[pageLogInLogOut]

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

A+A 2025: innovations and know-how for tomorrow’s world of work

The market leaders of the industry are showcasing their latest products. Digital innovations are revolutionizing and optimizing personal protection – a true paradigm shift! Moreover, workwear is evolving beyond its protective and corporate identity function to become a stylish and professional outfit.
© 2025 Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann
A+A 2025 has kicked off and is making Düsseldorf the centre of the international OSH world once again. Under the guiding theme “People matter” the world-leading trade fair for safety, security and health at work brings together over 2,340 exhibitors from 70 countries on 88,500 sqm net exhibition space in 13 exhibition halls making it the meeting point for the international expert community for the future of work again.

A+A connects innovative power with highest-level expert exchange. It combines the world-leading trade fair with a high-calibre congress that fuses practice-oriented know-how with latest scientific findings – setting the tone for tomorrow’s safe, healthy and sustainable world of work.

With its focal themes Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), workwear, the EXO PARK for robotics and exoskeletons, fire protection & emergency management as well as the Start-up Zone organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), A+A covers the complete spectrum of safety, security and health at the workplace.

“A+A is synonymous with internationality, innovation and successful business. It’s a place where innovations become visible, valuable business contacts are forged and networks are deepened. With A+A and our international Occupational Safety and Health portfolio we are creating platforms where markets, brand and people jointly shape the future of work,” explains Marius Berlemann, Chief Operating Officer of Messe Düsseldorf.

Experience what makes the future of work safer and smarter

From smart tools and Virtual Reality to innovative workwear and PPE – A+A 2025 demonstrates impressively how technology, sustainability and design characterize tomorrow’s working environment.

At the EXO PARK in Hall 5 participants see and feel how exoskeletons and digital ergonomic tools make a real difference in the world of work. Manufacturers of industrial exoskeletons make available their systems for trying out live on site – a rare opportunity for gaining direct application experience and taking a look behind the technology.

A special highlight at the EXO PARK is the “Exoworkathlon-Live-Study” carried out by the Fraunhofer IPA: on a real concourse participants can experience themselves how exoskeletons reduce physical stress, optimise movement sequences thereby making an important contribution to health, efficiency and safety at work.

A+A 2025 also has compelling innovation in store for the segments Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Workwear: lightweight safety footwear, solar-powered hearing protection, intelligent respirators, or grip-revolutionising soles make progress graspable in the truest sense of the word. On the Fashion Show Stage in Hall 15 workwear becomes truly an experience with new aesthetics feeding on safety, comfort and brand awareness. With this A+A 2025 provides impressive proof of how the future is shaped – smart, safe and sustainable.

Sharing knowledge anew – hands-on, interactive, forward-looking

The 39th A+A Congress 2025 organised by the German Federal Association for Occupation Safety and Health (Basi e.V.) at Congress Center Düsseldorf Süd, presents itself with fresh, practice-oriented formats. Here the impacts of climate change, mental health, effective prevention strategies as well as the role of digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence in modern occupational safety are centrestage. In focus are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who find impulses relevant to their daily practice at the Congress. Successful SMEs share their experiences and show how safety and health strategies can also be effectively implemented with limited resources – from risk assessments to sustainable PPE to digital solutions for everyday work.

“The International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine” is the centrepiece of A+A. Here scientific findings, practice and political impulses for a safe and healthy working environment come together,” says Dr. Christian Felten, Managing Director of Basi (German Federal Association for Occupational Safety and Health) and adds: “The 39th A+A Congress 2025 stands for prevention, sustainability and the opportunities that the digital transformation brings to occupational safety.”

Another highlight of A+A is WearRAcon Europe in Hall 1, organised by Fraunhofer IPA, the IFF of Stuttgart University and the Wearable Robotics Association (USA). The expert conference on wearable robotics will again enhance the programme with pioneering impulses for ergonomics, prevention and rehabilitation.

At the Trend Forum in Hall 5 research meets practice: experts present current findings while the start-ups at the BMWE YOUNG INNOVATORS stand show how safety is thought afresh – through innovations ranging from AI assistance systems and prevention to ergonomic tools and smart protective textiles.

Also located in Hall 5, “Deutsches Netzwerk Büro” (DNB) demonstrates practice-driven concepts for healthy, hybrid work and in cooperation with the Association of German Site Fire Services Werkfeuerwehrverband state-of-the-art safety technologies are demonstrated live in Hall 1.

A+A – World-leading trade fair with global portfolio

A+A is the world-leading trade fair for safety, security and health at work. Every two years it brings together international decision-makers, trade visitors as well as visionaries from industry, the skilled crafts, services, science and the political sphere in Düsseldorf. With its international trade fair portfolio in key markets such as China, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Japan as well as the accompanying International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine Messe Düsseldorf connects experts around the globe, drives innovations and shapes tomorrow’s world of work. Interested parties can find all information on A+A and its international portfolio at www.aplusa.de.



More News from A + A

More News on Textiles & Apparel / Garment

#Associations

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Intertextile Apparel concludes with strong global engagement and future-focused sourcing momentum

Textile innovation in the form of widely applicable, scalable solutions was on show as Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2026 concluded on 27 August. The show brought together over 3,500 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions across 240,000 sqm at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), and welcomed over 100,000 visitors. Across three days, the fair served as a platform for sourcing, product discovery and industry exchange, reflecting demand for materials and solutions that balance creativity, functionality, responsibility and efficiency.

#Sustainability

Jeanologia Sustainability Report highlights environmental impact of textile technologies

Jeanologia has published its Sustainability Report 2025, reporting a 13.64% reduction in its own carbon footprint and quantifying the environmental impact associated with the use of its technologies across the global textile industry. According to the company’s calculations, their use avoided the pollution of 21.52 million m³ of water and emissions of approximately 103,530 tonnes of CO₂ compared with conventional textile finishing processes.

#Fabrics

Texhibition Istanbul strengthens international sourcing profile with innovation and technical textiles

Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair concluded its 10th edition from 9–11 September 2026 at Istanbul Expo Center. Around 500 exhibitors presented their latest collections and developments across five halls and 42,850 sqm, covering knitted and woven fabrics, prints, artificial leather, denim, yarns, embroidery, lace, textile accessories as well as innovative, sustainable and technical textile solutions.

Latest News

#Research & Development

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

#Sustainability

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.

#Functional Fabrics

PERFORMANCE DAYS introduces Digital Design Journey with CLO and VIZOO

PERFORMANCE DAYS will introduce a new Digital Design Journey at its upcoming edition in Munich, connecting physical fabric sourcing with 3D product development. Supported by CLO and VIZOO, the installation will demonstrate how real performance fabrics can be digitized and incorporated into virtual garment development workflows.

TOP