From the Sector

• Deep Insights into the Multifaceted World of Cotton
• Quality, Innovation and Digitalisation are Crucial

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, the international cotton industry came together in the historic Bremen Town Hall, under the motto "Cotton Insights". More than 500 participants from almost 40 countries came to exchange views on the latest trends in the natural raw material as part of the conference organised by the Bremen Cotton Exchange in cooperation with the Fibre Institute Bremen. The 34th International Cotton Conference provided a varied, in-depth programme which addressed the current and burning issues within the industry.

Summarising his visit to the conference, Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) in Washington said “The Bremen Cotton Conference is unique because it brings the diverse world of cotton together in one place. It is always a great opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, talk to cotton merchants and get an overview of the industry".

Sustainability and Cotton
This year, the conference developed into a whole week of diverse events around the entire cotton supply chain. With the “SUSTAIN” event, which was organised in cooperation with the Weser-Kurier newspaper, it was possible to build a bridge between the issue of sustainability and the end consumer.
With the focus on Africa, the emerging continent, which also has a special significance for cotton, became the centre of attention.

In his opening speech, Henning Hammer, President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, made it clear that sustainability is also of great importance during the Cotton Conference: "The three pillars of sustainability – the environment, the economy and social issues – were already playing a role in the cotton industry when the word sustainability was far from being on everyone's lips.
Many changes that are being demanded in the sense of responsible agriculture and responsible trade take their time, many are already in the starting blocks and a lot already exists. We have a very alert, active agricultural research worldwide."

The Keynotes
The keynote session, moderated by the journalist Lisa Boekhoff from the newspaper Weser-Kurier, gave participants an overview, with an informative analysis of the current cotton situation. Kai Hughes, executive director of ICAC, emphasised in his keynote address the need to provide credible facts and figures which should be the basis for the entire supply chain. The marketing of cotton and changing consumer habits in a globalised and digitalised world were the subject of lectures by Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated and Robert Antoshak, Olah Inc. Eugen Weinberg and Michael Alt from Commerzbank took a look at the raw material from a stock market perspective.

Traceability and Digitalisation
Digitalisation is also a cross-cutting issue that runs through the entire supply chain of the cotton industry. In his opening speech, Prof. Axel S. Hermann, Head of the Fibre Institute Bremen, emphasised the importance of digitalisation for the industry. “It enables new approaches in cotton cultivation and textile processing, but also influences consumer behaviour and thus the necessary changes in the textile industry.” The focus is on the status quo of the implementation, as well as the opportunities and risks of digitally controlled, vertically integrated procurement and sales processes and the associated challenges at retail level.

Another current topic is traceability, which is also closely linked to sustainability. More and more buyers want to know whether their suppliers are meeting the promised sustainability criteria for their products, also textile products. Consequently, the conference presented various techniques for testing the authenticity of a cotton provided in the finished textile, such as DNA testing, fingerprint analysis technique, marker methods and block-chain processes.

Cotton Quality
In addition to current subjects such as digitalisation and traceability, questions of cotton quality have traditionally been an essential element of the Cotton Conference, which was further reinforced this year with the "Spinners Seminar". The spinning mill seminar, which was carried out by the Cotton Exchange and the Fibre Institute in cooperation with the ITMF and IVGT associations, far exceeded expectations.

More than 70 participants discussed the handling of impurities in supplied cotton in the manufacturing process.
In addition, in a high-level expert session, there was an exchange of the latest research results which determine the future of cotton production and the processing of cotton into innovative products.

• Frühbucherrabatt bis 15. April

Der Fashionmarkt unterliegt einem immer schnelleren Wandel. Speziell für mittelständische Modehäuser ist es entscheidend, die notwendige regionale Orientierung mit sinnvollen digitalen Tools zu unterstützen, um für die Kunden auch bei zunehmendem (Online-)Wettbewerb attraktiv zu bleiben.

Neue Wege, innovative Anregungen und überzeugende Praxisbeispiele zu diesem Thema präsentiert der 4. BTE-Kongress „Fashion-Emotion 4.0: Profilierung des Modehandels lokal und digital“ am 6. Juni in Köln. Das Themenspektrum der Vorträge und Diskussionsrunden reicht von inspirierender Waren-Präsentation über  zeitgemäße Werbeplanung und Praxis-Erfahrungen mit Influencern bis zum Erfolgsfaktor Beratung und Service.

Zu Beginn analysiert IfH-Geschäftsführer Dr. Kai Hudetz, wie die Kunden sich heute und künftig beim Modekauf verhalten und worauf sie Wert legen. Praxisvorträge kommen u.a. von den Modehäusern Böckmann (Recke), Garhammer (Waldkirchen) und Kutsam (Bad Hall), hochkarätige Expertenreferate u.a. von Blocher Partners sowie Hutter + Unger. Als Abrundung werden die bisherigen Erfahrungen mit der digitalen Regalverlängerung im Modehandel vorgestellt. Moderiert wird der BTE-Kongress, der von einer themenbezogenen Fachausstellung begleitet wird, durch Michael Werner, Chefredakteur der TextilWirtschaft.

Hinweis: Die Teilnehmergebühr beträgt für Mitglieder im Einzelhandelsverband 295 Euro, für sonstige Teilnehmer aus Handel und Industrie 395 Euro und für alle übrigen Interessenten 695 Euro, jeweils zzgl. MwSt. Jeder weitere Teilnehmer aus demselben Unternehmen erhält 20 Prozent Ermäßigung.

Frühbucherpreis: Bei Anmeldungen bis einschließlich 15. April 2018 wird ein Preisnachlass in Höhe von 10 Prozent gewährt. Weitere Informationen und Anmeldung beim BTE, Alexandra Müller, Tel. 0221/921509-41, Fax -10, E-Mail mueller@bte.de und im Internet unter www.bte.de (Rubrik: Veranstaltungen).

Der  BTE unterstützt den Modehandel bei der Vorbereitung seiner Order mit verschiedenen Publikationen und Hilfsmitteln. Die wichtigsten im Überblick:

• „Saisonplanung – Saisonverlauf: Aktion versus Reaktion“: Behandelt werden u. a. das aktuelle Käuferverhalten, der zielgruppengerechte Sortimentsaufbau, der Modegrad im Saisonverlauf, Limitverteilung und Liefertaktung, das Führen von Lieferantengesprächen sowie die Umsetzung am POS. 68 Seiten, Preis: 45 EUR brutto zzgl. Versand.
• „Limit im Griff – Ertrag in der Kasse": Aufgezeigt werden praxisgerecht die Struktur und Vorgehensweise einer modernen Limitplanung, u.a. auch das Thema „Flächenlimite“. 140 Seiten, Preis: 48,15 EUR brutto zzgl. Versand.
• „Handels-Kalkulator“: Mit der BTE-Kalkulations-App lässt sich der Verkaufspreis (brutto und netto mit unterschiedlichen Mehrwertsteuersätzen), der Netto-Einkaufspreis sowie die Handelsspanne als Aufschlag bzw. Abschlag errechnen. So können beim Einkauf schnell und komfortabel Kalkulationen überprüft oder neu berechnet werden. Erhältlich zum Preis von 5,99 EUR im App- bzw. Play-Store.

Hinweis: Die Publikationen können bestellt werden beim ITE-Verlag, Fax 0221/92150910, E-Mail: itebestellungen@bte.de oder im BTE-Webshop www.shop.bte.de, wo auch Downloads möglich sind. Mitglieder im Einzelhandelsverband erhalten – bei vorheriger Registrierung – einen Preisnachlass in Höhe von 20 Prozent.

• Amazon, EasySize, Evo Pricing and Lectra explored diverse uses for customer data during a round table event organized by the ESCP Europe - Lectra ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair Paris

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, the French business school ESCP Europe and their joint ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair examined the multiple ways the fashion industry’s ecosystem can use customer data, during a recent round table event at the start of the fifth Fashion Tech Week in Paris.

Elise Beuriot, senior category leader, EU Luggage, Amazon, Olivier Dancot, VP of data, Lectra, Fabrizio Fantini, founder and CEO, Evo Pricing, and Gulnaz Khusainova, founder and CEO, Easysize, agreed straight away on one key point: the analysis of customer data lends itself to limitless applications along the entire fashion value chain. Its impact is immense, whether in terms of customer satisfaction, competitiveness, revenues or waste limitation.

As early as the design phase, a wealth of data offers many sources of inspiration for stylists. For teams in charge of collections, “complex models allow the analysis of data like online traffic and purchase history in order to design and offer the products that consumers expect, which is a priority for a company obsessed by the customer, like Amazon,” stated Elise Beuriot. For sales, “decisions based on data trigger millions of orders. The impact on the inventory is enormous,” she added.

“Fashion is an industry where unsold items generate a lot of waste. Algorithms and big data analysis can reduce left-overs by anticipating demand several weeks ahead in order to optimize the price and replenishment,” observed Fabrizio Fantini. “Fashion companies who exploit data to inform their decisions become more efficient. They are better armed to protect their margins, but can also sell for less, and potentially reach a larger number of consumers.”

Other IT models aggregate customer data in real time ‘to determine, among hundreds of factors, those which have the biggest influence on buying decisions. Value doesn’t necessarily lie in the volume of data but in the depth of the analyses,’ claimed Gulnaz Khusainova. Easysize is careful that collected data is anonymous, she underlined, because ‘consumers need to keep control of their data, and know how it is used’.
For editors of software dedicated to fashion businesses, and suppliers of cutting machines designed for the clothing industry, “analyzing usage data from our solutions enables the offer to evolve, making each step in the value chain more efficient and perfectly adapted to the needs of the brands, retailers and manufacturers. What is at stake is better quality products, placed on the market as quickly as possible and at a reduced cost,” explained Olivier Dancot.

“It is easy to collect data, but difficult to extract actionable information. Everything hinges on data analysis,” concluded Céline Abecassis-Moedas, professor and co-scientific director of the ‘Fashion & Technology’ Chair and moderator of the round table. “Due to its emotional dimension—from the stylist’s inspiration to the consumer’s desire to buy—fashion is not an industry like others. However, all the components that make up its ecosystem can truly benefit from the judicious exploitation of customer data. Examples discussed this evening illustrate the diversity of what is possible.

TINTEX presents a new and fresh campaign with contemporary images that signal the launch of the Autumn Winter 2019 Jersey collections presented by CEO Mario Jorge, who describes the new ‘Naturally Advanced’ position as moving on from making beautiful organics and natural materials to the next level with advanced hybrid nature/hi-tech smarts, with added value creativity, thanks to focused investments that will serve and secure our customer demands both now and in the seasons to come.

THE COLLECTION. Come and see the autumn range of more than 80 new qualities and style and discuss your own tailor made needs designed to fit the Fashion, Sportswear, Athleisure and Underwear sectors. The TINTEX Collection uses at least 60% of more sustainable materials, such as Tencel, Organic cotton, Naturally organic linen, recycled and recovered smart materials including polyesters, nylons and now a new recycled stretch elastane too. Out of preference, and in keeping with its ethos of creating low impact fabrics, the major part of the collection eschews the use of animal based fibers, with the limited exception of some organic wool, silk and cashmere blend qualities.

Lectra has leveraged more than 10 years of experience in connected manufacturing to offer Versalis®, an innovative digital solution designed to cut leather without compromise on quality. Featuring a powerful automatic nesting system for overall improvements in efficiency, the fully automated solution enables automotive leather suppliers to cut costs, improve productivity and minimize waste while also establishing a pathway to value-added Industry 4.0 processes.

Currently, almost 90% of leather used for automotive applications is cut using manual die presses, which require designers to build a physical prototype and finalize the design through trial and error. Lectra offers a fully digitalized leather solution from prototyping to cut parts—when used in combination with Lectra’s 3D prototyping and pattern-making software, Versalis digital leather cutting solution enables a 12-16 week reduction in development and launch cycles for vehicle seating models.
During the leather-cutting phase, the latest release of Versalis LeatherSuite allows automotive leather suppliers to achieve up to 15% greater productivity. Lectra’s end-to-end automotive leather offering furthermore guarantees optimal uptime through an extensive worldwide support network of field engineers and technical experts.
"Lectra focuses on a consultative approach that allows it to fully understand the customer’s needs before building a solution comprising software, hardware, consulting, training, and after-sales support,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Kamalesh Mohanarangam. "Lectra’s equipment is fitted with more than 200 sensors that predict failure and immediately report issues to its call centres. This product feature and service has resulted in 98% uptime and very fast mean time to repair."

Although digital leather cutting solutions are an investment, leather cutters and Tier-1 suppliers have begun to recognize the value of these products. On average, Lectra’s solutions help customers achieve up to 7% savings on leather compared to manual die-press methods by minimizing human error and variability in the cutting room. A benchmark test of leather trim cutting for door panels demonstrated a 3.5% gain in material made possible by Versalis’ superior nesting capabilities compared to the customer’s yield using manual nesting with die press machines, representing potential savings of €9 million per year.
Versalis is the fruit of significant R&D investment for the company, which has always made re-investment of capital a priority. As part of a transformational plan, Lectra spent more than €50 million in investments between 2011 and 2015. With Lectra’s new strategy focusing on supporting their customers’ transition to Industry 4.0 standards, Lectra will increase the share of revenues dedicated to R&D to 10% for the period from 2017 to 2019, representing a rise of about 50% between 2016 and 2019.

JEC Asia is on the threshold of 10 years. In November of this year, not only does it transfer the composites exhibition to Seoul for the first time, but it will also highlight the composites industry in End-Users Markets, such as the development of materials for Transportation (including Automotive & Aeronautics), renewable energies, Building & Construction, Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE) or again Sports & Leisure.
JEC Asia is the annual grand occasion for composites industries in Asia. Every year thousands of professionals and more than 200 companies from more than 45 countries across Asia-Pacific come together in this place creating innumerable business opportunities.

“In 2016, Asia represented 43% of the global Composites Market in value i.e. $35,26 Bn. This important market needs to be addressed in accordance with its needs and specificities. For instance, in volume, Asia accounts for 27% of the global weight of Composite use in EEE; if we add China, this figure raises to 66% of the world usage in Kilo Tons. Thanks to our partnerships with Asians clusters, government and Industries, and also thanks to our permanent office in Singapore, we are stronger in bringing dedicated content and solutions to Composites professionals in Asia or interested in the Asian markets.” comments Mrs. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President & CEO. “Besides, JEC Asia steering committee is mainly composed of Asian academics, industrialists and officials to make sure that the November event will perfectly fit current and future interest for this region”, she adds.
Conferences on Composites in Automotive, Aeronautics, IT & EEE and Sports & Leisure are already planned in the agenda.

Pilatus is displaying the PC-24 at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, taking place in Geneva on May 22-24. This highly versatile jet is able to take off and land on very short runways and unpaved strips due in part to the composite-intensive structure, which makes great use of Hexcel’s composite materials and adhesive.

Hexcel’s HexPly® 8552 woven prepreg in carbon and glass variants is used to manufacture a number of the aircraft components including the belly fairing, which is the largest composite structure on the aircraft. HexPly® 8552 is one of Hexcel’s most successful and widely used prepregs for aircraft programs including commercial aircraft and fighter jets. Hexcel’s Redux® 319 epoxy film adhesive is also used for bonding the composite structures. The PC-24 is in the final stages of its certification program following the first flight of the third and final test aircraft on March 6 2017. The aircraft is scheduled for certification and entry into service in the 4th quarter 2017. Pilatus has so far secured 84 orders for the PC-24, which equates to three years of production.

The sustainable wear2wear concept is synonymous with high-quality, responsible clothing. In Europe, textile fibres from used garments will be used to produce new functional fabrics. Depending on the area of intended use, they also meet strict waterproofing, breathability, protection and comfort requirements. To ensure that the raw material cycle comes full circle, these textiles can be recycled again when they reach the end of their service life. As a result, there is no waste, and they go on to be used in the production of additional garments. All wear2wear partner companies guarantee that – from the quality of the raw materials to the guaranteed recycling end process– these are 100 percent recyclable, functional fabrics made of recycled textile fibres. Water- and dirt-repelling technologies based on renewable raw materials, along with the most advanced membrane technology, will ensure that the textiles are developed and manufactured entirely without the use of PFC in the future too.