#Associations

2021-07-22

Textile machinery: Pandemic accelerates digital transformation process in textile sector

The Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world a year ago has also severely impacted the textile machinery sector. At ACIMIT’s general assembly, the association representing the Italian textile machinery manufacturers, this was seen as an opportunity to consider what the sector had lost in 2020, while also presenting a variety of future projects to relaunch the industry.

In 2020, Italy’s production of textile machinery fell by 22% compared to the previous year, with a similar drop in exports (-21%). Weighing heavily on this situation was a near total stop in production between the first and second quarter of 2020, while the recovery in the second half of the year was only partial. Travel restrictions have contributed negatively to performance in the industry, and still do not allow companies to seize the opportunities created by a recovery of the textile sector.

ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi commented that, “in this first half of 2021, however, the overall economic situation appears to be improving both in terms of exports and in our own domestic market in Italy. The resumption of trade fair events in attendance in our sector has provided a positive sign of a progressive return to normal business conditions.”

Nonetheless, for many companies the pandemic’s legacy has also had a positive side. “Entrepreneurs in the industry have realised the urgency of enacting a digital transformation of their business,” stated Zucchi. “This is precisely why ACIMIT has accelerated its Digital Label project for certifying Italian textile machinery that adopt a common set of data, in order to more easily integrate with the operating systems of their client businesses (ERP, MES, CRM, etc.).”

“The competitive edge of each individual company, as for the entire industry,” recalled ACIMIT’s president, “will increasingly depend on the level of digitalization to which we will have been able to elevate our production and organizational processes. ACIMIT’s digital certification wants to achieve this goal.”

In addition, the general assembly confirmed Alessandro Zucchi, who is CEO and partner of the company Ferraro, as the ACIMIT’s president for two more years. Also confirmed were the charges of Federico Businaro as vice president (Santex Rimar Group), Cristian Locatelli (Marzoli, Camozzi Group) and Andrea Piattelli (Unitech). The latter are joined by Ugo Ghilardi (Itema Group), elected vice president for the first time.

Lastly, during the assembly ACIMIT awarded a historic group of associated machinery producers, which since ACIMIT’s founding in 1945, or from its inception (companies that entered the group prior to 1950), have been a part of the Association. These companies are: Crosta, Gaudino, Marzoli, Mezzera (a brand owned by Reggiani), Noseda, O.C.T.I.R. (an Autefa Solutions Italy brand), Reggiani, Sant’Andrea, Savio and Zonco.

Ministry of Industry Delegation visits NatureWorks’ second global manufacturing site at Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex

NatureWorks Asia Pacific Limited welcomed a high-level delegation led by Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry, to its manufacturing site at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC). The visit follows the successful inauguration of the site on April 29, 2026, and highlights the role of public-private collaboration in advancing Thailand’s sustainable industrial development and bioeconomy ambitions.

Indorama Ventures advances circularity tthrough PETValue Philippines' “Zero Waste to Landfill Partnership” with Republic Cement

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, is advancing the circular economy through a new Zero Waste to Landfill initiative at its recycling site PETValue Philippines, further demonstrating how collaboration across industries can maximize resource efficiency and reduce waste.

Networking Day 2026: Industry stakeholders unite around textile recycling

In 2026, the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling once again brought together some of the key stakeholders in textile recycling for its annual Networking Day. This year, the event took place at EREMA’s premises in Ansfelden, Austria. It brought together key players from across the textile recycling value chain for a day of structured exchange and in-depth discussions.

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.

Meadow Grove Research joins ITMF as Corporate Member

Meadow Grove Research is a commodity research firm specializing in supply, demand, and trade analysis in cotton and other soft commodities. Providing clarity to the complex nature of the global fiber supply chain is one of its most formidable services. The firm thrives on customer engagement and providing the best framework for critical decisions.

The new RDJ 7/3 defines the design footprint of modern athletic shoes

Stylish, functional, and efficient to produce – spacer fabrics are the all-arounders among textile materials. These versatile fabrics are particularly in demand in the sports and casual footwear sector, as they combine comfort, breathability, and design freedom. At the same time, this industry is trend-driven, dynamic, and price-sensitive like few others. Innovations are therefore a decisive factor for success. With the RDJ 7/3, KARL MAYER offers a solution specifically tailored to these requirements. The particular strength of the new double raschel machine: its exceptional flexibility, thanks to its three jacquard bars.

Smart textiles reversibly change shape in an energy-efficient manner in response to ambient temperature

Self-actuating textile structures are used in a wide range of applications, such as medical technology, automation, architecture, agriculture, and the apparel industry. An example is the use of shading nets in greenhouses, which can be deployed and retracted depending on the sunlight intensity. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing textiles based on shape-memory polymers with reversibly controllable geometry.