#Associations

2020-09-28

Hugues Schellenberg new UCMTF President

The French Textile Equipment manufacturers’ Association, well known as UCMTF, as elected a new President following the retirement of Bruno Ameline who has chaired the association since 2004.

Hugues Schellenberg who has been on the board for 10 years, has been unanimously elected to succeed him. He is the CEO of Dollfus-Muller of Heimsbrunn in the French province of Alsace.

An engineer, Schellenberg got an MBA from Montpellier University in Southern France. As President of UCMTF, Schellenberg will represent the French association on the board of Cematex, the owner of ITMAs. After his election, Schellenberg initiated a standing ovation to thank Bruno Ameline for his outstanding job during his 4 terms of tenure (16 years).

Hestated “it is a great honor buta stressing responsibility to become the UCMTF President in such the uncertain environment our companies have to face worldwide due to the Covid pandemic.

For the long run, I am very positive thanks to our state-of-the-art equipments, our services which are up to the best standards, our teams which are so professionals and motivated but right now our business is on a bumpy road”

As CEO of Dollfus-Muller, Schellenberg spends at least half of his time with customers that he visits worldwide. This is how he keeps a firsthand contact and a deep connection with the needs of the market in order to both manage his company on aday to day basis and design its long term strategy.

In addition to UCMTF, Schellenberg is very active in many national, regional and national associations, including the chairmanship of a trade association to improve the employment of underprivileged workers.

UCMTF members will present latest solutions that address the main trends

ITM 2024 is a great opportunity to meet in person, at the highest level, to find and offer the best solutions. Of course, there are some main trends: sustainability, raw materials, energy and water savings, recycling, digitalization, cloud computing, artificial Intelligence, cost efficiency etc. Another main trend for UCMTF members is act as a local partner wherever the customers are located.

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.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

ECCO introduces first shoe featuring innovative protein-based fibre

ECCO, in partnership with Spinnova, announces the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilising an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.

The LYCRA Company strengthens sustainability leadership, appoints Alistair Williamson as VP of Product Sustainability

The LYCRA Company has appointed longtime executive Alistair Williamson as vice president of product sustainability, reaffirming its commitment to developing sustainable solutions for apparel and personal care products. In this role, he will guide the company’s next chapter of sustainability strategy and oversee all initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact across products, operations, and innovation platforms.