From the Sector

OETI Slovakia, a subsidiary of the Austrian independent testing and certification service provider OETI, is launching the new “Fit & Proof” label.

The label provides manufacturers of apparel, personal protective equipment (PPE), and uniforms with independent garment testing for fit, workmanship, and durability. The service is now available at the new OETI location in Žilina, Slovakia.

The goal is to ensure product quality, reduce return rates, and verify garment fit in accordance with customer specifications and the finished size chart.

Broad Field of Application: for Retail, E-Commerce, and Public Procurement
Private-label retailers and brands can communicate their quality standards transparently with the label. Online retailers benefit from reduced return rates due to improved fit. Public institutions gain assurance during the tendering and procurement process for fit and durable, tested garments.

Detect Defects Early, Minimise Complaints
The ‘Fit & Proof’ label is based on comprehensive Fit testing on real test subjects by our experienced clothing engineers – a key advantage over standard material tests.

The service includes:

• Fit testing: With real test wearers to assess size consistency and pattern accuracy
• Workmanship assessment: Visual and functional checks of seams, closures, and construction details
• Durability testing: Stress tests simulating washing, abrasion, and everyday wear to determine long-term product performance

These analyses help manufacturers and brands identify potential weaknesses early and optimise product quality. At the same time, independent validation and transparent customer communication with the OETI ‘Fit & Proof’ label enhance brand reputation and strengthen competitive positioning.

‘Many manufacturers only test materials, but not the finished garment,” says Dana Rástočná-Illová PhD, Managing Director of OETI Slovakia. Our goal is to help manufacturers and brands to detect product flaws early and reduce returns and complaints.’

International Demand for Verified Garment Quality
‘We are pleased now to offer the ‘Fit & Proof’ service internationally. Our global OETI offices – including our location in Bangladesh – have already expressed strong interest in actively promoting this service in their markets,’ adds Dr Miriam Scheffelmeier, Head of Global Marketing & Sales at OETI.

The new location in Žilina expands OETI’s lab infrastructure and enables close cooperation with local universities and international brands. 

A new chapter for circular plastics in Europe began November, 5 with the official opening of Områ, Norway’s new national facility for sorting all types of plastic packaging waste—including plastic that previously had no other option than to go to incineration.

Jointly owned by TOMRA (65%) and Plastretur (35%), the state-of-the-art facility has the capacity to process 90,000 tonnes of plastic per year, transforming plastic packaging waste into uniform polymer fractions ready for recycling.

Områ uses advanced sensor-based technology to sort mixed plastic waste into ten separate monofractions— including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and others — enabling improved recovery and increased recycling rates. This innovation closes the loop for plastics and represents one of the most advanced installations of its kind globally.

“Områ is more than a facility — it’s a missing link in Europe’s circular economy,” said Tove Andersen, President and CEO of TOMRA. “This facility has the capacity to receive and transform all of Norway’s household plastic packaging waste into recyclable fractions, essentially closing the loop for plastics. It is a cornerstone piece of infrastructure providing reliable offtake for mixed waste sorting facilities, and can help recover more resources from source separated material.”

The new facility, located at Holtskogen, just outside Oslo, will serve as a reliable offtake solution for municipalities and waste management companies considering the introduction of automated mixed waste sorting (MWS), a crucial step for increasing recycling rates without depending solely on household source separation.

By 2030 the EU requires minimum 55% of plastic packaging waste to be recycled (i.e., collected and recycled at scale) under the forthcoming PPWR. Today, approximately one-third of Norway’s plastic packaging waste is recycled; the rest is mostly incinerated. 

“Områ gives municipalities and the entire value chain a clear signal: there is now a scalable, high-quality route for plastic packaging,” said Karl Johan Ingvaldsen, CEO of Plastretur. “It provides the infrastructure needed to meet EU recycling targets and supports our shared ambition to build a truly circular plastics economy.”
 
About Områ
Områ is a joint venture between TOMRA Systems ASA (65%) and Plastretur AS (35%), established to develop and operate Norway’s first national fine-sorting facility for plastic packaging waste. The facility is located at Holtskogen, approx. 45 min outside Oslo, and has an annual processing capacity of 90,000 tonnes. Using TOMRA’s world-leading sensor-based sorting technology, Områ separates mixed plastic streams into up to ten distinct polymer fractions for high-value recycling.

106 brands, 16 locations, more than 70 events and around 10,000 registered visitors: interior design days cologne celebrated its premiere from 26 to 29 October 2025. The new, decentralised format brought interior design right into the city and combined brand presentations with inspiring talks, curated tours and a variety of networking highlights. The positive feedback from exhibitors and the public shows: idd cologne became the stage for exclusive interior design concepts in the residential, hospitality and contract business segments and transformed Cologne into a lively meeting point of the interiors community. 

"Urban-only": interior design staged in a new way 
With its "urban-only" concept, idd cologne relied on a new form of brand staging: the creative collections, interior design ideas and design trends were presented at authentic and architecturally special locations throughout the Cologne urban area. 

Central venues were the Design Post Köln – an official Koelnmesse cooperation partner as of this year –, the listed monument Stoff-Pavillon Moeller and the machwerkhaus köln, a centre for design and urban production. The concept was supplemented by numerous showrooms, creative locations, flagship stores and pop-up formats of the local design scene. In total, 106 brands from the premium range joined at 16 locations to form a unique city tour through the diverse world of interiors – from classic living through hospitality to contract solutions. Embedded in the architecture and atmosphere of Cologne, a total experience arose that presented interior design there where people live, work and design. 

Event highlights of the premiere 
The event programme of idd cologne was distinguished by depth of content and a high level of experience quality. In total, the event offered more than 70 events that combined design, architecture and urban life in an inspiring way. The spectrum extended from lectures and panel talks to sociable networking formats – the spirit of idd cologne was tangible throughout the city. 

The Urban Design Walks proved to be real crowd-pullers. The six tours led to central venues of idd cologne and made it possible to directly experience current design trends. In the Architonic Talks, leading minds from architecture and design provided forward-looking insights into themes like longevity, emotional spatial impact, brand identity and material properties. Also a special highlight was the idd cologne Aperitivo in the Stoff-Pavillon Moeller, which promoted an exchange and networking within the design community in a relaxed atmosphere. 

The future of idd cologne 
idd cologne 2025 was an important step in the continuing development of the trade fair portfolio in the furniture and interior design segment of the Cologne location. With the change to the urban format, idd cologne implemented important impulses and wishes of the industry. At the same time, it became evident how dynamic the current market situation is: forms of use, target groups and expectations are changing rapidly and call for flexible trade fair concepts. In a close exchange with the furniture industry, experience values, feedback and perspectives will now be evaluated by partners, exhibitors and visitors. Taking other market and economic situation development factors into account, this provides the foundation for the continuing development of idd cologne in future.  

idd cologne in figures 
A total of 106 premium brands participated in idd cologne 2025 at 16 locations throughout the Cologne urban area. More than 70 individual events took place. According to the figures for registrations, including the last day of the fair, around 10,000 visitors registered for interior design days cologne. 

Heraeus Precious Metals, a leading company in the precious metals industry, and RUDOLF, an international specialist in textile chemistry, have signed an agreement for the exclusive marketing of products for textile finishing and textile care. The cooperation focuses on Heraeus Precious Metals‘ AGXX technology, a groundbreaking antimicrobial innovation that has the potential to transform the textile industry in the long term.

AGXX works in a fundamentally different way to conventional biocides, especially silver technologies. The technology is based on a catalytic reaction triggered by the interaction of two precious metals. In the presence of air humidity, oxygen is converted into reactive oxygen species. These kill odour-causing and other microorganisms and also have an oxidative effect on odour-causing residues. As the mechanism is based on a circular redox system, AGXX technology is not consumed but continuously regenerated. The versatile technology can be integrated into textile finishing processes as well as directly into fibres and yarns.

By integrating the AGXX technology developed by Heraeus Precious Metals, RUDOLF is specifically expanding its portfolio with a technologically advanced solution for the functionalisation of textiles.

The strategic expansion of its product portfolio will enable the company to position itself even more clearly as an innovation leader in a dynamic market environment. Based on AGXX technology, it offers its customers optimised, market-ready products that provide them with differentiated added value in the areas of textile (initial) finishing, care and aftercare applications for industrial, commercial, professional and end-user purposes.

Martin Danz, Global Head of Antimicrobial Technologies at Heraeus Precious Metals, comments: „Our strategic collaboration with RUDOLF is a significant step towards the further development of the textile market. Together, we will continue to develop the application possibilities of AGXX particles in textile finishing and explore new areas of application and effectiveness for the technology.“

Marcos Furrer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RUDOLF, explains: „This partnership sends a clear message: we are combining two strong innovative forces to give the textile industry new impulses. AGXX technology complements our portfolio perfectly – it is powerful, performance-oriented and offers real added value for our customers. Together with Heraeus Precious Metals, we are creating solutions that are functionally impressive and at the same time meet the growing demands of the market.“

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a world leader in spider silk technology*, announced that its production operations in Vietnam remain fully secure and uninterrupted following the recent series of typhoons that have impacted parts of Southeast Asia.

Kraig Labs confirmed that its spider silk production facilities and infrastructure sustained no damage or disruption, including its mulberry feedstock supplies, from the severe weather events that caused widespread flooding in lowland regions. The Company’s strategic decision made in 2024 to relocate its operations into the protected highlands has proven to be a highly valuable investment in operational resilience and long-term stability.

Kraig Labs also confirmed that its former facility in Quang Nam province, which has since been closed, was among the areas affected by flooding. However, all Company equipment, staff, and production assets had been permanently and successfully relocated from that site in September, well ahead of the storms.
 
In addition to moving its infrastructure and production to the highlands, Kraig Labs has implemented a strategy of maintaining multiple, parallel production facilities. This approach not only supports scalability but also serves as an additional safeguard against potential disruptions from natural disasters or other unforeseen events. By building redundancy and flexibility into its production network, the Company continues to strengthen the foundation for long-term growth and reliability.
 
"Our hearts go out to the many people and businesses across the region who have suffered loss and devastation from these storms. Kraig Labs will be contributing to the relief and recovery efforts, helping those who have been devastated by these disasters," said Kim Thompson, Founder and CEO of Kraig Labs. "We are deeply grateful that our facilities and personnel are safe, and we remain fully operational. Our highland infrastructure investments have demonstrated their strength and strategic importance."

As the global shift toward sustainable hydrogen storage accelerates, thermoplastic composites are emerging as a transformative enabler. Building on its longstanding partnerships with leading companies across the composites value chain, AZL Aachen GmbH has launched its new Joint Partner Project “Thermoplastic Pressure Vessels – Benchmarking of Design -for-Manufacturing Strategies to Optimise Material Efficiency and Cost”. Among the first participants, Toyota Motor Europe underscores the strategic importance o f a comparative evaluation of design and manufacturing concepts for thermoplastic composite pressure vessels.

Driving Innovation in Thermoplastic Composites
Thermoplastic composites offer unique advantages for high-pressure vessel applications: automation, energy efficiency, recyclability, and reprocess ability. However, when thermoset -derived design principles are applied unchanged, the unique processing and performance capabilities of thermoplastics remain largely untapped.

AZL’s new project therefore takes a holistic approach — thermoplastic -driven vessel designs, manufacturing processes, and material configurations to maximise both economic and technical performance.

Dr. Martin Kerschbaum, Manager ME22 at Toyota Motor Europe, highlights the motivation behind Toyota’s participation :
“The usage of thermoplastic resins for manufacturing of high -pressure hydrogen storage vessels is of high interest for Toyota. This is due to potential advantages in terms of design, processing, performance, and circularity. It is essential to compare and evaluate the diverse options of design and manufacturing strategies for high -pressure vessels based on thermoplastic composite materials. Gaining additional insights into the key influencing factors on material efficiency, production scalability and realistic cost - structure scenarios is a crucial part of this process. AZL’s structured approach – a combination of know-how in applications, composite materials and production systems with expertise across the entire value chain – provides Toyota with valuable input for the further development of innovative storage systems.”

A Structured, Comparative Development Framework
The nine-month project brings together international industry partners to explore new thermoplastic vessel concepts. It is structured into three work packages:
WP1: Market & Technology Landscape – mapping state -of -the -art technologies, certification protocols, and relevant IP.
WP2: Conceptual Design & Manufacturing Strategies – developing vessel architectures optimised for thermoplastics, evaluating design variants, and defining production system concepts.
WP3: Performance, Cost & Production Benchmarking – quantifying material usage, recyclability, cycle times, cost per unit, and carbon impact to guide industrial decision -making.

From Knowledge to Competitive Advantage
By actively involving engineers and decision-makers from participating companies, AZL’s Joint Partner Projects combine technical depth with strategic relevance. Participants not only gain access to engineering results and benchmarking data, but also develo p in -house expertise — enabling them to communicate more effectively with customers, suppliers, and investors in the hydrogen and CNG markets.

“AZL’s Joint Partner Projects create trusted spaces for knowledge exchange.” says Philipp Fröhlig, Head of Industrial Services at AZL Aachen GmbH. “Our goal is to enable every participant to make well-founded technical and business decisions for their own product roadmap. Companies, independent of newcomers or established players benefit from collective benchmarking, faster learning by first–hand information, and a shared understanding of what drives efficiency and competitiveness in thermoplastic pressure vessel technologies.”

AZL’s Proven Expertise in Pressure Vessel Technologies
AZL has long been recognised as a leading industrial hub for composite pressure vessels. Previous Joint Partner Projects and R&D programmes have addressed hydrogen and CNG vessel design, filament and towpreg winding, and thermoplastic processing technologies. Within RWTH Aachen University’s ecosystem, AZL combines cutting -edge design, simulation, production and testing infrastructure — covering the full range of technologies for component development, prototyping and developing production systems. This expertise is further amplified through the AZL Partnership Workgroup “Composite Pipes & Vessels”, a dedicated platform for continuous collaboration, knowledge exchange, and networking across the global composites industry. The new project builds on this foundation, offering participants both short- term insights and long -term strategic connections.

Join the Consortium and Shape the Future
The next report meeting on 5 November 2025 will provide an update on concept benchmarking and early design results. Companies interested in hydrogen and CNG storage technologies are invited to join the consortium, gain access to the project findings, and collaborate directly on defining the next generation of thermoplastic vessel concepts. In addition to this Joint Partner Project, AZL offers individual R&D support, benchmarking studies, and strategic guidance for companies developing lightweight composite pressure vessels and related components.

Over 100 Italian companies are exhibiting at ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025, taking place from October 28 to 31. With an area of around 4,000 square meters, Italy ranks among the top exhibiting Countries, as in previous editions. 53 Italian exhibitors will show their innovations within the National Sector Groups, organized by ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and Italian Trade Agency.

ITMA ASIA + CITME show has always been the main showcase for textile machinery manufacturers in Asia, which absorbs 50% of global exports for a value of 8.8 billion euro in 2024. The main world market for textile machinery are China and India, importing textile machines for a total value of 4.3 billion euro.

For Italian manufacturers as well, the Asian market is the top foreign destination. In 2024, Italian exports to Asia amounted to 664 million euro, while in the first six months of 2025 Italian sales to this geographical area grew at 1% rate on the same 2024 period, reaching a value of 317 million euro. China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are the main Asian destinations for Made in Italy machinery.

ACIMIT President Marco Salvadè says: “ITMA ASIA+CITME Singapore is a further occasion for Italian textile machinery manufacturers to display its updated technological supply. The choice of Singapore allows Italian exhibitors to engage with many Southeast Asian markets, which are becoming increasingly important manufacturing hubs.”

"Despite geopolitical uncertainties, the significant presence of Italian exhibitors in Singapore confirms the vitality of the Italian textile machinery sector. " confirms Salvadè. " Italian manufacturers at ITMA ASIA+CITME Singapore will show a wide range of advanced solutions, covering the entire textile value chain. Visitors will see digitalization tools that can improve process efficiency and connectivity, automation systems for smarter production and innovations able to reduce environmental impact. In addition, there will be a strong focus on sustainable technologies, with machinery designed to optimize energy and water use, while ensuring high - quality results. Italian manufacturers are committed to combining tradition in textile knowledge with cutting - edge innovation."

On his side, Giorgio Calveri, Director of ITA Singapore, states: "With 8 6 % of its 2.1-billion-euro production exported, Italy’s textile machinery industry confirms its strong international orientation, with Asia as its main market. ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 in Singapore is a strategic opportunity to strengthen Italy’s presence in this key region. With 100 exhibitors coordinated by ACIMIT and supported by ITA, Italy stands as a trusted partner for advanced, sustainable, and competitive technologies."

With effect from January 1, 2026, the Freudenberg Performance Materials brand will replace the Filc brand, and the name of the company will also change from the same date. The new brand presence concludes the successful integration of Filc in Freudenberg Performance Materials. 

Filc joined Freudenberg Performance Materials in 2020 and this shared identity will now also be reflected in the joint brand presence: the Freudenberg Performance Materials brand will replace the Filc brand. “The joint brand presence is the final step in the successful integration of Filc. It not only underscores our shared identity, but also brings a decisive advantage, in that Filc will be able to benefit even more from the strength of the Freudenberg brand. Our unchanged goal is to reinforce the sustainable success of our customers through innovative products,” Anže Manfreda, SVP at Filc, explained.

Change in the company’s name 
The name of the company will also change effective January 1, 2026: “Filc d.o.o.” will in the future operate under the name of “Freudenberg Performance Materials Filc d.o.o.” For customers and suppliers, the only changes relate to the company’s address and the name of the bank account holder. 

Girbau, a leader in complete textile care solutions, has been awarded the Gold Medal by EcoVadis, an international authority on business sustainability ratings. 

This new recognition marks a major step forward from last year’s Bronze Medal and reinforces Girbau’s ongoing commitment to integrating sustainability across all areas of its business. The award places Girbau among the top 4% of companies worldwide evaluated by EcoVadis and underscores the company’s leadership in Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. 

Girbau’s sustainability strategy is built on a foundation of continuous improvement, transparency, and responsible practices throughout its value chain. The company focuses on developing resource-efficient technologies, such as water reuse and treatment systems, implementing zero-waste production processes, and promoting durable, low-emission equipment. 

As part of its environmental commitment, Girbau aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and has already reduced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 35% since 2021 — a significant milestone on its journey toward decarbonization. 

“Moving from Bronze to Gold in just one year is an extraordinary achievement,” said Joan Vilaseca, Sustainability Officer at Girbau. “It recognizes our continuous effort to embed sustainability into every aspect of our operations and business, creating a positive impact across our extended value chain. It also validates our progress toward becoming a global benchmark for responsible industrial innovation.” 

The EU project TEX 4.0 is an innovative initiative that aims to revolutionize vocational education and training in the textile industry. The focus was on developing a tailor-made curriculum that takes into account the specific needs of trainers and learners in the field of new technologies. This curriculum provides important tools to help learners acquire digital skills. In addition, the project offers a comprehensive and innovative training package focusing on Industry 4.0 skills to optimally prepare learners for the technological requirements of the modern working world. 

TEX4.0 provides engaging and attractive training materials to make the textile industry more appealing to younger generations. A key objective of the project is to promote active engagement and the use of participatory approaches in vocational education and training to ensure a more interactive and effective learning experience. Through these efforts, TEX4.0 aims to set a new standard in vocational education and training, making it more relevant, attractive, and effective in order to prepare learners for the challenges and opportunities of the digital age in the textile industry.

The project, which began on November 1, 2023, will end on October 31, 2025. The six partners from Greece (KAINOTOMIA), France (IDL – Institut de la Mode), Romania (UPB-CAMIS), Belgium (CAMARABELUX – Chamber of Commerce Belgium-Luxembourg), Italy (Lottozero Textillabore), and Germany (TU Dresden) worked together for two years as part of the EU-co-funded Erasmus+ project TEX 4.0.

The TEX4.0 training suite comprises three different areas:

• E-learning platform with 12 modules on new technologies in the textile industry for vocational training students;
• Trainer's Corner with modules in PPT format and quiz questions for self-assessment in raw format, aimed at vocational training instructors and stakeholders in the textile industry;
• Textile4all area with 18 case studies on the various areas of application of Industry 4.0 technologies in the textile industry, aimed at all target groups. Six case studies were developed using augmented reality (AR) technology to make them more attractive to learners. 

The TUD carried out the national pilot activities in Germany at the Institute for Textile Machinery and High Performance Materials Technology. The aim of these activities was to present the TEX 4.0 project and the developed learning platform to textile trainers and learners. Over 40 participants took part in the pilot trials, including highly qualified lecturers from the textile sector, experts from the textile industry, and future learners. The pilot tests in Germany successfully confirmed the relevance and quality of the TEX 4.0 project and developed the training suite. Participants rated the project positively for improving the digital skills of both learners and trainers and promoting innovation and new technologies in the textile industry.
 
All learning materials developed are freely accessible on an online platform, so that everyone—from vocational students and teachers to small business owners—can explore the materials, earn certificates of completion, and apply new skills directly in their professional practice.