#Research & Development

2025-06-05

Tour de LOOP Exclusive specialist trip to Chemnitz – textile art and design in the European Capital of Culture 2025

The European Capital of Culture 2025, Chemnitz, opened its doors to textile designers, textile artists and experts from the fields of fashion, art and textiles: the Tour de LOOP on 26 and 27 May 2025 took participants on an exclusive professional tour of one of Europe's most traditional and innovative textile regions. 19 visitors from Europe explored Chemnitz and its textile region. They came from the Nether- lands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Germany.

19 visitors from Europe explored Chemnitz and its textile region © 2025 Photos: STFI

Once known as the ‘Saxon Manchester’, Chemnitz today inspires with sustainable textile production, dig- ital textile design and artistic diversity. The two-day trip impressively combined the past, present and future of local textile production.

Exclusive guided tours focussing on textile history and textile technologies

To kick things off, a city centre tour including a playful exploration of the European Capital of Culture 2025 broke the ice. Special stops on the tour included the Esche LAB in Limbach-Oberfrohna on 26 May 2025 - a workshop for creative textile work with a focus on knitting, embroidery and ready-to-wear clothing - and the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) on 27 May 2025, which offers exten- sive opportunities for artistic textile projects and research collaborations.

The programme at the Esche Museum included a demonstration of historical knitting machines, a tour of the Fabric Visions special exhibition and a workshop in the ESCHE Lab. The ESCHE Lab was opened at the beginning of the year and has since been available as a makerspace for creative projects. At the STFI, visitors were given an insight into the technological possibilities of the Textile Lab Professional. In addition to surface technologies such as knitting, weaving, warp knitting, functionalisation and textile recycling, the tour led to the textile factory of the future, where research is being conducted into digitali- sation in textile production. The Textile Lab Professional is a cooperation between the STFI and the ESCHE Lab and is open to creative minds with its expertise and diverse plant technology. The trip con- cluded with a workshop in the art collections, which focussed on the Schneeberger Geflecht exhibition.

European network

The workshops and live demonstrations provided insights into innovative techniques and offered starting points for artistic approaches. Through expert discussions and an open networking evening, the Tour de LOOP created an exchange with creatives, designers and scientists from Chemnitz and Europe.

Tour de LOOP is an offer from the Makers, Business & Arts project of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, the Esche Museum and the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI).

Insight into the STF's Textile LAB Professional, where creative textile ideas can be realised on an industrial or semi-industrial scale, © 2025 Photos: STFI

STFI highlights textile circular economy and alternative fibres at INDEX™ 2026

From 19 to 22 May 2026, INDEX will invite visitors to Lake Geneva for the world's leading nonwovens trade fair. The Centre of Excellence in Nonwovens at the Sächsisches Textilforschung- sinstitut e.V. (STFI) will be in attendance to present the latest developments in nonwovens research. In the field of the textile circular economy, the STFI will present acoustically effective nonwovens made from chemical recycling residues. The range also includes innovations aimed at replacing conventional raw materials, such as the biobased and biodegradable polymer polybutylene succinate (PBS) and Kendyr as an alternative to cotton.

Regional hemp bast for lightweight construction profiles

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STFI presents concepts for the textile circular economy and solutions for a healthy and safe life at Techtextil

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Outdoor Industry Association completes Clean Heat CoLab initiative

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has completed its multi-year Clean Heat CoLab initiative, bringing together outdoor brands and technology experts to accelerate the adoption of electrified process heating in textile manufacturing. The collaboration focused on reducing emissions from thermal processes such as dyeing, washing and finishing, which remain among the most carbon-intensive stages of textile production.

Europe is committed to recycling end-of-life wind turbine blades

Starting in 2026, Europe’s wind energy industry has committed itself to ensuring that wind turbine blades do not end up in landfills once they reach the end of their service life. The EU-funded research project REWIND is exploring ways to reuse this composite waste. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are one of 13 project partners from seven countries.

ADD-ITC 2026 publishes preliminary conference program

The organizers of the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) 2026 have released the preliminary program for this year's event, which will take place on November 26–27, 2026, at the International Congress Center Dresden. The conference is expected to attract between 500 and 700 participants from industry, research, and academia.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris opens with focus on AI, circularity and new sourcing regions

More than 1,000 exhibitors from around the world are gathering at Paris-Le Bourget as Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris opens its doors from August 31 to September 2. With around 500 textile manufacturers and a similar number of apparel and accessories suppliers, the trade fair reflects the ongoing transformation of global sourcing and the growing diversification of supply regions.

Brazil sets new cotton export record and consolidates global leadership

Brazil ended the 2025/26 commercial year with a new record, consolidating its position as the world’s largest cotton exporter. Between August 2025 and July 2026, the country shipped 3,373,941 tonnes of the fiber, 19% more than in the previous cycle, and reached record revenue of US$5.3 billion. The result represents a milestone in Brazil’s expansion in the international market and reinforces the country’s role as a strategic supplier to the global textile industry.

The LYCRA Company expands its co-creation vision through an immersive Lifestyle District at Intertextile Shanghai.

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