#Techtextil 2015

2015-05-07

13th Techtextil Innovation Award 2015 honours eight outstanding developments

Winners of the 13th Techtextil Innovation Award 2015 and the 3rd Texprocess Innovation Award 2015 (c) 2015 Messe Frankfurt

The winners of the 13th Techtextil Innovation Award 2015 have been chosen and were honoured for outstanding achievements and new developments in six categories during the official opening ceremony of Techtextil, Leading International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens, in Frankfurt am Main. An international jury of experts selected eight projects for the coveted Techtextil Innovation Award.

They include printers for three-dimensional woven structures, embroidered electrodes for long-term ECGs, algae-based snow, an artificial womb and maritime textile for cultivating kelp. All products can be seen in a special exhibition in Hall 6.1 until 7 May 2015.

The Techtextil Innovation Award winners:

The Techtextil Innovation Award 2015 is given in six categories. One of the winners in the ‘new technology’ category is Sosa Fresh for its 3DWeaver, a 3D printer that can produce three-dimensional woven structures step-by-step. The other winner in this category is Emil Stutznäcker for its high-performance sewing technology with automatic handling in the sewing area, which can produce preforms, i.e., multi-layer woven and nonwoven fabrics for textile-reinforced lightweight structures, at the record speed of around 3,000 stitches a minute.

The Techtextil Innovation Award in the ‘new product’ category goes to the Empa Research Institute for an embroidered electrode that can be used for long-term ECGs and thus takes account of the growing demand for textiles in medical applications.

Two companies have been singled out for the Award in the ‘new concept’ category: Switch Embassy for a washable LED screen that can be used in many areas of application, from clothing to interior furnishings, and the ITV Denkendorf Research Institute for BioGlizz, a biological alternative to artificial snow, which is based on an algae-covered textile layer.

Pic: The washable LED Screen by Switch Embassy on a T-Shirt .

The winner in the ‘new application’ category is the Hohenstein Institute for Textile Innovation with ARTUS, a technical textile that can be used as an artificial womb for premature babies and, inter alia, reproduces the mother’s movements and heartbeat.

The ‘new composite’ category has been won by a technology that makes it possible to weave fibre-reinforced 3D structures in T and LI forms that can, for example, contribute to weight reduction in automobiles and machinery. The new process was developed by the Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V. textile research association.

In the ‘new material’ category, the jury gave the award to Sioen Industries for developing a maritime textile that makes it possible to cultivate kelp and alternative, sustainable biomasses.

During Techtextil 2015, the award-winning products can be seen in a special exhibition in Hall 6.1 (C47). The exhibition offers insights into the materials used, production details and areas of applications.

Pic: Integrally designed woven node in T from

The jury: Braz Costa, CITEVE Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias téxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal Sabine Gimpel, TITV Textilforschungsinstitut Thüringen-Vogtland e.V. Dr. Klaus Jansen, Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V. Dr. Jan Laperre (Chairman), Centexbel Dr. René Rossi, EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Pascal Rumeau, IFTH The French Institute of Textiles and Clothing Prof. Dr. Roshan Shishoo, Shishoo Consulting AB Dr. Thomas Stegmaier, ITV Institute of Textile Technology and Process Engineering Denkendorf Dr. Hartmut Strese, VDI/VDE Institute for Innovation and Technology

The concurrent Texprocess, Leading International Trade Fair for Processing Textile and Flexible Materials, honours technological developments by Texprocess exhibitors with the Texprocess Innovation Award

From pre-treatment to finishing: Textile Chemicals & Dyes at Techtextil 2026 for the first time as a separate product area

From fibre production to coating: For the first time, Techtextil bundles the range of exhibitors in the field of Textile Chemicals & Dyes in an independent product area from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Frankfurt. The leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens is creating a central hub for suppliers and users. It thus emphasises the increasing demand and relevance of Textile Chemicals & Dyes for the global textile industry.

Techtextil & Texprocess score with growth and set as drivers of innovation the course for future-proof industries

High-tech textiles in twelve application areas, the global innovative power of technical textiles and nonwovens as well as the digitalisation of the textile-processing industry: with 38,000 visitors from 102 countries and 1,700 exhibitors from 53 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess have grown in terms of exhibitor numbers and recorded a 29 percent increase in visitor numbers. At the leading trade fairs, the density of forward-looking textile solutions that are transforming entire industries was particularly noticeable.

Techtextil and Texprocess: strong start with 1,700 exhibitors and a panel discussion on new opportunities with AI, from textile production and processing to recycling

With 1,700 exhibitors from 53 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2024 are underscoring their pioneering significance for the global industry. At the opening event, the leading international trade fairs focused on the highly relevant subject of AI and thus generated future-oriented impulses. AI offers new opportunities along the entire value chain - from production and processing to recycling. In the panel talk, experts explained how AI is energising the textile industry.

ISKO’s denim language at Bluezone

ISKO returns to Bluezone to showcase its latest advancements in denim innovation, presenting a comprehensive overview of its SS27 collection alongside key creative and technological collaborations. At booth C02, ISKO offers visitors an immersive look into how performance, design, and circular thinking are shaping the future of denim.

Modern testing methods for raw cotton

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen will take place from 25 to 27 March 2026 at the Bremen Parliament. This conference has traditionally stood for in-depth expertise and international exchange. The program will focus on technical innovations, market trends, and regulatory frameworks across the entire value chain – from agriculture to the circular economy. With high-profile speakers, the conference is regarded as the key meeting point for the global cotton industry. Today’s focus: Cotton quality and testing methods.

Exchange data between textile companies openly, securely and cost-effectively without a central platform – ITA makes it possible

The Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University has launched a new demonstrator for an open and secure data space in the textile industry at the Digital Innovation Centre Europe (DICE). For the first time, the demonstrator shows directly and clearly how companies can share their data securely with each other without the need for a central platform. Data exchange is based on shared, freely usable technical foundations.

Kelheim Fibres GmbH informs about the closure of operations

The management of Kelheim Fibres GmbH informs that business operations will be terminated as of 31 March 2026. A continuation of the company beyond this date is not possible. The investor and sales process conducted within the framework of the self-administration did not lead to a positive outcome. The potential strategic investor who most recently entered the process has withdrawn from a potential investment at short notice.