Techtextil 2024: Textile ETP in the middle of technical textile innovation
Techtextil 2024 solidified its position as the leading trade fair for textile innovation. Throughout the four-day event in Frankfurt, exhibitors seized the opportunity to unveil the latest advancements and innovations in technical textiles, nonwovens, and associated technologies. Over the course of this engaging days, the Textile ETP team explored the full spectrum of innovations along the supply chain. This event served as a platform not only to discover new advancements in the industry, but also to foster valuable partnerships, revitalize established connections and initiate new collaborations through face-to-face interactions.
As exhibitors at Techtextil for the second time, the Textile ETP team organized 6 guided tours from Tuesday to Thursday. Three tours were dedicated to the SmartX Innovation Hub, two to the Circular & Biobased Textiles Innovation Hub and one for ECOSYSTEX & ETP Members.
The tours dedicated to the SmartX Innovation Hub took place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Specifically, the first and third tours focused on e-textiles and high-tech fibers and textiles where the participants received various insights into coated and laminated textiles, fabric production processes, smart textile components for protective clothing, e-textile innovations, high-performance outdoor fabrics, pineapple yarns, heat protection fibers and much more. We express our sincere gratitude to the speaker companies who contributed to these tours: WICO GmbH, SETEX-Textil GmbH, ADRESYS, Smart Textiles Hub, POLISILK SA, HILATURAS ARNAU BARCELONA, Rex Industrie-Produkte, Kufner, NUVI and Uster Technologies. The second tour, on the other hand, focused on e-textiles and wearables. Speakers presented on topics such as the PresSense pressure sensor, developments in e-textile products, innovative zippers for personal protective equipment and smart roof waterproof systems. A big thank you also goes to Sefar Group, 3E Smart Solutions, YKK and CeNTI for hosting this tour.
The tours dedicated to the Circular & Biobased Textiles Innovation Hub took place on Wednesday and Thursday, focusing on a recycling technologies and renewable fibres and circular & sustainable textile solutions for different end markets. Participants had the opportunity to visit the stands of Centrocot S.p.A., ALTEX Textil-Recycling GmbH & Co. KG, Kelheim Fibres GmbH, Säntis Textiles, DELL'ORCO & VILLANI SRL, STFI, Klopman International, Purfi, TMG Group, and Centexbel to which we extend a big thanks to these companies for being available and sharing their expertise with us.
In addition to the tours for the Innovation Hubs we arranged on Tuesday a special tour for our Textile ETP & ECOSYSTEX Members, offering them an exclusive opportunity to delve into recycled materials, biobased coatings and ongoing research and innovation initiatives. They had the chance to explore stands hosted by ECOSYTEX project partners, including RegioGreenTex showcased at AEI TÈXTILS, HILATURAS ARNAU BARCELONA and POLISILK SA, Bio-LUSH exhibited at Empa, Glaukos project featured at I-Coats NV and HEREWEAR displayed at DITF.
These tours provided a wealth of interesting perspectives on innovations in the textile industry in various fields of application, providing valuable insights for both us and the participants, who engaged with the presenting companies, asking pertinent questions and promoting meaningful discussions.
Throughout the week, we provided an opportunity for some of our members from the SmartX Innovation Hub to showcase their innovations within our upcoming public podcast series, Smart Textiles, Smarter World, set to be released in the coming months in our YouTube channel. The podcast recordings feature companies such as ANGEL React by ADRESYS, Smart Textiles Hub, YKK, 3E Smart Solutions, and CeNTI - Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials to which we would like to express our gratitude for their generous participation in recording this highly engaging content.
At Techtextil 2024, we had the opportunity to deliver two speeches. The first was presented by our Secretary General, Lutz Walter, who discussed the long-term trends and drivers of textile sustainability. He emphasized practical steps for companies, outlining three key challenges until 2050: transitioning to defossilized and biobased materials, adopting renewable energy, and digitizing processes. He addressed market and policy drivers, emphasizing actions such as leadership, innovation, and supply chain optimization. He also highlighted sustainability's eight dimensions of quality and offered an outlook on the industry by 2050. The second speech was delivered by our Project Manager, Judith Bosch. She presented the core values and services of SmartX Innovation Hub, with a focus on fostering cross-sector collaboration, educating policymakers and end-users, and enhancing communication efforts for our members.
We're thrilled to say that our second participation as exhibitors at the Techtextil event surpassed all our expectations, marking a resounding success for our team. Techtextil stands out for its comprehensive representation of the entire supply chain and its diverse range of participants. From machine manufacturers to software and service providers, universities and associations, the event cultivates a vibrant and collaborative atmosphere that fuels innovation and progress in the textile industry.
As we look forward to Techtextil 2026, we express our gratitude to Messe Frankfurt and Techtextil for facilitating the presence of Textile ETP at the event. We also extend our thanks to all the people who visited our booth, as well as to the hosts and participants of our tours and speeches.
If you could not join us at Techtextil 2024, or if you want to live the event again, photos are available here.
