[pageLogInLogOut]

#Techtextil 2015

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

More News from Techtextil

#Techtextil 2026

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 2024

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 2024

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.

More News on Techtextil 2015

Latest News

#Techtextil 2026

Cetex: Textile innovations “Made in Saxony” at Techtextil

This year, the Cetex Institut gGmbH is once again not only exhibiting but also organising a joint booth at Techtextil. Together with co-operation partners, textile innovations “Made in Saxony” will be presented on almost 85 m². The spectrum covers everything from textile machine construction and the manufacture of technical textiles to measuring and testing technology, with research and development also having its place.

#Composites

Kordsa showcases its global expertise in material technologies at JEC World 2026

Kordsa, a subsidiary of Sabancı Holding, shared its global expertise in material technologies with participants at JEC World 2026, held in Paris. The company’s solutions developed for a wide range of industries—particularly aviation, energy, and automotive—stood out among its key innovations at the exhibition. Throughout the event, Kordsa also presented its vision for sustainable growth and its strategic transformation in composite technologies to international stakeholders.

#HIGHTEX 2026

The global meeting point of the technical Textiles and nonwoven industry: HIGHTEX 2026

One of the world’s most prestigious technical textiles and nonwoven exhibitions, the HIGHTEX 2026 International Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Exhibition, is preparing to open its doors to industry professionals at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul between June 9–13, 2026. Bringing together manufacturers, technology developers, and global buyers from all around the world in the field of technical textiles, HIGHTEX 2026 will be an important platform showcasing the sector’s innovative solutions and paving the way for new collaborations.

#Texprocess 2026

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI reshape textile processing

Investment decisions in textile processing have become increasingly complex. Rising energy prices, labour shortages and geopolitical uncertainties are forcing companies to prioritise technologies that deliver measurable improvements in efficiency and process stability. This applies not only to apparel production, but also to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. Modernisation projects are therefore being evaluated more selectively – but the pressure to upgrade production systems continues to grow. Texprocess 2026 reflects this tension between cautious investment behaviour and increasing technological demand.

TOP