#ITMA 2019

2019-06-21

Italy a major player at ITMA barcelona

Italy’s presence at the world’s most important trade fair dedicated to textile machinery, ITMA, which opens its gates on June 20 in Barcelona for its 18th edition, will be, as in previous editions, absolutely imposing, numbering some 360 exhibitors.

ITMA opened its gates on June 20 in Barcelona, and for seven days visitors at the world’s primary textile machinery trade fair will be provided a first hand look at the high quality of the technology proposals of roughly 360 exhibiting Italian machinery manufacturers. The overall surface area occupied by Italian exhibitors, nearly 30,000 sq. meters (fully 26% of the total surface area), confirms Italy’s leading role among exhibiting nations.

Alessandro Zucchi, President of ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) states, “Yet again, Italy’s textile machinery industry will play a leading role, with a manifestly large number of participants at the largest international showcase for textile machinery products. This is an absolutely significant sign to customers and confirms the vitality of our industry, especially with regards to the qualitative and technological levels that Italy knows how to express.”

Sustainability and digitization are the buzzwords at this edition of ITMA. The textile sector is having to face up to new trends in which the end consumer is increasingly at the center of the buying process. Focusing on process and product sustainability and greater digitalization within manufacturing businesses is essential in order to allow textile companies to remain competitive at a global level.

Italian Green Label Award

Italian textile machinery manufacturers have long been committed to providing sustainable technological solutions both from an environmental and economic standpoint, capable of effectively reducing consumption and production costs. As ACIMIT’s president points out, ”On the issue of environmental and economic sustainability, our Association has been committed since 2010 with the "Sustainable Technologies" project, to which over 40 of our manufacturers have adhered.”

“At this year’s ITMA, we’ll be attributing to two of these 40 manufacturers the Italian Green Label Award, a recognition placed on those companies that have been more virtuous over the past few years, reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of their machines to an even greater extent,” explains Zucchi. Rina Group, the official certifying body that has cooperated with ACIMIT in the Green Label project in recent years, is responsible for verifying the necessary requirements of each manufacturer in attributing the award.

Italian textile machinery and digitalization

The digitalization of production processes in the textile sector is an indispensable response to new trends requiring faster time-to-market and just-in-time production.

“The current commitment of our manufacturers,” comments ACIMIT’s President, “is to provide a suitable response to clients who are facing difficult challenges in developing new production processes and business models within the textile industry. Our product ranges are increasingly compliant with 4.0 technologies.”

There are numerous examples of these types of technologies in Italian machinery offerings on display at ITMA Barcelona. Among these we can cite the use of intelligent management platforms, on-board machine sensors for data acquisition allowing the monitoring of both the machine and products, predictive maintenance, for a reduction in costs obtained through less downtime, and augmented reality applications supporting the operator in the various production phases.

Support from the Ministry of Economic Development and ICE Italian Trade Agency

At ITMA Barcelona. Italy’s textile machinery sector has once again been able to rely on the support provided by the Italian Government, through the Ministry of Economic Development and Italian Trade Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies.

Roberto Luongo, General Director of Italian Trade Agency states, “This year’s ITMA trade fair exhibit in Barcelona is once again an essential international showcase for Italy’s textile machinery industry. Textile machinery represents the excellence of Made in Italy industrial technology, with an acute propensity for internationalization in its entrepreneurial fabric, requiring innovative, global and high level outlets to consolidate its business. For this reason, we have lent our support to the entire textile machinery chain with a significant investment in the promotional program and, in collaboration with ACIMIT, supporting all companies exhibiting at the trade fair with a structured activity plan, aimed at enhancing the keywords of the 2019 edition: sustainability, digitalization and technology.”

Among the various initiatives supporting the participation of Italian textile machinery manufacturers at ITMA is an intense communication campaign in industry specific magazines and portals, as well as the organization of a press conference during the fair.

ACIMIT is present at ITMA 2019 (Barcelona Suites, Association Offices) to provide all the necessary information and help visitors acquire a greater knowledge of Italy’s textile machinery industry.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.

Mongolia: Workshop on Italian textile technologies kicks off in Ulaanbaatar

The workshop dedicated to Italian textile technologies will kick off in Ulaanbaatar from 21 to 23 June 2026. Focused on the most advanced innovative solutions for the textile industry, the initiative will bring together 13 Italian textile machinery manufacturers, confirming the growing interest in strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries and highlighting Mongolia’s strategic importance for Italian textile machinery producers.

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.

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.