#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2020-02-13

VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies: High expectations of Texcare International 2020

From 20 to 24 June 2020, the leading international trade fair Texcare International will once again be the worldwide meeting place for laundry and dry-cleaning technology in Frankfurt am Main. The top theme of sustainability will be reflected at the leading trade fair.

Top Topic Sustainability

The topic of sustainability continues to gain in importance and will play a role across all exhibitors. On the consumer side, awareness of sustainability is increasing and with it the demands on industry for more sustainable and resource-efficient production. The EU Commission is also prioritising the issue. The EU Commission's Green New Deal will also occupy and shape the textile care industry in the coming years. In this context, the topic of circular laundry is also rapidly gaining in importance.

Elgar Straub, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies Association (c) 2020 VDMA

Potentials through digitisation

The advancing digitisation in particular offers enormous potential to further advance these issues. Automation and artificial intelligence, among other things, are groundbreaking in this respect. Companies are thinking ahead on the topic of laundry to improve connectivity and digitisation and to drive the digitisation of the entire value chain. Resource conservation, efficiency and hygiene are the most important goals.

Due to worldwide changes, such as rising hygiene and living standards, the industry has extremely positive expectations for the future. "The growing global hygiene standards offer many new opportunities for the entire textile care sector. Therefore, our industry as a whole is looking positively into the future", says Elgar Straub, Managing Director VDMA TFL. Companies have high expectations of this year's edition of Texcare International because it will set the course of the sector for the coming years.

Industry Economy

Last year's tense political and economic situation also affected the laundry and dry-cleaning industry. The trade conflict between the USA and China and the unresolved brexite situation were just two of the geopolitical crises that have unsettled the markets. As these are all important target markets for the industry, these conflicts unsettle customers and reduce investment. It is precisely for this reason that Texcare is expected to generate positive investment impetus.

After many very successful years, the entire German VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies industry can look back on a growing year 2019 and a slowdown in the economy has become clearly noticeable. Order intake for the entire TFL industry (including garment and leather technology) deteriorated by 7 percent in real terms in 2019, but is still above the average for the mechanical engineering industry in general. In the same period, sales declined by 6 percent in real terms compared to the previous year.

In the laundry and dry-cleaning technology sub-segment, German exports fell by 11.4 percent in the first eleven months of 2019.

VDMA TFL is the conceptual sponsor of Texcare International

Texcare International is the leading international trade fair for the laundry and dry-cleaning sector. From 20 to 24 June 2020, international exhibitors will present trade visitors at Texcare with the latest machinery, plant, processes and services for laundry and dry-cleaning technology.

Young researchers recognised for cutting-edge work in recycling, fibre technology and textile mechanics

At the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference held in Aachen at the end of November, Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, honoured five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses that develop solutions for resource-saving products and technologies, for example, are eligible for the sustainability awards.

VDMA members at ITMA ASIA + CITME in Singapore

With 69 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 is once again marked by a strong presence of VDMA companies. Altogether 82 companies from Germany will exhibit at the show, covering about 3,500 square meters of exhibition space, topped only by China and Italy. VDMA initiated a German Pavilion with two group stands (spinning in hall 4 and finishing in hall 7) with a total of 30 exhibitors.

VDMA member companies on display at ITMA ASIA

ITMA ASIA + CITME end of October in Singapore will see a strong participation of around 70 VDMA member companies. They will cover nearly all different machinery chapters along the textile value chain including spinning and man-made fibres, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting & warp knitting, finishing & dyeing as well as technologies for textile recycling and processing of recycled material. VDMA initiated a German Pavilion with two group stands (spinning in hall 4 and finishing in hall 7) with a total of 30 exhibitors.

Smart technologies for green textile production

With 42 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 is once again marked by a strong presence of VDMA companies. They cover nearly all different machinery chapters with a focus on spinning and man-made fibers, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting & warp knitting, finishing & dyeing as well as technologies for textile recycling and processing of recycled material. In total, the German participation at the fair is the largest from outside China.

YKK launches “YZiP® Light” aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has launched YZiP® Light, a lightweight aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants, with sales beginning in late March. The introduction of YZiP® Light expands YKK’s zipper portfolio—led by the flagship YZiP® copper alloy zipper—providing customers with greater flexibility to meet diverse garment needs.

Coats to showcase innovative reinforcement and filler materials for leather goods and accessories at APLF 2026

Coats, a world-class Tier 2 manufacturer and trusted partner for the apparel and footwear industries, will be promoting four advanced materials from its ‘Lifestyle Solutions’ portfolio at APLF 2026 in Hong Kong in March. Each innovation has been specifically engineered to help luxury and premium brands elevate the craft, durability, sustainability and creative expression required in the manufacturing of handbags, purses, and other high-end designer accessories.

Design, innovation and sustainability propel VIATT 2026’s expanding role in ASEAN textile sourcing

At its third edition, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT) further reinforced its role as a key sourcing and business platform for ASEAN’s textile industry. The three-day fair welcomed over 17,000 visits from 54 countries and regions, and featured over 460 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions across 18,000 sqm. The 2026 edition was marked by the introduction of new international pavilions and zones, broadening the fair’s sourcing scope across new geographies and product categories. The fringe programme, headlined by the debut Trend Forum, further distinguished VIATT as the region’s most integrated textile trade platform – uniquely spanning the entire value chain.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.