#Associations

2020-01-17

ITME Africa 2020: Great expectations for the Italian textile machinery

An Italian textile machinery delegation will be on hand at the upcoming ITME Africa, to be held in Addis Ababa from 14 February to 16 February 2020.

Ethiopia is an emerging production hub for the global textile and garments industry. Cheap labour costs, free trade agreements with major Western markets and a constantly growing economy have made this Sub-Saharan African Country an important destination for the manufacturing of garments by major fashion brands.

Given the necessary upgrade in technology required, the demand for textile machinery is growing consequently, supported by incentive schemes provided by the local authorities to support and develop Ethiopian textile sector.

Italian textile machinery exports to Ethiopia? (million euro) Source: ACIMIT

Thus, the first edition of ITME Africa trade fair will feature 22 Italian textile machinery manufacturers at the Italian pavilion organized by the Italian Trade Agency. Among these are the following ACIMIT associated members: Arioli, Biancalani, Bianco, Bonino, Carù, Corino, Erhardt-Leimer, Fadis, Ferraro, Flainox, Lafer, Loptex, Mariplast, Mcs, Mesdan, Pugi, Ratti, Reggiani, Roj, Santoni, Savio.

ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi is confident in this first edition of ITME Africa, “Our exports to Ethiopia have grown significantly over the past five years, although their overall value remains quite modest (2.8 million euros in 2018).” In 2019 January-July period Italian exports towards Ethiopian market reached a value of 3.3 million euros. Zucchi continues: “The quality of our machine technology is superior to that of our competitors currently operating in this market. Our focus is on getting potential buyers to get to know and appreciate the quality of our technology, through opportunities such as ITME Africa, as well as through the institutional missions organized in recent years, thanks to the support of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and Italian Trade Agency.” ITME Africa will also give Italian exhibitors the opportunity to meet textile companies from Kenya and Tanzania, Countries object of a recent institutional mission.

Italian textile machinery exports to Ethiopia by categories (jan-july 2019) Source: ACIMIT

Textile machinery: the upcoming Colombiatex 2026 speaks Italian

Numerous Italian textile machinery companies will be attending the upcoming Colombiatex, the premier trade fair for the Colombian textile supply chain, held in Medellin from January 27 to 29, 2026. This year’s edition further confirms the strong bond between local textile manufacturers and Italian technology providers.

Italian textile machinery: Orders index declines in 2025 third quarter

In the third quarter of 2025, the orders index for textile machinery – compiled by ACIMIT’s Economics Department (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) – recorded a 16% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. In absolute terms, the index stood at 41.8 points (base year 2021 = 100).

The Italian Textile Machinery industry on display at ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025

100 Italian companies will exhibit 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.

Italian Textile Machinery: In Q2 2025 signs of recovery in the domestic market

In the second quarter of 2025, the index of orders for textile machinery, compiled by the Economics Department of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, showed a slight decrease compared to the same period in 2024 (-1%). In absolute terms, the index stood at 47.1 points (base year 2021=100).

EDANA warns of consequences of misclassification of PET spunbond imports

EDANA would like to remind its members and industry stakeholders of the legal requirement to comply with the EU rules on customs classification when importing nonwovens from third countries outside the EU. In this regard, it was recently discovered that there appears to be a high level of customs misclassification occurring in our industry. This could have dangerous and costly consequences for importers.

Kordsa showcases its global expertise in material technologies at JEC World 2026

Kordsa, a subsidiary of Sabancı Holding, shared its global expertise in material technologies with participants at JEC World 2026, held in Paris. The company’s solutions developed for a wide range of industries—particularly aviation, energy, and automotive—stood out among its key innovations at the exhibition. Throughout the event, Kordsa also presented its vision for sustainable growth and its strategic transformation in composite technologies to international stakeholders.

The global meeting point of the technical Textiles and nonwoven industry: HIGHTEX 2026

One of the world’s most prestigious technical textiles and nonwoven exhibitions, the HIGHTEX 2026 International Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Exhibition, is preparing to open its doors to industry professionals at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul between June 9–13, 2026. Bringing together manufacturers, technology developers, and global buyers from all around the world in the field of technical textiles, HIGHTEX 2026 will be an important platform showcasing the sector’s innovative solutions and paving the way for new collaborations.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI reshape textile processing

Investment decisions in textile processing have become increasingly complex. Rising energy prices, labour shortages and geopolitical uncertainties are forcing companies to prioritise technologies that deliver measurable improvements in efficiency and process stability. This applies not only to apparel production, but also to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. Modernisation projects are therefore being evaluated more selectively – but the pressure to upgrade production systems continues to grow. Texprocess 2026 reflects this tension between cautious investment behaviour and increasing technological demand.

Smart sensors, smart savings - Reducing energy and cost in textile finishing

As energy prices, sustainability requirements and quality expectations continue to rise, manufacturers of technical textiles face increasing pressure to optimize efficiency while ensuring process reliability. At the same time, skilled labor shortages require production systems that are intuitive, automated and easy to manage. PLEVA addresses these challenges with robust, maintenance-friendly sensor technologies combined with intelligent process control.