#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2020-07-02

MUNICH FABRIC START cancellation & announcement of FABRIC DAYS

Two weeks ago, MUNICH FABRIC START from 1 - 3 September 2020 as the first trade fair for the textile industry after the Covid-19 lockdown was confirmed – taking into account the applicable safety and hygiene measures. With the move to the large interim location of Messe München-Riem and the exhibitor registrations of 650 suppliers received at the beginning of June, it was possible to implement this challenging plan despite the short time available.

The organisers have been working flat out to organise a trade fair at the well-known level and thus offer the industry a perspective.

Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, the organisers are now forced to cancel MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE from 1 - 3 September 2020.

This hard decision is mainly based on the ongoing travel restrictions in and outside of Europe which is causing great planning uncertainty for companies and has led to cancellations by international exhibitors who had previously confirmed their participation. These issues make it impossible for us to realize this trade fair in the previously announced and well-known form.

”Despite all our efforts we now had to make the difficult but unavoidable decision to cancel MUNICH FABRIC START and BLUEZONE from 1 - 3 September 2020 due to the continuing travel restrictions and further exhibitor cancellations as a result. Our priority now is to offer a special event to those exhibitors and agencies who are willing and able to present their new products on this date. With FABRIC DAYS, we offer a business focused event in Munich that concentrates on the essentials and enables the industry to work efficiently under the new conditions.” says Sebastian Klinder, Managing Director MUNICH FABRIC START.

The organisers are encouraged by the commitment, support and cooperation of a large group of exhibitors and long-standing partners who, despite the difficult situation, remain registered and have confirmed their participation in the fair.

As a partner to the industry, it is part of the MUNICH FABRIC START team’s philosophy to now offer an event to the exhibitors and agencies who want to keep this appointment and definitely want to exhibit in Munich. FABRIC DAYS is a special event format for a limited number of exhibitors in four halls of the MOC, taking into account the applicable safety and hygiene measures.

FABRIC DAYS from 1 - 3 September 2020 in Munich presents a business focused event format which is reduced to the essentials and designed to stabilise and support the industry in the return to business. Thus, the MUNICH FABRIC START team will continue to pursue the goal of providing the industry with a valuable and positive impulse.

FABRIC DAYS: 1 – 3 September 2020

VIEW PREMIUM SELECTION: 8 – 9 December 2020

MUNICH FABRIC START: 26 – 28 January 2021

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

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.

Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

The European Commission today adopted new rules on recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles made primarily of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology to calculate, verify and report chemically recycled content. This is part of the Commission’s December 2025 plastics package.