 3MdVL and 3MPD as bio-based platform chemicals.
• Commercially viable, safe and sustainable building blocks by design.
• Demonstrate the applicability of aMVL, 3MdVL and 3MPD as bio-based chemical platforms to produce bio-based products meeting market requirements.
• Definition of socially acceptable and competitive business and commercialization plan

12 partners from 8 countries
The project, coordinated by AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and its members and gathers 12 partners from 8 EU countries across the value chain have come together to work on the development of sustainable materials from feedstock to end-products. The consortium includes the footwear company Adidas, Fibenol, DBFZ, Quantis, Sapienza Università di Roma, Mevaldi, PDC Research Foundation, Ghent University, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, Certech, and Altar.

On 19-20 February 2025, social partners from the Italian textile and fashion industry met in Rome to deepen their understanding of the upcoming EU legislations and their impact on the Italian textile industry, as well as to further discuss the next step in their effort for a more broad and effective social dialogue. In the context of the EU co-funded StitchTogether project, which aims at promoting social partnerships in the European Textiles and Clothing Industry, the meeting was also the occasion to draft the Rome Declaration: a joint statement to emphasise the social partners’ strong commitment to work together.

The meeting in Rome brought together representatives of the Italian textile industry, including the Italian employer association (Confindustria Moda), national trade unions (Femca-Cisl, Filctem-Cgil and Uiltec-Uil), regional clusters and companies to discuss the future of the industry. Together, they discussed the proposal for a sectoral industrial policy strategy to present to the Italian Government and the EU Commission for the support, consolidation and development of the textile-clothing supply chain.

The Rome Declaration includes a series of priorities, confirming social partners’ commitment in working together for a more competitive and fair Italian textile industry. The Declaration also calls upon the Italian Government and the European Union to support the upcoming transformation of the textile and clothing industries, technology and skills upgrades, regional development and just transition.

Says Judith Kirton-Darling, IndustriAll Europe's general secretary stated that “the Italian textile industry employs around 300,000 workers, or 24% of the European workforce in the textile and clothing sector, making it the largest in Europe. In a context of numerous challenges for the European textile industry, such as unfair globalization, green and digital transition, social dialogue is a real lever for improving working conditions and job security. We are committed alongside our Italian partners to a resilient and attractive textile industry in Italy”.

Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director General, stressed that “Italy represents 36% of the total European textile and fashion industry; it is critically important therefore to maintain a strong Italian textile industry, which can be a benchmark for other countries. Combining quality, creativity and innovation is the recipe for success. This requires a dynamic company spirit, where employers and employees work hand in hand.”

As the global demand for technical textiles surges, India is emerging as a key hub for innovation and growth. Recognizing the vast potential of this evolving market, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India announced a collaboration for ‘Techtextil India - the country’s premier platform for the technical textiles industry with Austrian Fibers Institute. This strategic alliance between the two-leading platforms in technical textiles will bring the Asia edition of the renowned Dornbirn GFC at a part of Techtextil India Symposium in 2025.

The 10th edition of Techtextil India 2025 which is scheduled from 19 – 21 November 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, will open its doors for the Dornbirn Global fiber congress Asia on 18th November 2025 to be held under Techtextil India Symposium.

The Dornbirn GFC Asia in India 2025 will spotlight on theme titled as ‘Shaping the future: Sustainable Growth in Fiber Solutions and Innovations’. The conference will be led by globally acclaimed subject matter experts, researchers, manufacturers and thought leaders.

The GFC Asia – India Conference will host a diverse line-up of speakers from India and around the world, showcasing cutting-edge innovations and expertise in the fiber and textile industry. The discussions will spotlight ground-breaking advances in spinning technology.

Driven by intensive research and development, the upcoming edition of the Techtextil India will present the innovative strides made by the industry players. From various stages of production of man-made fibre, non-woven and others, to the evolving applications and maintenance methods, the expo will be a source of upgrading knowledge and expanding the network.

Techtextil India 2025 edition is already sold out and has witnessed a strong interest from leading global brands who have signed up to exhibit. Indian government is aiming for the technical textile market to reach USD 40 billion by 2030 and total exports targeted are USD 10 billion by 2030. The Indian government and the industry players are confident that India will soon become the world leader in manufacturing of technical textiles. Schemes like National Technical textiles Mission (NTTM) and Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) are offering the benefits to industry stakeholders. Under NTTM, the government is focusing on 156 R&D projects for driving innovations. The government is also encouraging Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to boost the segment.

The growing focus on sustainability and circularity in textiles is opening up new avenues encouraging reuse, repairing, refurbishing and recycling of the products. Indian government and technical textile educational programmes are witnessing a growth to impart knowledge and skills across categories like medical textiles, mobile textiles, geotextiles, geosynthetics and etc., which represent an attractive future. Applications ranging from medical textiles to sportswear, automotive to construction and environmental sustainability are driving the demand for high-performance materials.

Amidst this backdrop, the collaboration of Dornbirn GFC and Techtextil India 2025 marks a pivotal step in positioning India as a global hub for technical textile innovation and strengthening cross-border knowledge exchange. With the technical textiles market poised to redefine industries, Techtextil Symposium India will also present Meditex Conference during the event.

SAATI Germany, a leading manufacturer of highly developed technical fabrics, has further optimised its production processes by using innovative measurement and control technology from Mahlo.

The globally active SAATI Group produces filter fabric for blood transfusion devices, aramid fabric for bulletproof vests and functional fabric for mobile phones and tablets, among other things. SAATI is known for its high precision and quality, which is maintained at all stages of production.

The installation of a Mahlo distortion control system Orthopac FMC-15 and a Famacont PMC-15 yarn density meter in the outfeed of a stenter frame was a further step in this optimisation process.

As Saati produces highly technical fabrics, the exact thread count (up to over 300 F/cm) is an essential quality feature. The PMC-15, a camera-based measuring system, can continuously record and log this parameter. At the same time, the FMC-15 records residual distortion and contributes to the elimination of so-called back sheet distortion in the fabric by automatically controlling the take-off roller of the stenter frame. This ensures the consistently high quality of the end products and reduces potential sources of error.

The investment in these systems proved so successful that SAATI initiated the next stage of process optimisation in 2024. „With the installation of an Orthopac GRVMC-15 straightening machine before the infeed of the stenter frame, we have further perfected the control of fabric
quality,“ says Operations Manager Thomas Brockmeier. The heavyweight among the Mahlo straightening systems with a working width of 2,800 mm enables SAATI to correct skew and bow distortions in the raw fabric even before the stenter frame. This is because a weft yarn that is only slightly skewed or curved can render the fabric unusable or visually unfit for use.

By combining the GRVMC-15 with the FMC-15 already installed in the outfeed, SAATI now has a fully automatic system that offers maximum monitoring and control options. The co-operation of these two technologies enables the company to deliver precisely shot-straight items. „I am delighted that we were able to complete the project so successfully,“ says Brockmeier.

Substituting dry curing for traditional water-based techniques, these new textile production solutions greatly reduce water-borne pollution: Green Theme Technologies (GTT), creators of the waterless and PFAS-free EMPEL® textile finishing platform, has teamed up with Golden Long John to promote the next generation of cleaner and more efficient fabric dye and finishing processes.

The textile manufacturing industry generates trillions of gallons of wastewater each year. Traditional textile dyeing and finishing rinses chemical dyes and water repellency onto fabrics. Post-production toxic water is then dumped into rivers and oceans.

Last year, Golden Long John, a major textile supplier of the global footwear industry, introduced GTT’s EMPEL® finishing platform in their Vietnam factories. Their partnership has led to the combination of their two industry leading technologies, the EMPEL® high performance water repellent finish and Golden Long John’s direct dye process.

“We believe, Cleaner IS Better and this is a big step forward for the fashion and textile industries,” said Martin Flora, President of GTT Business Development. “Similar to GTT’s EMPEL® application, Golden Long John applies dye chemistry directly onto fabrics. Better performance with much less pollution is our vision for the future.”

When PERFORMANCE DAYS opens its doors on October 23 and 24, 2024, in Halls A1 and A2 at the Messe München exhibition grounds, visitors will once again find fabric innovations for Fall/Winter 2026 across the segments of performance wear, footwear, accessories, and, for the first time, bodywear. The jury, composed of renowned industry experts, reviewed the latest fabrics for the 2026 season in the Trend, Footwear, and Bodywear Forum, looking for outstanding innovations. A total of one Performance Award and one Eco Performance Award were presented.

PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to deliver plenty of highlights and innovations in technical fibers and materials in the Trend Forum at the winter exhibition. Since Fall 2023, the event has also focused on the footwear segment, summarizing the latest trends and news in the dedicated Footwear Forum. Starting in October 2024, the organizers will introduce a new Bodywear Collective, complete with a corresponding Trend Forum. In close collaboration with the London Contour Experts and designer and industry expert Nichole de Carle, PERFORMANCE DAYS will feature a Trend Forum dedicated to underwear, shapewear, bras & leggings, yoga in motion, and swimwear.

The expert jury, led by Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS, Jury Head Alexa Dehmel, and guest jurors Regina Goller, a textile expert with experience in sustainable functional fabrics at companies like Odlo, Puma, and Jack Wolfskin, as well as Stephan Prinz, Account Manager Germany at Klopman, praised the quality, sustainability approaches, and high level of innovation in the submissions. The jury awarded one Performance Award (Bodywear) and one Eco Performance Award (Apparel).

The winners are: A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA & Penn Textile Solutions GmbH/Penn Italia SRL
For the Fall/Winter 2026 season, the jury selected three awards for outstanding fabrics.

Alongside the Eco Performance Award, which went to A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA for the article “69222/Colorful chemistry featuring holistic farming,” one Performance Award
was also presented for the first time in the bodywear segment: Penn Textile Solutions GmbH/Penn Italia SRL made their debut in the Bodywear Forum with "13949.

ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD: A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA / Article “69222 - Colorful Chemistry Featuring Holistic Farming”
In collaboration with Good Earth Cotton, this project focuses on sustainable farming practices to reduce the environmental impact of cotton while improving soil health, paving the way for a carbon-neutral future. The supplier is also exploring innovations with organic cotton grown using regenerative farming methods, expanding the scope for future eco-friendly concepts. Additionally, the fabric is dyed using biological dyes—an innovative technique where natural bacteria produce pigments that bond efficiently with the fabric a low temperatures without the use of petrochemicals. The fabric is available in pink and
sand.

Jury Statement: “This fabric takes this year’s focus topic to the next level! A. Sampaio & Filhos – Têxteis SA’s fabric innovation showcases the future of dyeing with microorganisms. Textile dyeing with living organisms is a sustainable and resource-efficient method that requires no harmful chemicals. Additionally, the fabric, made from 100% organic cotton, excels in performance due to an innovative body-mapping concept that provides optimal support during wear.”

PERFORMANCE AWARD: Penn Textile Solutions GmbH / Penn Italia SRL / Article “13949” This fabric, composed of 68% recycled polyamide and 32% ROICA, with a weight of 290 grams, is perfect for baselayer construction. It can be customized with the brand’s own design, featuring open structures and a 3D effect for added texture. Despite its structure, the fabric has an incredibly soft touch, ensuring maximum comfort during wear. Jury Statement: “Penn Textiles was a popular vote, an award worthy of the jury. The fabric has a combination of high density opaque areas with lighter breathable panels. A superior choice for the Bodywear Category because of its customisable 3D design aesthetic, printable qualities and second skin super soft touch. The fabric blend of Roica yarn and recycled PA has many admirable qualities for next to skin, including anti-odor, quick dry and outstanding stretch and recovery to adapt to the body shape. Fabric, with a perfect fit for body contouring products including leggings, underwear and light support shapewear.”