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#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

The Digital Capability Center (DCC) welcomes Microsoft as a new partner at the DCC Network

Microsoft Deutschland GmbH and Digital Capablity Center Aachen announced a cooperation between the world’s leading management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, ITA Academy GmbH in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University as well as other leading technology companies. 
(c) 2020 ITA Aachen
(c) 2020 ITA Aachen


The DCC welcomes Microsoft as a new partner at the DCC Network: Visitors to the DCC Aachen can now experience and test the AI-based solution “Automated Quality Inspection”, which was developed with Microsoft's Azure Cognitive Services.

The DCC, with its motto Explore – Try – Apply, is a learning factory focused on Industrie 4.0 manufacturing. Visitors are invited to explore this realistic factory setting to learn firsthand about solutions that can enable companies to drive digital transformation and how to deploy such solutions along the entire value chain – from an initial customer inquiry through to development, production, delivery, and service. In hands-on workshops, participants will discover a systematic and targeted approach to unlock value from Industrie 4.0.


Sessions will also address management challenges around employee empowerment and acceptance of the changes brought about by organizational transformation. 

Participants can explore ways to tackle challenges they face in their own businesses and gain insight into key digital solutions and technologies such as real-time diagnostic tools and big data analytics, predictive maintenance, digital performance management, 3D printing, and robots.

DCC Aachen showcases the production of a smart wristband that can be individually customized by the workshop participants. The production line itself maps a typical brownfield scenario comprising a mix of older and modern machines, each with different controls and interfaces. The insights gained can be easily applied to a variety of practical applications in a wide range of industries. The DCC is designed to help workshop attendees learn how to use the latest digital technologies and increase productivity by applying them.


More News from Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA)

#Research & Development

ITA has developed a washable digital smart jacket with real-time feedback and an AI-powered app for rehabilitation

As part of the PhysioTaix research project, the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University is developing a digital smart jacket with integrated sensors. The jacket is washable and reusable; it tracks movements during rehabilitation exercises in real time and transmits the data to an app.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

2. RETRAKT EU Conference - „Join the Circle“: Turning challenges of the textile sector into chances

On 19 November 2026, the second RETRAKT EU Conference – “Join the Circle” will take place in Brussels. The event, which focuses on the transformation of the textile sector towards a circular economy, will be held under the motto: “Turning Challenges in the Textile Sector into Chances.”

#Research & Development

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.

#Research & Development

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.

More News on Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

#Software

UNIFEQ Europe adopts Coats Digital’s GSDCost and AI-powered GSDQuest to support rapid growth

Coats Digital is pleased to announce that rapidly growing Polish defence and uniform manufacturer UNIFEQ Europe Sp. z o.o. has invested in its award-winning GSDCost solution together with its AI-powered GSDQuest platform to establish a consistent approach to garment costing, improve sewing-floor productivity and accelerate labour costing for tenders and new products.

#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

EIM evolves into a new Environmental Intelligence to measure the impact of textile production

¿Do we really know the environmental impact behind a garment? Answering this question remains one of the textile industry’s major challenges. Garment production involves multiple stages, from yarn and fabric to final finishing, carried out by different players across the supply chain. Accesing reliable data from each process, connecting it and establishing a common language are essential to understanding a product’s true impact.

#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

Orient Rongheng connects production planning across China and Bangladesh with FastReactPlan

Chinese apparel manufacturer Orient Rongheng is implementing Coats Digital’s FastReactPlan to digitalize production planning across its manufacturing operations in China and Bangladesh. The project aims to connect capacity, materials and order planning across multiple factories while integrating these processes with the company’s existing ERP and Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

Lectra launches Apogy with agentic AI for fashion product development

Lectra has launched Apogy, a new cloud-based solution for fashion product development that combines product data, collaborative workflows and agentic artificial intelligence. The platform is designed to connect the different stakeholders and processes between initial design and production while using AI agents to automate tasks and support decision-making throughout the development cycle.

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#Associations

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.

#Associations

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.

#India ITME 2026

KARL MAYER highlights new technologies and growth opportunities at INDIA ITME 2026

India‘s textile industry is undergoing a profound transformation: What was previously a production hub driven primarily by cost and volume is increasingly evolving into a market focused on technology, exports, and value creation. KARL MAYER supports this change with high-performance machinery solutions and innovative textile concepts, and is therefore looking forward to INDIA ITME 2026 with great anticipation.

#Textile chemistry

Nicca names Archroma exclusive ZELAN™ distributor, extending a decade-long legacy

Archroma and Nicca Chemical are collaborating to support the continued growth of ZELAN™ non-fluorinated durable water repellents (DWRs) across the global textile industry. The announcement follows Nicca’s acquisition of the ZELAN™ business from The Chemours Company in March 2026 and extends Archroma’s decade-long legacy with the ZELAN™ brand.

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