#Associations

2024-09-05

Winners of the ITMF Awards 2024

ITMF has just announced the winners of the ITMF Awards 2024. They will present their projects at the upcoming ITMF & IAF Conference 2024 which will be held from 8-10 September 2024 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and will be co-hosted by the Uzbek Textile & Apparel Industry Association (UZTS).

The ITMF Awards 2024 are presented in two categories:

• ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award

• ITMF International Collaboration Award

The objective of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award is to recognize sustainable and innovative achievements in the textile industry with focus on innovation, design, development, and production under the strictest standards of sustainability and respect for the environment.

The winners of the ITMF Innovation & Sustainability Award 2024 are (in alphabetical order):

• GuoWang High-Technique Fiber Company (China):

Low-carbon & sustainable innovation in PET fibre industry

http://www.shenghonggroup.cn/en/

• HeiQ AeoniQ Holding AG (Switzerland):

Hyperscaling HeiQ AeoniQTM

https://www.heiq-aeoniq.com/

• Samsara Eco (Australia):

Infinite plastic recycling: a solution for end-of-life textiles

https://www.samsaraeco.com/

The objective of the ITMF International Cooperation Award is to recognize progress in international collaboration in the textile industry according to the values of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The winners of the ITMF International Cooperation Award 2024 are (in alphabetical order):

• DITF (Germany): and RBX Creations (France):

Next generation cellulosic filaments from hemp

www.ditf.de

https://www.iroony.net/

• HKRITA (Hong Kong, China):

Open lab

https://theopenlab.one/

SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

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.

The future of textiles, the power of trade, and the summit of technology come together at ITM 2026

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious organizations in the textile technologies sector, opens its doors to visitors between June 9-13. Expected to break records in terms of both exhibitor and visitor numbers, as well as the technological vision it presents, ITM 2026 will transform into a global trade hub with machine sales, and new business collaborations.

ATCO Hygienics, Uzbekistan, orders baby diaper production line from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from ATCO Hygienics to supply a new baby diaper production line for its plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The order is included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the first quarter of 2026. Commissioning of the production line is scheduled for the end of 2026.

Nico Pedretti appointed as Managing Director Graf Group

As of June 1, 2026, Nico Pedretti has assumed the role of Managing Director Graf Group. With more than 20 years of international industrial experience and extensive expertise in Operations, Supply Chain Management, Finance and Controlling, he brings a broad range of leadership and business experience to support Graf’s continued success.