#Knitting & Hosiery

2021-07-08

ZhejiangTex 2021 successfully concluded

The 21st ZheJiang International Trade Fair for Textile and Garment Industry (ZhejiangTex 2021) successfully concluded on 10 Jun at Yiwu International Expo Centre. The 3-day exhibition gathered over 11,728 visitors and over 300 exhibitors, showing the industry is gradually recovering and entering the post-pandemic era. ZhejiangTex 2021 was held under the theme of "Trans-boundary innovation, intelligent textiles & healthy future". This was the first time that the tradeshow joins hands with CKIW YIWU.

Under the same roof, the two exhibitions showcased the entire industry chain of knitting industry, ranging from research & development to design, equipment to technology, raw materials to knitting products & accessories, building a more competitive platform for the development of knitting industry, bringing new industry pattern featuring industry connection and synergy.

Fully Covering the Entire Textile Industry Chain, Attracted Heavy Flow of Professional Visitors and Buyers

In order to meet the growing demand of industrial upgrade, ZhejiangTex 2021 set up 4 theme zones: Knitting Industry, Sewing Automation, Digital & Printing Application, and Knitting Products & Accessories, gathering many well-known exhibitors including Chemtax, Yingyun, Dahaomingde, Jiazhili, Kemei, Chu Yun, Kaiqiang, Jieke, Toka Benma, Bopai, and Dairen. A wide range of automatic machineries were displayed on the site, promoting industrial automation and providing valuable business opportunities. Professional visitors, delegation groups and enterprise groups from various countries were attracted to the show.

7 industry associations and industrial clusters organization visiting groups and 44 well-known enterprise groups to come to the site to seize business opportunities, including Ruian Knitting Industry Association, Zhejiang Seamless Weaving Industry Association, Yiwu Hosiery Association, Pujiang County Garment Industry Association, Pujiang County Knitting Printing and Dyeing Industry Association, Yiwu Fotang Town Economic Development Office Visiting Group, Yiwu Dachen Town Economic Development Office Visiting Group, Yiwu Huading Nylon Co. Ltd., Zhejiang Sanding Weaving Co. Ltd., Jiangmen Aimesi Textile Co. Ltd., Zhejiang Kangjiesi New Material Technology Co. Ltd., Guangyu Group, Dezhou Huayuan Ecological, Tongkun Group Co. Ltd., etc. (in no particular order). The registration counters were full of visitors.

Concurrent Events Opened the New Fashion Future

A series of concurrent events were held together with ZhejiangTex 2021 to let the professional visitors stay tuned to the latest market trends under the era changes. On 9 June, 2021 National Antibacterial and Antiviral Functional Textile Supply Chain Conference was successfully held. Initiated by textile innovations, more than 200 enterprises are connected, with their resources including raw materials, technology, knitting products OEM, and branding, forming the Yingyun Knitting Union. From 9 to 12 June, China Yiwu Fashion Week was successfully held, leading an innovative fashion trend and opening a new fashion future.

ZhejiangTex will continue to lead the innovative trend and open the new fashion future with you in the next show. See you in 2022!

For more details about the exhibition, please visit the official website and social media platforms.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“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.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

New spinning package with two-step filtration for recycled yarns and more

At the ITM in Istanbul, BB Engineering unveiled its new, patented ValuePack spinning package for the first time, which features a two-stage filtration system. This is particularly beneficial for re-cycling processes. Until now, spinning packs have used either metal powder (“sand”) or filter candles as filter media. Both options are suitable for differ-ent applications, and each has its own specific advantages and dis-advantages.

ITMA 2027 gains strong momentum

In line with the theme "Co-creating the future of textiles", ITMA continues to strengthen its support for start-ups, recognising their role in driving innovation and shaping the future of textile and garment manufacturing. Through the Start-Up Valley, emerging companies gain access to a global marketplace where they can connect with industry leaders, potential partners, investors and customers.

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.

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.