#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.

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.

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.

ITM 2026: KARL MAYER presents new perspectives

KARL MAYER will once again showcase itself as a strong partner to the Turkish textile industry at ITM in Istanbul from June 9 to 13. At Booth 303 A in Hall 3 of the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center, the industry leader will exhibit solutions for warp knitting, warp preparation, and technical textiles – tailored to a challenging economic environment.

STFI highlights textile circular economy and alternative fibres at INDEX™ 2026

From 19 to 22 May 2026, INDEX will invite visitors to Lake Geneva for the world's leading nonwovens trade fair. The Centre of Excellence in Nonwovens at the Sächsisches Textilforschung- sinstitut e.V. (STFI) will be in attendance to present the latest developments in nonwovens research. In the field of the textile circular economy, the STFI will present acoustically effective nonwovens made from chemical recycling residues. The range also includes innovations aimed at replacing conventional raw materials, such as the biobased and biodegradable polymer polybutylene succinate (PBS) and Kendyr as an alternative to cotton.