#Research & Development

2019-08-15

Visit of Korean business delegation in KICOX program at ITA

Korean company representatives at the ITA Copyright: NRW Invest

On 24 June 2019 the ITA hosted a delegation of Korean company representatives as part of a visit to the federal state of NRW organized by NRW Invest. First, the business location NRW in the middle of Europe was presented. The RWTH has a special significance here as a university of excellence as a research and development forge of the federal state. The close cooperation with companies from all over the world distinguishes the university in particular.

The aim of the visit was to present the ITA as one of the leading institutes of the RWTH to the Korean company representatives and to initiate cooperation’s. The ITA can look back on a successful history of research and development projects with Korean companies and research institutions. The expansion of this relationship is very fruitful for both sides. In particular, the topics of lightweight construction, recycling, Smart Textiles and medical technology met with great interest among visitors from Korea.

"Complex sensor technology for monitoring vital functions is developed in my company, but your technology for integration into textiles would offer my customers a comfort advantage.",one visitor noticed during the tour through the ITA lab and machine park. In this sense, the exchange between the ITA and Korea will be intensified in the future and the joint work with NRW Invest will be continued.

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.

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.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

Reducing development times for technical textiles by accelerated thermo-oxidative aging in a high-pressure autoclave

Synthetic polymers used in technical textiles can be effectively protected against degradation caused by heat, oxygen, and water through the use of stabilizer systems. This enables service lives of several decades, extending to more than 50 years. As the use of durable technical textiles continues to grow, so does the demand for reliable methods to predict their service life within economically feasible testing periods. For the first time the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) developed methods for robust service life prediction for textiles in an IGF research project.

ADD-ITC 2026 highlights strong industry participation

The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) 2026 will place a strong focus on the exchange between textile research and industry when it takes place on November 26–27, 2026, at the International Congress Center Dresden. According to the preliminary conference program, more than two-thirds of all presentations will be contributed by companies or jointly presented by industry and research institutions.

KARL MAYER invites the Global Textile Industry to celebrate its 90th anniversary at its German Headquarters in 2027

KARL MAYER is turning its anniversary year 2027 into a milestone for the textile sector. To mark its 90th anniversary, the industry leader is inviting customers, partners, and experts from around the world to a unique event series in September aimed at pushing boundaries, unlocking new opportunities, and jointly setting the course for a new era in textiles – just as KARL MAYER has done throughout its history. The company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt, is the place to be.

Durak Maxibalance thread supports users’ movement and balance comfort

Durak Tekstil, a leading brand in its industry, has developed Durak Maxibalance, a new product engineered with bio-ceramic and FAR IR technology. Ushering in a new era for sportswear, activewear, and medical textiles, this technology offers features designed to support balance and movement comfort by reflecting the energy absorbed from the body back into it.