#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2020-08-13

Change at the top of the adidas Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of adidas AG has appointed Thomas Rabe (55), Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann, as Chairman of the company’s Supervisory Board. He will succeed Igor Landau (76) whose Supervisory Board mandate expired after 16 successful years at the end of the Annual General Meeting on August 11, 2020.

Thomas Rabe has been a member of the adidas AG Supervisory Board since May 9, 2019, and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board since this same point in time. He was appointed to the Executive Board of Bertelsmann, a global media, services and education company, as Chief Financial Officer in 2006. He has been CEO of Bertelsmann since 2012.

Thomas Rabe said: “I am very much looking forward to the task of accompanying adidas as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. I am aware that this office entails a high degree of responsibility, which I will gladly take on in the interests of shareholders, customers, consumers, employees and partners. I would like to thank Igor Landau, also on behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, for his extremely successful work. He has rendered great service to the company.”

In addition, Bodo Uebber will take over as Chairman of the Audit Committee from Herbert Kauffmann. Herbert Kauffmann will remain on the Supervisory Board until the 2021 Annual General Meeting. Ian Gallienne has been appointed as the new additional Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The shareholders elected Christian Klein (40), CEO of SAP SE, to the Supervisory Board. He was appointed to the SAP Executive Board as Chief Operating Officer in 2018. Christian Klein had been Co-CEO of SAP SE since October 2019, and has been sole CEO of SAP SE since April 2020.

In addition, the Supervisory Board members announced that they would waive 30% of their remuneration for the current financial year due to the coronavirus crisis. Instead, the money will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages, among others.

The virtual Annual General Meeting of adidas AG took place on August 11, 2020. Further information on the Annual General Meeting is available on the company’s website: www.adidas-group.com/agm.

“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.

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.