#Colloquia / Symposia

2017-11-10

Aachen, Dresden and Denkendorf, together, are forming the 'textile triangle' of the future

Boasting over 600 participants most recently, this conference counts as one of the most important textile conferences in Europe. Starting in 2016, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research, Denkendorf (DITF) are now also a co-organizer. Thus, the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference will take place on a yearly alternating basis at one of the three sites. This year it will take place in Stuttgart from 30-Nov-2017 to 1-Dec-2017.

Parallel to the International Textile Conference, the organizers respectively launch the German Textile Colloquium as a national equivalent with changing special themes in the spring.

This year’s partner country USA is represented by speakers among others in two plenary and three keynote lectures, presenting new technologies and developments. High-class presentations and posters will showcase national and international scientific achievements and results from the fields of high performance fibers and yarns, medical textiles and medical technologies, and composites for various applications.

In addition, ADD ITC and Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V. have organized a transfer session where achievements within the IGF-ZIM program will be summarized.

The research institutions in the Aachen, Dresden and Denkendorf regions invite all interested companies, research institutes, associations and students from all over the world to participate in the lively exchange of experiences, new ideas, and information at the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference, held at the Kongresszentrum Liederhalle in Stuttgart.

For the plenary sessions, internationally renowned contributors offer insights into industry visions, trends, and innovations from the areas of research, automotive, medical technologies and composites.

The opening plenary session on Thursday ends with a panel discussion on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Walter Reiners-Stiftung. The chairman of the Foundation, Peter D. Dornier from Lindauer DORNIER GmbH, speaks with former prize winners of the VDMA Textile Machinery Foundation for young engineers.

The closing plenary session on Friday provides an outlook on the future of textile auxiliaries and gives impulses for the development of sustainable fibers.

IGF-ZIM Transfer Event: From Idea to Practice

The well-established IGF-ZIM Transfer Event “From Idea to Practice” will again be organized by the Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V.. Attendants will be introduced to selected successful products and methods developed in co-operation between researchers and industry representatives, and effectively realized by the industry.

http://www.aachen-dresden-denkendorf.de/en/itc/

Plenary lectures:

Prof. Dr. Raymond G. Boeman; IACMI – The Composites Institute, Knoxville, USA
Prof. Dr. David Hinks; NC State University – College of Textiles, Raleigh, USA
Eckhard Reese; Daimler AG, Mercedes Benz Werk Hamburg, Germany
Dr. Pau Turon; B. Braun Surgical S.A., Barcelona, Spain
Dr. Herbert Bachus; CHT R. Beitlich GmbH, Tübingen, Germany
René Bethmann; VAUDE GmbH & Co. KG, Tettnang, Germany

Keynote lectures:

Prof. Dr. Martin W. King; NC State University, Raleigh, USA
Mary Lynn Landgraf; OTEXA – Office of Textiles and Apparel, Washington, USA
Dr. Tom Masselter; Universität Freiburg, Germany
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Felix L. Paulauskas; Oak Ridge National Laboratory/University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge, USA
Dr. Andreas Schmidt; Hohenstein Institute, Bönnigheim, Germany
Sven Torstrick; German Aerospace Center (DLR), Stade, Germany
Dietrich Wienke; DSM Dyneema, Geelen, Netherlands

From smart jackets to laser technology: Mona Neubaur explores Textile Factory 7.0

As part of her summer tour, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Mona Neubaur, visited Textilfabrik 7.0 in Mönchengladbach to experience the project’s innovations first-hand. Under the motto “smart and clean”, the visit focused on innovative technologies and sustainable alternatives for textile production - from smart jackets to the decolourisation of textiles using fungal cultures.

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.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.