#Techtextil / Texprocess 2013
Textile trade-fair duo opens with 1,648 exhibitors
Texprocess: established position as the leading international trade fair for cutting-edge technologies in the field of textile processing
“Techtextil has set new records in terms of exhibitor numbers and exhibition space while Texprocess is characterised by greater internationality and a stable number of exhibitor registrations. All in all, our trade-fair duo at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre offers the world’s biggest range of technical textiles, nonwovens and textile-processing technologies”, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. Influenced by the innovativeness of the two sectors, Techtextil and Texprocess are also being held against a background of positive economic expectations. “The markets for technical textiles and textile processing are still oriented towards growth. Today, technical textiles account for 27 percent of worldwide textile production with an output of 22 million tonnes”, says Detlef Braun. “This development also benefits the sewing and apparel market – a market of direct relevance to Texprocess, which generated global exports worth a total of € 4.5 billion in 2012.”
Techtextil, the international leading trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens is held for the 15th time and in the process of setting more new records. Three exhibition halls are fully booked up – an unprecedented success for the fair. From 11 to 13 June 2013, 1,322 exhibitors from 48 countries, an increase of ten percent, will be making presentations at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre (2011: 1,199 exhibitors from 50 countries*). “The international technical-textiles industry relies on Techtextil because no other fair worldwide offers such a big range of products and services for this market, which is distinguished by worldwide growth rates of as much as five percent a year”, says Detlef Braun. “There has been an increase in all countries and regions, chief among them Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey and the USA”. At the same time, the proportion of international exhibitors rose to 67 percent (2011: 65 percent). The number of national pavilions has also risen, to 13 from 11 in 2011.
The positive echo from Techtextil indicates that technical textiles, nonwovens and the related textile technology are being used in more and more industrial applications. Techtextil illustrates the variety of applications and products to be seen by arranging them in twelve areas of application and eleven product groups. They include building, architecture and furnishings and fittings (Buildtech,Hometech), sports and protective clothing (Sporttech, Protech), industrial textiles (Indutech), medical technology (Medtech) and automobiles and aviation (Mobiltech). The five biggest areas of application according to the exhibitors correspond with the fastest growing technical-textile markets today. “We see a particularly large demand for technical textiles worldwide in the Indutech, Mobiltech, Buildtech, Hometech and Protech areas of application”, says Detlef Braun.
At Texprocess, 326 companies from 37 countries (2011: 326 exhibitors from 40 countries) will present their high-tech solutions in four halls of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre from 10 to 13 June. New exhibitors from all parts of the textile-processing sector have signed up for the fair. Additionally, the level of exhibitor internationality has risen in comparison with 2011 and has now climbed to 65 percent (2011: 63 percent). After Germany, the most important exhibitor nations are Italy, China, the USA, Taiwan, Poland, Turkey, Great Britain, South Korea, Switzerland and Japan. “The response to Texprocess from the market is once again very good. Thus, our concept of holding a fair characterised by innovativeness, a high degree of internationality and a unique spectrum of products concurrently with Techtextil has been extremely successful,” says Braun.
Texprocess presents machines and processes, as well as IT and logistics solutions, for the textile and apparel industries. The fair covers all stages of the textile processing chain – from design and cutting, via sewing, embroidery and knitting, to textile dressing, finishing and printing. The range of products and services at Texprocess is rounded off by the ‘Source it’ procurement platform where the fashion industry can find out about production countries and manufacturing companies. A focal point of this year’s ‘Source it’ is East Europe and North Africa. “This takes account of the fact that many companies are bringing their textile processing and apparel manufacturing work closer to the consumer markets”, explains Detlef Braun.
Comprehensive programme of events at Techtextil and Texprocess
A comprehensive complementary programme offers interesting insights into the latest developments and trends from the research sector and industry. The 66 lectures of the Techtextil and Avantex Symposiums cover a variety of topical research trends, e.g., smart textiles and electronic systems, sustainable textiles, functional garment textiles, technology, composites and textile-reinforced concrete. Quality in the field apparel logistics, procurement and outsourcing trends, REACH and its significance for the fashion industry are just some of the subjects of this year’s Texprocess Forum in Hall 4.0. Other highlights include the Techtextil and Avantex Innovation Prizes, which are presented every two years for fascinating achievements in the fields of research, material and product development and new technologies. The 12th ‘Textile Structures for New Building’ Student Competition’ singles out ten outstanding projects for tomorrow’s architecture.
The 2nd Texprocess Innovation Award honours exceptional new developments by Texprocess exhibitors. The awards ceremony will be held in the Congress Centre Messe Frankfurt on 10 June 2013. Additionally, all visitors and exhibitors will be able to see all the award-winning projects in special exhibitions.
