“Through the Innovation Awards, our efforts are aligned towards bringing revolutionary solutions to the forefront of the industry and creating a market for new developments.” said Michael McDonald, President of SPESA

 “While the award-winning technologies will create market opportunities and boost business, the commitment to product excellence and market innovation that the award winners and everyone who submitted entries have shown is what will drive market impulses.” The winners of the Innovation Awards were officially announced at a Press Conference on the first day of the event.

Utilizing partnerships with academic programs, research institutions and industry associations, Techtextil North America & Texprocess Americas have built an environment that encourages innovation through the sharing of ideas and collaboration among industry leaders with several features on the floor this year. Among the special features is the Career & Training Center that is witnessing high interest on the show floor. New technological advancements and evolving fashion trends demand constant skill training and for the very first time, SPESA launched a show-floor training that provides teaching methods for machine repair/maintenance to address the growing need for skilled workers in the sewn products industry. Curated by Merrow Sewing Machine Company and the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Centre (ISAIC), the training utilizes augmented reality (AR) tools to illustrate how these training methods can help scale the industry and support growth in the Americas and is witnessing a packed hall.

Also drawing industry professionals, new entrants and students to this center are new job openings posted by representatives from the Textile Technology Center at Gaston College that provide professional headshots and valuable resources for career development. 

The 2023 edition also presents latest scientific developments and student insights on topics such as Textile-Infused 3D Printing, Enzymatic Separation of Textile Blends, Direct-to-Textile 3D Printing, Anti-bacterial coatings, Textile EMG Sensors and Controlled Drawing of Polycaprolactone-Based Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering Applications as part of The Student Research Poster Program.

Designed in collaboration with thought leaders and industry strategists from the Chicago Pattern Maker, Colorkarma, the NC State University, and the Hohenstein Institute, the TechTalks area is another highlight where presentations, demonstrations, and discussions covering groundbreaking technical advancements attracted attendees to join the discussion on the business of textiles and textile technologies and the future of manufacturing.

The buzz on the show floor confirmed that the exhibitions are a not to be missed event in the textile industry’s event calendar with networking continuing even after hours at the Opening Night Reception at the Mercedes Benz Stadium hosted by SPESA and Messe Frankfurt. The co-located exhibitions are open for two more days and allow industry professionals to view technological innovations live until May 12 at the Georgia World Congress Center. On-site registration is available.