#Associations

2020-06-25

New President of Cematex

Ernesto Maurer has been appointed as the new President of Cematex, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers. His four-year term of office will cover three major events in the pivotal ITMA series of textile technology exhibitions scheduled for Europe and Asia.

Maurer was elected at the Cematex General Assembly, on June 12. He is President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association since 2015, serving during the same period as a member of the Cematex Board of Directors and its 1st Vice-President for the past four years.

Also elected at the General Assembly were 1st Vice-President Mikael Äremann (TMAS, Sweden) and 2nd Vice-President Charles Bauduin (Symatex, Belgium).

Cematex is the official representative body for Europe’s national textile machinery associations and has been in charge of organising the ITMA exhibitions, since inaugural show in 1951, and subsequent editions in both Europe, Asia and China.

Over the next four years, Ernesto Maurer will lead Cematex through a challenging period globally, taking in three major events. ITMA Asia + CITME will be held in Shanghai from June 12-16, 2021 – postponed from October 2020 because of Covid-19. This will be followed in 2022 by the next ITMA Asia + CITME in the same city, and then by ITMA 2023 in Milan (June 8-14).

Says Maurer: “The Post-Covid-19 period will have a tremendous impact on the textile industry of today and tomorrow. Cematex is determined to maintain its leadership role for exhibitions, carrying the ITMA brand to partners worldwide today and in the future, including a focus on increasingly-digital opportunities.”

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 Shanghai showcases intelligent and sustainable manufacturing

From 20 to 24 November 2026, the textile machinery industry will gather in Shanghai for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026, Asia’s leading business platform for textile machinery, to be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The exhibition will occupy seven halls, with a total gross exhibition area of about 180,000 square metres. The exhibition has expanded by 10% over the last edition which reflects the continued industry interest in the region.

ITMA 2027 receives strong industry response

ITMA 2027 has unveiled its sector plan, marking progress towards the 2027 edition as planning continues ahead of the show. The ITMA 2027 sector plan covers 12 halls at the Messegelände Hannover venue, spanning over 180,000 square metres, and features 20 sectors of the textile and garment making processes, from spinning to finishing, software and automation, recycling, and fibres, yarns and fabrics.

ITMA 2027 gains strong momentum

In line with the theme "Co-creating the future of textiles", ITMA continues to strengthen its support for start-ups, recognising their role in driving innovation and shaping the future of textile and garment manufacturing. Through the Start-Up Valley, emerging companies gain access to a global marketplace where they can connect with industry leaders, potential partners, investors and customers.

Business situation weakens slightly, but the industry stays cautiously optimistic

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published the results of its 39th Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted from 14 to 22 July 2026 among companies along the entire global textile value chain. Worldwide, 10% of participants rated their business situation as good, 53% as satisfactory and 37% as bad — a balance of -26pp, down from -17pp in May but still well above the 2023 lows. All regions are now in negative territory, from South Asia at -3pp to North & Central America at -58pp.

Italian textile machinery orders show quarterly recovery in Q2 2026

In the period between April and June 2026, order intake for Italian textile machinery manufacturers showed mixed but encouraging signals for the second half of the year. The order index at constant prices stood at 46.6 points (taking 2021=100 as the base year), showing a slight decrease of 3% compared to the same quarter of 2025. This trend was largely due to the contraction recorded in the domestic market, which fell by 25% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.

The new RJ 4/2 EL revolutionizes body mapping and expands creative possibilities – from smart lingerie to sporty athleisure designs

With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands. The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.