From the Sector

• Pidigi S.p.A. of Verona and a German subsidiary acquire key assets of Sympatex by way of an asset deal  
• 21 jobs and all four apprenticeship positions will be retained at the Unterföhring site 
• Transaction creates significant operational and economic synergies 

In the insolvency proceedings concerning the assets of the Munich-based textile company Sympatex Technologies GmbH, insolvency administrator Axel W. Bierbach of the law firm Müller-Heydenreich Bierbach & Kollegen (Munich) has found a viable solution for the continuation of business operations. The operating business is to be taken over by Pidigi S.p.A. of Verona by way of an asset deal effective June 1, 2026. Pidigi is an owner-managed, internationally active Italian supplier and innovation partner to the footwear, leather goods, and apparel industries, with a market presence spanning more than 70 years. Pidigi develops and markets high-quality materials and sustainable components for industrial applications.  

As part of the asset deal, Pidigi and a German subsidiary are acquiring the core assets of Sympatex and intend to continue business operations under the Sympatex brand. At the Unterföhring site near Munich, 21 jobs and the apprenticeships of all four trainees will be retained. The international locations in France, China, and Hong Kong, as well as the Korean sales office, are also to be continued. As part of the structural realignment, 25 employees at the Unterföhring site will receive notices of termination for operational reasons in the course of May, effective at the end of August. 

To mitigate the economic consequences for the affected employees, a reconciliation of interests and a social plan have been agreed upon. Around 20 employees have already left the company on their own initiative during the preliminary insolvency proceedings. With the transfer of business operations to Pidigi, future operational responsibilities will also be reorganized. Kim Scholze, who took over Sympatex as sole managing director during an extremely challenging phase and guided the company through the insolvency proceedings, will leave the company upon completion of the transaction. 

Basis secured for the continuation of operations at the Unterföhring site 
Insolvency administrator Bierbach described it as particularly encouraging that Sympatex’s Unterföhring site will be retained, thereby laying a crucial foundation for the sustainable continuation of business operations in Germany. He expressly thanked Kim Scholze, the entire workforce, and the works council for their dedication over the past few months. “Under difficult circumstances, Sympatex’s employees and managing director have contributed with a high degree of professionalism, great commitment, and remarkable loyalty to maintaining stable business operations and laying the groundwork for this investor solution,” Bierbach stated. Business operations have been able to continue in full during the three and a half months since the insolvency filing at the end of January 2026.  

“The past few months have demanded an enormous amount from Sympatex’s employees. This makes me all the more filled with respect for how professionally, loyally, and dedicatedly the teams worldwide have supported business operations, customer relationships and key projects during this phase. The fact that an investor solution for the technology, brand, and core business areas has now been achieved is a significant shared success. My special thanks go to all employees, partners, and customers who have supported Sympatex during this time with trust, dedication, and resilience,” said Kim Scholze.  

From the perspective of insolvency administrator Bierbach, Pidigi’s entry has created a viable future for the company. “Given the challenging market environment, which is subject to significant competitive and cost pressures, and Sympatex’s unique corporate history, finding a suitable buyer for Sympatex was a very demanding task. I am all the more pleased that we were able to secure an ideal investor in Pidigi, a company that knows this highly specialized market well and has itself been successfully rooted in the footwear and apparel industry for many decades. Pidigi has a clear vision for and brings excellent operational capabilities as well as deep industry expertise to secure and sustainably develop Sympatex’s international market presence, technological know-how, and established customer relationships,” the insolvency administrator said.

Pidigi has been working with Sympatex for several decades and, as a long-standing distributor in the footwear segment in Italy, possesses comprehensive market knowledge as well as a strong international network in the footwear and apparel industry. In addition, there is a long-standing partnership in the field of tape production. The Italian family-owned business uses Sympatex laminates and membranes, which Pidigi incorporates into its footwear and apparel products. 
This creates significant operational and economic synergy potential throughout the value chain.  

Strong foundation for continued growth and new market opportunities 
For Dr. Giorgio De Gara, owner and managing director of Pidigi, the transaction marks a milestone in the family business’s continued development. “The acquisition of Sympatex is an important strategic step for us, building on a long-standing and trusting partnership. We have known the company, its technologies and the people behind them for many years and are delighted to now welcome Sympatex as part of the Pidigi family. Together, we aim to further develop Sympatex’s international business in a targeted manner – from performance laminates and tapes for footwear applications to technical solutions for the public sector, workwear and apparel markets. By combining Sympatex’s technological expertise with Pidigi’s global market presence and operational strength, we are creating a strong foundation for further growth and new market opportunities. It is important to us to preserve Sympatex’s valuable technological know-how and the Unterföhring site, and to offer employees long-term prospects”, Dr. De Gara said. 

The structured investor sale process was supported by an experienced team of advisers. On the M&A side, the insolvency administrator was advised by Dr. Wieselhuber & Partner (W&P). Led by Dr. Hubertus Bartelheimer, M&A specialists Ante Jelavic and Thomas Müller oversaw the entire transaction process. Legal advice to the insolvency administrator was provided by Taylor Wessing Germany, led by Dr. Hendrik Boss and Lisa K. Iwersen, LL.M. (Stellenbosch). 

Asahi Kasei has announced plans to streamline operations at its Mizushima Works by fiscal 2030. 

There will be no immediate impact on the company’s supply of derivative products. The businesses covered by this initiative recorded revenue of ¥116.2 billion in fiscal year 2025, compared with ¥1,306.2 billion for the Material segment overall. 

Asahi Kasei’s discontinuation of these derivatives and realignment of its supply chain form part of a broader initiative to streamline its Material sector portfolio and enhance capital efficiency. 

These measures are intended to exit businesses where profitability has become inherently challenging and to restructure the related supply chains within the global petrochemical markets. This is expected to improve margins and reduce cash outflows associated with maintaining these operations, enabling the strategic reallocation of capital toward higher-value opportunities. Such disciplined portfolio man-agement reinforces Asahi Kasei’s focus on areas with stronger long-term return potential. 

Under its three-year medium-term management plan "Trailblaze Together," Asahi Kasei is improving capital efficiency and accelerating earnings by converting past growth investments into tangible returns. To support this, the company is implementing structural reforms that channel resources to its key growth pillars—pharmaceuticals, critical care, overseas homes, and electronics. 

Recent actions such as entering a basic agreement with Mitsui Chemicals and Mitsubishi Chemical to promote the decarbonization of ethylene production in western Japan, and acquiring Aicuris to strengthen its specialty pharma platform in severe infectious diseases, demonstrate Asahi Kasei’s dis-ciplined execution of this strategy and reinforce the foundation for sustained, profitable growth.

Alchemie Technology, a leader of jet precision dyeing solutions, is pleased to share that Endeavour demonstrates up to 92% water saving in their dyeing process.

The demonstration was validated by Fashion for Good and conducted by BluWin, through Fashion for Good’s Advanced Process Matrix (APM) assessment, an initiative to find sustainable resources for “Future Forward Factories”, seeking low-carbon innovative solutions to help textile process transition from wet processing to dry processing.

Alchemie Technology announced the results of the APM assessment, confirming that Endeavour digital dyeing technology delivers significant reduction in resource consumption, compared to traditional jet dyeing and thermosol processes. 

The assessment, conducted in Taiwan in September 2025, demonstrates that the Endeavour process—excluding pre and post treatment, achieves up to 92% reduction in water usage compared to jet dyeing and up to 90% reduction compared to the Thermosol method. By eliminating steam usage entirely, the technology reduces total energy consumption by up to 86% against Thermosol and up to 70% against jet dyeing. While the process is fully electric, it results in an increase in electricity consumption ranging from 30% to 128%, the shift facilitates a significant net decrease in Greenhouse Gas emissions, by up to 86% compared to Thermosol and up to 70% compared to jet dyeing methods. 

The data of the assessment was captured in a commercial production environment, highlighting Endeavour as a production-ready solution that can deliver environmental and operational advantages. In addition to reducing resource use, the technology operates at line speeds of 35 metres per minute, with the potential for higher speeds depending on fabric specifications. The impact assessment confirmed that the dyed polyester fabrics achieved colour fastness grades of 4 and above in all cases, meeting all standard industry requirements.

“The assessment was orchestrated by our partner, Fashion for Good under their APM project to validate the performance and impact of Endeavour” said Dr. Alan Hudd, CEO and Founder of Alchemie Technology. “The results of the APM or most people understand as a form of LCA confirm that it is possible to significantly reduce water, energy, and emissions in our dyeing process, without compromising on quality or production efficiency. This is a critical step in enabling the industry to adopt more resource-efficient processes at scale.”

Endeavour is a digital dyeing platform configurable for polyester, cotton, and man-made cellulosic fibres. It uses Alchemie’s proprietary dye application system to precisely apply dye to fabric, ensuring that no excess dye is used. By eliminating the need for large volumes of heated water, the process delivers substantial reductions in resource consumption compared to traditional dyeing methods.

The assessment evaluated the Endeavour polyester process against conventional jet exhaust dyeing and thermosol process, incorporating data from a full production workflow. The results of this assessment reinforce Alchemie Technology’s position as a provider of production-ready solutions that combine measurable sustainability improvements with consistent, high-quality output and operational efficiency.