#Associations

2024-07-24

Fifth transnational ADDTEX meeting in Prato

From 1 to 5 July 2024, the fifth member meeting of ADDTEX took place in Prato at PIN s.c.r.l. Educational and Scientific Services for the University of Florence. Parallel to the meeting of the project partners and in the same building in Piazza Giovanni Ciardi, 25, PIN organised a textile innovation boot camp with students from Sweden, Spain, Romania, Ireland, Italy and Portugal.

Joint photo of the ADDTEX partners and the summer school students in front of the entrance to the PIN in Prato. Photo: ADDTEX, Alessandro de Rosa

Preparations for workshops and webinars are in full swing

The meeting of the ADDTEX project partners served to find out about the current results of the individual partners of the EU Erasmus+ project and to discuss further activities. Following the meetings in Terrassa, Spain, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, Limerick, Ireland and Athens, Greece, the fifth meeting took place in the Italian textile centre of Prato in Tuscany. The IVGT e.V. is one of the 12 ADDTEX partners as a major textile trade association in Germany and was once again present in Prato.

Summer school for students

The textile innovation bootcamp in the form of a summer school was organised by PIN and involved the participation of 25 students and 5 trainers from the universities of Boras (Sweden), UPC (Spain), PIN (Italy) and TUS (Ireland) and was offered as an in-depth supplement to the hackathons organised in May 2024.

The aim of the bootcamp was to foster innovation and collaboration and equip students with knowledge and skills to promote green, digital and smart transformation in the textile industry. The methodology used included face-to-face teaching, group work, company visits and field reports and was inspired by design thinking. Social moments were also incorporated to promote team spirit. This resulted in demonstrators made from materials such as sensor fabrics, e-textiles, knitwear and membranes, which were presented at the end together with exemplary business plans and marketing plans. In line with ADDTEX's focus, attention was paid to sustainability across the entire product life cycle through to recycling concepts. The students had acquired the necessary basic information in advance using the 45 training videos and training units from the free and public Smart, Digital and Green Skills Academy at https://addtex.eu.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is an interactive process that uses empathy to understand the users at the centre of the product or solution being developed. It is a solution-focused approach that allows people to develop a variety of ideas that can be quickly prototyped, tested and improved. For these reasons, it is often used by teams that want to innovate and solve complex challenges.

In the first phase of the bootcamp, students had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the design thinking process and learn about smart textiles, eco-design principles and digitalisation in manufacturing. They also had the opportunity to get in touch with real-life examples (Knitronix and Sensing Tex) and visit the companies Comistra and Rifinizione Nuove Fibre SpA, which are based in the Prato area.

Fabrizio Tesi from Comistra shows the Summer Scholl students recycled wool fibres. Photo: ADDTEX, Katja Brencic

In the second phase of the process, the students began the creation process of their product, also familiarising themselves with the Lego® Serious Play® method. In the third phase of the boot camp, ideas were developed and prototypes were built. Finally, the students were instructed on how to prepare their pitch, which was then delivered on the last day of the bootcamp. The pitches started with a short introduction about the team and the product and ended with the presentation of the business model. The different teams showed a high level of motivation at work and several brilliant ideas emerged. Overall, the bootcamp was a great success for the AddTex project.

Comistra is a recycling company that produces high-quality mechanical wool from textile waste. Photo: ADDTEX, Iris Schlomski

Among other things, a webinar is planned for September 2024 to present the results of the hackathons and the bootcamp.

www.ivgt.de

International practical experience for textile students

As part of the European Erasmus+ project AddTex, the partner institutions organised several hackathons simultaneously from 15 to 17 May 2024 at the universities in Borås (Sweden), UPC (Spain), PIN (Italy) and TUS (Ireland). The aim was to develop practical solutions to real challenges facing the textile industry. The German family-owned company Schmitz Textiles, a specialist in complete textile solutions for indoor and outdoor use, challenged students at the University of PIN in Prato to increase the recycled content of yarns for awning production to 100 per cent.

6th AddTex project partner meeting in Prague

On January 21 and 22, 2025, the 6th AddTex project partner meeting took place in Prague at the invitation of the Czech cluster for technical textiles CLUTEX. After an update on the activities of the eleven European partners, the IVGT presented a draft business model that will ensure sustainable activities beyond the end of the project.

EURATEX urges Member States to prioritise competitiveness in the next EU budget

Ahead of crucial discussions among EU Member States on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034, EURATEX, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, calls on European leaders to safeguard ambitious funding for industrial competitiveness and ensure that these resources translate into concrete investment support in European companies.

Data and skills, not algorithms, hold back AI adoption in textiles, finds ITMF and ITA white paper

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA) have published a new white paper entitled AI in the Textile Value Chain: A Strategic Guide to Artificial Intelligence for the Global Textile Industry. The study concludes that the main barriers to artificial intelligence adoption in the textile and apparel industry are not technological limitations, but poor data integration, skills shortages and gaps in governance. According to the authors, further progress will depend on coordinated efforts to develop capabilities across the industry.

Brazil: The Italian textile and textile-machinery sector takes centre stage at two workshops

From 19 to 24 October 2026, Brazil will host a mission showcasing Italian excellence in the textile and textile machinery sectors, with two workshops scheduled for 20 October in the state of Santa Catarina and 22 October in São Paulo. The initiative will bring together Italian companies specialising in textile machinery, yarns, fabrics and clothing accessories, with the aim of strengthening commercial and industrial ties between the two countries and opening up new opportunities for collaboration.

Mayer & Cie. Global gears up tor ITMA Asia 2026

Mayer & Cie. Global will focus on mattress fabric production at ITMA Asia, taking place in Shanghai from 20 to 24 November 2026. The company will showcase one of its flagship models for this application: the OVJA 2.4 EM. Joining the mattress fabric specialist will be an OV 3.2 QCe, presented at ITMA Asia in a configuration for knitting double-face fabrics in E40. This gives the OV 3.2 QCe a combination of capabilities rarely found in the market. The German textile machinery manufacturer will also introduce its new portfolio strategy and share updates from its development team at its Albstadt headquarters.

FET highlights advances in fibre spinning technology at Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) presented its latest developments in fibre spinning technology at the Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress in Austria in September 2026. In a presentation entitled “Spinning a good yarn”, Dr Jonny Hunter examined recent technological developments and challenges facing the fibre industry, highlighting the company's expanding range of specialised fibre extrusion and spinning systems.

Vietnam’s market evolution creates new sourcing opportunities at VIATT 2027

As Vietnam’s textile industry continues to upgrade and scale, new opportunities are emerging for suppliers of advanced raw materials, design-led fabrics, production technologies, and sustainability solutions. The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will return 24 – 26 February 2027, presenting a cross-sector platform – spanning apparel, home and technical categories – for overseas companies to connect with manufacturers, brands, sourcing offices, retailers, and industry buyers from Vietnam, ASEAN, and beyond.

Textile performance for the global market: Heimtextil 2027 connects interior design, quality and global sourcing

With the new premium segment Carpets & Rugs Excellence, the Comfort & Connect area and the Heimtextil Trends 27/28, Heimtextil 2027 is sharpening its offering for a market under pressure. Today, textile products need to prove their quality, functionality and long-term value. From 12 to 15 January 2027, the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles and textile design showcases relevant innovations across the entire value chain: from fibres and yarns to designs by international studios and emerging talent, through to finished collections, functional contract textiles and complete interior solutions.