From the Sector

The countdown for submissions has begun. Until 15 December 2025, companies can enter their developments for the Techtextil Innovation Award and the Texprocess Innovation Award. Those selected by the distinguished juries benefit from international visibility as well as from the reputation and reach of the two leading trade fairs. From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil and Texprocess bring together the global industries in Frankfurt. The presentation of the Innovation Awards and the showcasing of the winning ideas is among the most prominent highlights.

The industry is evolving at a rapid pace – from new advances in technical textiles and nonwovens to forward-looking manufacturing and processing technologies. Current developments such as the use of AI, sustainable approaches and new production methods are creating additional opportunities for innovation. Especially in times of recession, tariffs and restrained investment, these impulses take on particular significance. They open up new opportunities in numerous fields, ranging from mobility and medicine to apparel. The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards provide international visibility for the best ideas.

The innovations are driving progress in numerous industries. In 2024, the award winners presented recyclable fibre composites for aviation, self-cooling textiles for façades and measurement methods for body scans based on 4D scanning. Whether in mobility, construction, medicine or apparel – textile and technological innovations are creating new opportunities for progress.

Categories Techtextil Innovation Award 2026

• New Concept
• New Material
• New Application
• New Product
• New Chemicals & Dyes
• New Recycled Materials & Recycling Technologies
• New Production Technology, Digitalisation & AI Solutions

Submit application: https://solutions.techtextil.com/

Categories Texprocess Innovation Award 2026

• Economic quality (cost minimisation, time and process optimisation, automation)
• Ecological quality (climate protection, energy efficiency, sustainability, recycling, circularity)
• Digitalisation + AI
• Innovation for quality improvement

Submit application: https://solutions.texprocess.com/

Information on participation
The submission deadline for all applications for the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards 2026 is 15 December 2025. All companies, institutes, universities, polytechnics and individuals are eligible to apply. Participation is free of charge. Submitted developments must have been on the market for less than two years or be shortly before the market launch. From mid-December 2025, two experienced international expert juries examine all submitted products in detail and evaluate them according to criteria such as degree of innovation, market potential, sustainability, choice of materials and technical quality. The winning companies are formally and prominently presented on the first day of the trade fair, 21 April 2026, in Frankfurt am Main.

Der Hersteller von Rundstrick- und Flechtmaschinen Mayer & Cie. in Albstadt hat am 23. September 2025 beim Amtsgericht Hechingen einen Antrag auf Eröffnung eines Insolvenzverfahren in Eigenverwaltung gestellt. 

Mayer & Cie. hat sich auf Herstellung und Verkauf von Rundstrick- und Flechtmaschinen spezialisiert, die nahezu komplett in den Export gehen und bei Textilherstellern weltweit geschätzt sind. Das Unternehmen ist in vierter Generation inhabergeführt und feierte vor kurzem sein 120-jähriges Bestehen. Am Stammsitz in Albstadt beschäftigt Mayer & Cie. rund 280 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter. Ihre Löhne und Gehälter sind drei Monate lang über das Insolvenzgeld gesichert. 

Mayer & Cie. agiert in einem Markt, der derzeit durch globale Ereignisse in Turbulenzen geraten ist. So führten der Handelskonflikt zwischen den USA und China und der Krieg in der Ukraine weltweit zu Investitionszurückhaltung. Der wichtige Exportmarkt Türkei kämpft mit hoher Inflation, wodurch die dortigen Textilhersteller nicht mehr wettbewerbsfähig sind. Gleichzeitig bieten staatlich subventionierte Hersteller aus China ihre Textilmaschinen zu günstigen Preisen auf dem Weltmarkt an. Dies führte zu einem Umsatzeinbruch von annähernd 50 Prozent im vergangenen Jahr – bei gleichzeitig gestiegenen Kosten. 

Die Eigenverwaltung bietet Unternehmen einen rechtlichen Rahmen, um sich bei laufendem Geschäftsbetrieb neu aufzustellen. Im Unterschied zu einem regulären Insolvenzverfahren bleibt dabei die unternehmerische Verantwortung in den Händen der Geschäftsführung, die die Sanierung selbst steuert. Sie wird unterstützt von dem erfahrenen Sanierungsexperten Rechtsanwalt Martin Mucha von der Kanzlei Grub Brugger, der als Generalbevollmächtigter ins Unternehmen eintritt. In der Eigenverwaltung setzt das zuständige Amtsgericht keinen Insolvenzverwalter, sondern einen (vorläufigen) Sachwalter ein. Dieser überwacht das Verfahren im Interesse der Gläubiger. Als vorläufigen Sachwalter der Mayer & Cie. wurde Rechtsanwalt Ilkin Bananyarli von der PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH bestellt. 

„Am Donnerstag habe ich gemeinsam mit der Geschäftsführung die Belegschaft über den Insolvenzantrag informiert. Zugleich wurden die notwendigen Schritte zur Aufrechterhaltung des Geschäftsbetriebs eingeleitet. Wir beabsichtigen, den Geschäftsbetrieb wie gewohnt fortzusetzen, und werden uns mit allem Engagement auf den Erhalt der Kernkompetenzen des Unternehmens konzentrieren“, erklärt Rechtsanwalt Martin Mucha.

By perfecting the detection of visual defects in fabrics, this digital solution enhances customer satisfaction, optimises production processes and reduces raw material consumption. The jury also chose to award a special prize to Green Worms, an Indian micro-enterprise that has set up a local waste collection and processing system. Recycling waste creates sustainable jobs for women from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

‘The jury members were impressed by the quality of the designs submitted by the companies selected for this edition,’ said Claudia Franz, Director of Brand Management Apparel Fabrics & Fashion at Messe Frankfurt. ‘By recognising the GoldenEye Smart Vision project and choosing to award a special prize to Green Worms, we are supporting innovative solutions that address today's major challenges,’ she added.

GoldenEye Smart Vision will benefit from a stand worth €2,800 at Avantex Paris 2026 and €1,000 offered by Messe Frankfurt France, plus €1,000 offered by Texpertise Network, the Messe Frankfurt Group's textile sector network, a one-year subscription to the VLGE creative solution (worth €30,000), one year of incubation at Foundry offered by IFA Paris (worth €4,500), a keynote speech at the Circular Textile Days event, and an article in Luxiders Magazine.

Green Worms will receive €1,000 from Texpertise Network, the Messe Frankfurt Group's textile industry network, a marketing package from Circular Textile Days, and a consultation offered by Jayne Simone Estève-Curé.

The final of the 8th edition of the Avantex Fashion Pitch competition, organised by Messe Frankfurt France, rewards the most innovative, sustainable and relevant projects for the future of fashion. Each of the eleven finalists for 2025 – Adirelounge, Ananas Fashion, CQ Studio, Delfi, Garment By, Green Worms, GoldenEye Smart Vision, Myth AI, Sequinova, Meddle, Style Shifter – had five minutes to convince the jury composed of Jayne Simone Estève-Curé, fashion and luxury expert consultant, Yoobin Jung, ventures associate sustainability at Plug and Play Tech Centre, Carol Hilsum, Investor & Tech Leader at Assembly Ventures, Claudia Frantz, Director Brand Management Messe Frankfurt, Rachel de Gooijer, Marketing Manager, Circular Textile Days.

Members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery manufacturers association – will introduce a range of new developments at the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME textile machinery exhibition in Singapore from October 28-31, with the emphasis on sensor-based automation and resource savings.

“The push for automation, AI-driven production and digitalisation continues to accelerate as manufacturers seek to improve efficiency and reduce dependency on repetitive tasks for operatives,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “Advanced automation enables predictive maintenance and real-time quality monitoring in fully integrated production systems and our members are already exploiting these technologies to help customers reduce downtime, improve efficiency and produce more sustainably.”

Single supplier
Under its trademarked slogan ‘Complete Process – One Supplier’, for example, ACG Kinna Automatic has pioneered the development of complete robotic lines for the production of pillows and duvets for the home furnishings sector – from the handling and opening of filling material and full line fabric feeding to sewing, digital quality control and packing.

Just a few years ago, such lines were seen by manufacturers as something exciting to perhaps consider for the future, but suddenly they have become essential to competing and surviving in today’s fast-moving industry.

“Automation has become a must for a number of reasons,” says ACG Kinna Marketing and Sales Manager Tomas Aspenskog. “Product traceability, flexibility and local production, in addition to new trade regulations, are now driving the market and given the challenge of finding skilled operators and constantly increasing costs, manufacturers are looking for simpler systems that will save on resources and boost productivity wherever possible.

“Our modular solutions enable customers to be more flexible and faster in adapting specific parts of a production line to meet new demands, and also to grow over time. There are also many benefits for manufacturers in dealing with only one project leader, contact person, supplier, freight handler and installation team.”

Industrial sewing
In Singapore, ACG Kinna Automatic will introduce the new Hector industrial sewing machine designed for the heavy duty circular and point stitching of filled textile components such as garden cushions, outdoor pillows and mattresses. Hector is already being employed by leading Swedish retailers including IKEA and JYSK in their manufacturing operations.

The Hector’s sewing arm is adjustable and can open up to accommodate thicker items under the needle and presser foot. It is available in three versions with sewing arms in lengths of 60, 100 and 120 centimetres.

Eltex EyETM
Another TMAS member, Eltex has made an important breakthrough on its EyETM tension monitoring system for the heat setting, tufting, warping and winding sectors, with the addition of electromagnetic brakes in combination with the latest advanced sensors. These enable tension variation to not only be detected, but automatically adjusted in real time during operation, rather than manually changed as previously.

The company’s ACT-R unit can further significantly reduce the selvedge yarn waste from the weft insertion systems of rapier weaving machines, while at the same time maintaining equal and steady tension across all pre-winders.

“Our ACT-R is a completely plug and play, stand-alone system and self synchronizes without any communication with the weaving machine,” explains Eltex Sales Engineer Michél Gamhov. “This is important, because many older weaving machines are still in operation worldwide, and the ACT-R enables instant improvements to be made without upgrading these machines in any way. We have achieved fantastic results for weavers working with recycled yarns who have been amazed at the difference in consistent quality and uninterrupted production that can be achieved.

“As everyone knows, the less waste you have the more you save in materials, labour, runtime and quality and we can help mills cut losses in many of these areas depending on the challenges they are facing. Many of our sensor-based systems are able to give older textile machines a new life and in Singapore we’re looking forward to talking to customers about the problems they face, because we believe there’s even more, we can do with our advanced technologies to make their existing machines more efficient.”

Svegea tubular components
The colarette machines of Svegea set the standard throughout Asia for the high speed production of tubular apparel components such as cuffs, collars and neck tapes and in Singapore the company will demonstrate its EC 50 and EC 200 with E-Drive II models, in addition to linked cutting systems.

“Our collarette machines are designed for long life-cycle durability and energy efficiency, reducing waste while providing high-quality binding,” says Svegea Managing Director Håkan Steene. “Our customers in Asia are increasingly looking to automation to improve efficiency and achieve cost savings and we address these needs by developing flexible machines that can be adapted to a wide range of customer requirements and combine high performance with user-friendly automation features.

Vandewiele know-how
Advanced weaving control is also the bedrock of business for Vandewiele Sweden AB, which supplies weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of the leading weaving machine manufacturers, as well for retrofitting in working mills around the world and will present its latest X4 yarn feeders with integrated accessory displays at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024.

X4 feeders are available in three different versions – with an integrated tension display (TED), with integrated active tension control (ATC), or with quick release, which enables weft tension settings to be transferred from one machine to another, enabling a fast start-up the next time the same article is woven. The position of the S-Flex Tensioner is constantly monitored by an internal sensor – even if adjustment is made during power off.

Vandewiele Sweden has recently further strengthened its product portfolio with IRO Gaugepart modules which are applied to tufting looms for the carpet industry, to determine the appearance of a carpet in terms of feel and structure. All parts are now available to order from the www.iroonline.com e-commerce site.

“Our size and flexibility mean that we can offer bespoke customer solutions according to specific requests – something that many larger manufacturers have difficulty matching,” says Division Manager Tobias Sternfeldt. 

Spray technology
Finally, the automated Texcoat G4 finishing system of BW Converting has been a runaway success in the past few years and the company will announce an entirely new, but related technology shortly before the Singapore exhibition.

“TexCoat G4 spray technology was developed in Sweden from our off-set printing business and we initially focused on installing units in Europe and the USA,” explains the company’s Vice President of Global Business Development for Textiles Rick Stanford. “In the past two years, however, we have been very active in Asia, with 35 units sold – and many of these customers have been asking for technologies in related areas. We’ll be saying more very shortly.” 

Tonello, a global leader in garment finishing solutions, presents THE Laser 2.0: a breakthrough that sets a new benchmark for speed, quality, and retrofittability in denim and garment processing.

THE Laser 2.0 is exceptionally fast. Its next-generation fully digital laser source combined with high-performance electronic boards, delivers exceptional marking speeds while preserving the highest standards of quality. With the new Turbo and Hyper modes, processing times can be cut by up to 40%, unlocking productivity without compromising results.

THE Laser 2.0 was designed for pure accuracy, reproducing even the finest details with clarity and consistency. Thanks to its dynamic focusing system, it ensures uniform marking across the entire work area, guaranteeing flawless execution on every garment.

The laser is fully retrofittable, making it easy to integrate into existing production lines. Installation is quick, and its compatibility with Tonello’s Climate technology secures optimal performance even in the most demanding environments.

At the heart of the system is CREA, Tonello’s proprietary software developed with laser designers and technicians worldwide. CREA translates creativity directly into production, offering intuitive tools, automated optimization, and a wide range of working modes to balance maximum quality with maximum speed.

Mimaki launched the Print Different podcast, designed to bring fresh insights, stories, and conversations from the world of digital printing.

The first episode - “Sustainability in Textile Printing” – marks the beginning of a series dedicated to exploring trending topics in digital print: from innovation and sustainability to customer success stories and the future of our industry.

The Mimaki podcast series will be available exclusively on the new Mimaki EMEA YouTube channel – a hub for product overviews, tutorials, customer stories, and more - and on Spotify. 

At the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition in Singapore, specialists from a 20-strong delegation of British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) companies will be on hand to discuss some of the highly advanced industries they are now actively supporting.

The manufacture of medical sutures, for example, is a very specialised process and because these items are implanted directly into the human body, every stage of production is tightly controlled to ensure safety, sterility and reliable performance.

Absorbable sutures are usually made from polymers that degrade safely within the body, such as polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid or polydioxanone, while non-absorbable sutures use durable materials like nylon, polypropylene, polyester, silk or even stainless steel. All of these must be of medical grade and fully biocompatible.

The UK’s Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) is a world leader in both the fibre selection and production technologies behind this industry and in Singapore will highlight a groundbreaking new parallel technology for the medical sector based on supercritical CO2. Further developments in the field of automation and control in advanced fibre production will be highlighted by BTMA members including Autofoam, James Heal, Roaches, Strayfield, Verivide and Wira Instrumentation.

AFP and ATL
From the micro to the macro, sophisticated aerospace technologies such as automated fibre placement (AFP) and automated tape laying (ATL) meanwhile involve the precise placement of carbon fibre tapes or tows on a mould surface, which are then cured to form lightweight yet strong components. 
AFP allows for complex geometries by steering individual tows, making it ideal for fuselage sections, wing skins and other curved structures. ATL, on the other hand, is more efficient for larger, flatter surfaces such as wing covers or stabilisers, where wider tapes can be laid down at high speed with minimal gaps or overlaps. Together, these technologies significantly reduce material waste, improve repeatability and deliver structural performance beyond what traditional hand lay-up methods can achieve.

The UK’s Cygnet Texkimp has developed a new technology to greatly assist this industry which will be unveiled in Singapore.

Collaboration
“High value industries such as aerospace, defence, renewable energy, automotive and the medical sector are areas of high growth and opportunity and an important factor underpinning the success of our companies here is the strong collaboration between industry and the many universities and institutes in the UK,” says BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “Machine builders can also be important in driving material developments as well as technologies.”

UHMWPE
A good example of this is the flexible new process for manufacturing ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) that will be introduced in Singapore by FET.

UHMWPE is prized in many industries due to its extraordinary properties, being for example, ten times stronger than steel by weight. It is increasingly used in medical implants, but the current systems for manufacturing it are on a huge scale, with very complex processing routes.

This restricts the opportunity for new product development – a disadvantage that is fully addressed with FET’s series lab and small scale gel spinning system, which is already industrialised.

“We have supplied many extrusion systems to the biomedical market and in exploring what else we could do for the same customers it became clear that there was a need for smaller quantities of UHMWPE fibres in bespoke sizes.” explains FET Managing Director Richard Slack. “We believe our introduction of a patented batch system for solvent extraction exploiting supercritical CO2 is a game changer.”

Early stage development
Cygnet Texkimp has meanwhile just introduced a next-generation, production-scale prepreg tape slitting machine at its UK Innovation Centre in Northwich.

This enables organisations to trial the slitting of continuous thermoset, thermoplastic and ceramic prepreg tapes for AFP and AFL processes in real-world conditions using their own materials or those produced on Cygnet Texkimp’s in-house R&D prepreg machines on the machine. The technology can slit tapes at speeds of up to 60 metres per minute, subject to the input material.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer partners the opportunity to engage with us at an early stage in process development, to test out their concepts, explore machine parameters, assess output quality and validate performance with support from our expert team,” says Graeme Jones, wide web product director at Cygnet Texkimp.

Splicing portfolio
Also providing back up services to the aerospace industry is Airbond, with splicing technologies which ensure resource efficiency in the processing of extremely expensive carbon and aramid fibres. Pneumatic yarn splicing is a process established in the textile industry for joining yarns and works by intermingling individual filaments closely together, to make joint which are stronger and flatter than knots.

“We are continuing to find new partners in the wind turbine, hydrogen and aerospace industries and are doing a lot of developmental work with research institutes and universities,” says technical director Carwyn Webb. “This is leading to us expanding our portfolio and we are currently working on systems for carbon tape splicing, for example, as well as an automated system for full weaving beams.”

Further developments for the technical textiles and composites sectors will be showcased by BTMA members including Garnett Controls, Roaches International, Slack & Parr and Tatham.

Spirit of openness
“Many BTMA members are currently developing new technologies, either in-house or increasingly through joint projects, and we have much to reveal in Singapore,” says Jason Kent in conclusion. “There’s a new spirit of openness and adventurous interaction in the UK right now – especially in the fields of advanced fibres and technical textiles – which is very encouraging for the future.”

Demand for recycled yarn is growing. And the number of TRUECYCLED installations in India is growing too! More and more future-facing companies are driving progress toward a more sustainable textiles industry by producing high-quality yarn from waste through specialized equipment and process know-how from Trützschler. The TRUECYCLED installations in India join a growing group of companies around the globe. This includes Trützschler customers in Türkiye as well as across Europe. 

TRUECYCLED is Trützschler’s complete solution for state-of-the-art recycling of pre-consumer and postconsumer textile waste. It encompasses all process steps – from cutting and tearing textile waste through to carding and drawing secondary fibers. Trützschler’s technological expertise enables partner companies to produce recycled yarns with the best possible quality from hard textile waste. In India, USHA YARN was awarded as the first TRUECYCLED reference customer in 2023. Now ten more reference customers are celebrated. TRUECYCLED is gaining traction in India, where demand for recycled yarn is growing rapidly. 
 
The TRUECYCLED pioneers in India are taking action to promote more sustainable, circular value chains in the textile industry. Their yarns contain a substantial amount of textile hard waste, manufactured in a line of Trützschler machinery configured specifically for recycling. All use the T-BLEND blow room line and Trützschler carding machines. 
 

• Anangoor Textile Mills (based in Kangayam): Produces 30 tons of blended open-end yarn (Ne 20 to Ne 40) per day, using more than 50 percent raw materials from pre-consumer waste. 
• Eco spin yarn (based in Derabassi): Specialized in 100 percent cotton and poly-cotton blended yarn. This company produces 18 tons of recycled yarn (Ne 10 to Ne 40) per day. It mainly uses 100 percent pre-consumer waste for cotton and up to 20 percent rPET fibers for poly-cotton blends. 
• Fabtech International Hosieries (based in Tirupur): Manufactures 8 tons of blended open-end yarn (Ne 20 to Ne 40) per day, using more than 50 percent raw materials from pre-consumer waste. 
• KS Spinning Mills (based in Panipat): Specializing in cotton and poly-cotton blended yarns with a capacity of 36 tons per day, this company produces a wide range of recycled open-end yarns from Ne 1 to Ne 40. For cotton yarn, the company uses 100 percent raw materials from preconsumer waste. Poly-cotton blended yarns are produced with a blend of up to 20 percent recycled polyester and up to 80 percent pre-consumer waste. 
• Maatrishakti Cotspin (based in Panipat): An open-end yarn expert, manufacturing 18 tons of cotton and poly-cotton blends per day (Ne 10 to Ne 40), using 70 to 80 percent raw materials from pre-consumer waste. 
• Oasis Textiles (based in Derabassi): Each day, this producer makes 36 tons of recycled yarn – using more than 70 percent raw material from pre-consumer waste (Ne 10 to Ne 40). 
• Shreeji Cotfab (based in Neemarana): Produces 18 tons per day of open-end yarn made from cotton and poly-cotton blends (Ne 10 to Ne 30), primarily using more than 70 percent of recycled materials. 
• Shri Pachaiamman Spinners (based in Coimbatore): Turns more than 50 percent preconsumer waste into hosiery yarn (Ne 10 to 30), producing 13 tons per day and using 100 percent recycled materials. 
• Sri Velayudhaswamy Spinning Mills (based in Dindigul): This customer produces 14 tons of recycled yarn (Ne 20 to Ne 40) per day from a blend of recycled cotton and polyester, using more than 50 percent pre-consumer waste. 
• Tirumalai Textiles (based in Coimbatore): Using more than 50 percent of pre-consumer waste, this manufacturer produces 17.5 tons of open-end yarn (Ne 10 to Ne 30) per day for weaving and hosiery applications.