#Associations

2019-07-24

ITMA 2019: Resounding success for Italian textile machinery manufacturers in Barcelona

The 18th edition of ITMA, the global textile machinery trade fair which has just concluded in Barcelona, has proven to be a great success for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi stated that he noted “a great many satisfied exhibitors and visitors, which is a clear sign of optimism for Italy’s textile machinery sector.”

ITMA 2019, held in Barcelona last 20 to 26 June, has closed with some positive figures. Overall, the halls that held 1717 exhibitors witnessed the passage of 105,000 visitors from 137 countries over the show’s seven days.

Italy confirmed its leadership position as the Country with the most exhibitors (364), coming in second in terms of the number of visitors (10% of the total attendance figures), just behind Spain. The main visitor Countries also included India (8%), Turkey and Germany (7%).

“ITMA remains a must-see event for the industry, and the primary global stage at which to show new developments in technology,” emphasizes Alessandro Zucchi, President of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers. “As far as our own Country is concerned, the number of Italian exhibitors and visitors bears witness to the vitality of our textile industry. The visibility of Italy’s contingent and presence is the result of the profound commitment, including in economic terms, made by our businesses, along with indispensable support in the realization of significant promotional initiatives for ITMA carried out by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Trade Agency."

Solutions for increasingly eco-sustainable textile processes were being proposed by the majority of exhibitors. Here too, Italy proved to be top of its class, with a product offering that provides savings in water, energy and raw materials.

Sustainability was also the main focus at the ACIMIT press conference, at which the ACIMIT Green Label Awards were assigned to two Italian machinery manufacturers, Tonello S.r.l and Loptex S.r.l., who have stood out for their outstanding commitment among ACIMIT’s associated members, in reducing the quantity of equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide produced during the operation of their machinery over the last few years.

Italian companies have also been major players in the wide scale modernization project of the textile industry in Egypt, presented at ITMA by representatives of the Egyptian government. Projected investments between 2019 and 2021 will amount to one billion euros, with the first phase including machinery by some notable Italian machinery manufacturers: EFI Reggiani, ITEMA, Marzoli and Savio.

In conclusion, president Zucchi’s comment: “The many innovations we’ve seen in Barcelona, both in the areas of sustainability and digitalization, certainly enhanced the interest of countless visitors. I believe that for a great many machinery manufacturers, the combination of sustainability and innovation will once again represent the key to success at the next edition of ITMA, slated to be held in Milan from 8 to 14 June 2023.”

Turkmenistan: Italian textile machinery focuses on high technology and specialization

The Italian textile machinery industry flies to Ashgabat to participate with a large “Made in Italy” delegation at TURKMEN TEXTILE EXPO 2026, the major international showcase taking place from June 4 to 6, 2026. The Italian presence, coordinated by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), aims to consolidate Italy’s primary technological role in a highly strategic market with interesting prospects.

Italian Textile Machinery heads to Geneva for Index 2026

An important delegation of Italian companies will exhibit at the upcoming INDEX 2026, the world’s leading event for the nonwovens sector, taking place from May 19 to 22 in Geneva (Switzerland). Numerous Italian exhibitors will be present within the Italy Pavilion, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT, an exhibition area of over 140 square meters dedicated to the latest innovations proposed by the Italian industry.

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

VDMA members at Techtextil: Smart technologies for technical textiles

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, the members of VDMA Textile Machinery underline their key role as global technology leaders for technical textiles and textile processing. With a strong presence of more than 50 members they will highlight how engineering excellence, innovation strength and sustainability expertise from Germany and Europe are shaping the future of the textile industry. Seven companies will be present at the VDMA group stand in the centre of hall 12.0.

Fifteen years of Autoneum – From spin off to global technology leader

What started as a strategic carve‑out has since become the success story of a global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management solutions for vehicles. Headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, Autoneum supplies leading automobile manufacturers worldwide with innovative, lightweight and increasingly sustainable solutions.

Kruger, Canada, orders first nonwovens line for sustainable wipes from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from newly established Kruger Nonwovens to deliver a complete WetlaceTM hybrid line for the Wayagamack mill in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. With this investment, pulp and paper producer Kruger is preparing to enter the nonwovens market with a new generation of plastic-free, chemical-free materials for sustainable wipes. The line is the first of its kind in Canada and is scheduled to start production in 2028.

Picanol to present its leading weaving technology at ITM 2026

Picanol is pleased to announce it will be participating in ITM 2026 in Istanbul. This is a key event for industry professionals to engage with the Turkish textile industry as well as the extensive international audience attending the fair. During the event, Picanol will present its latest innovations to the visitors in Hall 8, booth 802.