#Associations

2023-04-06

PT Asia Pacific Rayon (Indonesia) joins ITMF as Corporate Member

Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) is the first fully integrated viscose rayon producer in Asia - from plantation to viscose fibre. Their 300,000-tonne capacity mill is co-located in Pangkalan Kerinci with its main pulp supplier Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL).

As a member of the RGE Group, founded by Sukanto Tanoto in 1973, APR produces biodegradable viscose rayon used in textile products.

Mr. Christian Schindler, Director General of ITMF, stated that “the ITMF membership is extremely delighted to welcome with Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) another important fiber producer. A forum like ITFM offers all stakeholders of the textile value chain the opportunity to come together and discuss the global challenges and opportunities. In today’s world an isolated view of the direct supply and demand structure might not be enough to identify trends further upstream and/or downstream. Topics like circularity or social compliance are becoming more relevant and are affecting the entire textile supply chain. We are convinced that Asia Pacific Rayon’s membership with ITMF will mutual beneficial”.

Mr. Basrie Kamba, President Director of PT Asia Pacific Rayon, commented that “joining ITMF is having the opportunity to meet and share updates, knowledge and practices with industry experts and players from the entire value chain is vital for world-class companies like APR. The pandemic has revealed how relevant personal meetings are in our industry. Aside from that, I expect that ITMF will provide valuable and accurate statistics, reports and studies as well as virtual services that help to remain informed and better understand short, medium and long- term changes“.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

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.

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.

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.

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.