#Techtextil 2026

2026-04-21

Techtextil & Texprocess 2026: Global benchmark for textile innovation – Performance Apparel Textiles takes centre stage at the opening

With 1,700 exhibitors from 54 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 showcase the full range of innovation within the international textile industry – from new materials and recycling technologies to finishing solutions and high-performance textile manufacturing and processing technologies. The opening press conference centred on a key theme where innovation is especially strong: Performance Apparel Textiles.

Techtextil brings together 1,500 exhibitors from 52 countries. Highlights include the newly consolidated standalone segment Textile Chemicals & Dyes, as well as the Nature Performance-labelled offering from more than 110 exhibitors presenting natural and bio-based fibres and yarns. In addition, compared to the previous edition, Performance Apparel Textiles features twice as many exhibitors. Texprocess, with 200 exhibitors from 28 countries, showcases the latest developments in textile processing – from design through to finishing, shaped by automation, digitalisation and AI. One highlight is the Start-up Stars area, where emerging newcomers meet partners from industry and research directly.

Techtextil and Texprocess rank among the most innovation-driven trade fairs worldwide. Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, states: “A good idea that remains in the laboratory changes nothing. A technology that does not scale solves no problem. The real lever is the ability to translate innovations into market-ready solutions – from fibre to application, from prototype to product. That is precisely what Techtextil and Texprocess stand for.”

Performance Apparel Textiles: High Demand, Rising Requirements Whether in sports, outdoor, fashion and workwear applications or in safety-critical fields, the demand for highly functional textile solutions is high. Rising investment in security, defence and disaster response is increasing the demand for durable, standards-compliant and technologically advanced products – and is driving innovation in the industry.

The curated section “Performance Apparels on Stage” in Hall 9.0 exemplifies textile responses to these requirements. An independent expert jury has selected exhibits that perform under real-life conditions – from flame-retardant protective clothing, UV protection, and thermoregulation solutions to integrated technologies. Judith Bosch, Senior Manager Smart and Technical Textiles at ETP and jury member of “Performance Apparels on Stage”, explains: “Requirements have become significantly more complex. Today, performance textiles must fulfil several functions simultaneously –

protection, comfort, durability and sustainability. This can only be achieved through the close integration of material innovation and processing technology.”

This results in different requirements – for example, for certified protective clothing with heat-resistant yarns and reinforced seams compared to fashion products. Elgar Straub, Managing Director of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, explains: “Only through precise, state-of-the-art processing technologies – tailored to the respective fields of application – do innovative materials become high-performance, standards-compliant and production-ready apparel solutions.”

Three examples from the opening press conference illustrate the breadth:

Molotov Cocktail Protective Suit (Saxon Textile Research Institute): Developed for special units on prolonged deployments of ten hours or more, the suit provides reliable protection against fire attacks while remaining lightweight and breathable. It is based on an optimised fibre blend, a precise yarn and fabric construction, and an innovative weaving process.

Warp Knitted UV Protection Jacket (KARL MAYER Textilmaschinen GmbH): UV protection 50+ – entirely without chemical finishing. The protective effect is achieved solely through the dense warp-knitted structure. At the same weight, the material is more breathable than comparable circular knits and offers excellent wearing comfort: lightweight, cooling, soft and shape-retaining – while also meeting modern design requirements.

Royotec Timeless: GRS Multi-Norm PPE Fabrics (Tejidos Royo): Multi-risk fabric for CE-certified PPE with inherent flame retardancy and a 25 per cent recycled component. The protective properties are maintained even after 100 industrial washes – whilst retaining elasticity and offering a significantly longer service life.

Live demonstrations at “Performance Apparels on Stage” will bring the exhibits to life several times a day from 21 to 24 April.

Messe Frankfurt commits further to East Africa: three textiles trade fairs during Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week from 2027

Messe Frankfurt and its Texpertise Network continue their steady, successful trajectory in the region. As Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) opened today, Member of the Executive Board Detlef Braun announced that Messe Frankfurt is licencing its three leading international trade fair brands Texworld, Apparel Sourcing and Texprocess to Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in 2027. From now on, they will take place annually as part of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Nairobi.

Speed and connectivity: Techtextil and Texprocess provided market-ready solutions for industries under pressure

With more than 36,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors from a total of 112 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 demonstrated how innovation comes into industrial use. The convergence of research, industry and application proved to be a breeding ground for new material solutions, manufacturing and processing technologies. Natural fibres, performance apparel, connected systems and AI-driven processing technologies emerged as key growth and future markets.

FET’s revolutionary gel spinning system wins Techtextil Innovation Award

FET has received the prestigious Techtextil Innovation Award 2026 in the New Production Technology category. The Techtextil Innovation Award honours outstanding ideas in textile technology, sustainability, AI and the creation of technical textiles, selected by an international jury of experts. Ranging from new materials to new production technologies, this award recognises progressive ideas that are driving forces for numerous industries, such as automotive, medical and construction.

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

Techtextil 2026: KARL MAYER impresses as an innovative sector partner

KARL MAYER looks back with satisfaction on its participation in Techtextil 2026. From April 21 to 24, the international industry leader used the trade show in Frankfurt to meet with numerous key customers at its booth and, at the same time, establish many new contacts. Most visitors came from Germany, followed by major markets such as Poland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, France, and Portugal.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Katharina Obergruber appointed to the Management Board of Sandler AG

The Supervisory Board of Sandler AG has appointed Katharina Obergruber to the company’s Management Board. Effective September 1, 2026, the Board will consist of Philipp Ebbinghaus (CEO), Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (currently CCO, future COO), and Katharina Obergruber (CCO). Katharina Obergruber, currently Chief Sales Officer Hygiene and member of the Management Team of Sandler AG, will assume responsibility for all sales activities as Chief Commercial Officer. She will assume this role from Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck, who will focus primarily on production and supply chain topics.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.