#Associations

2021-09-09

AATCC Committee Meetings: Connect, Meet, Attend

AATCC Committees provide the helping hands, hearts, and minds that bring textile industry standards to life. Each year AATCC committees provide groundbreaking standards and conferences which fill much needed gaps in the industry. More than 40 AATCC committees will meet this fall to develop test methods, conferences, and other educational programs or publications. When you connect with AATCC committees, you can impact the textile tests used all around the world!

Administrative Committee Meetings will be October 19-22, 2021, and are remote (online) only.

Research Committee Meetings will be November 15-16, 2021, and are hybrid with in-person and remote options for all meetings. There is no fee to attend, and your input is welcomed.

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all.

The Research Committee meetings are part of AATCC’s Week of Celebration. We invite you to celebrate and discover with us. The events will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, NC, USA.

Activities include:

• AATCC Committee meetings

• AATCC Textile Discovery Summit

• AATCC 100th Anniversary Events

Committee Meetings attendance is free. Textile Discovery Summit is a paid event. Registration is required for both.

Committee meeting registration, meeting schedules, and information on hotel accommodations are available at https://aatcc.org/committees/. Please register to reconnect, participate, and help in the good work of the AATCC committees.

AATCC announces 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition winners

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) recognized the winners of the 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition. Founded in 1982 to give student members the chance to conduct and present original research, the competition was renamed in 1994 in honor of Herman and Myrtle Goldstein, following their US$60,000 endowment. Their gift is a lasting remembrance of their dedication to young people in the textile industry.

New funding available for textile research

The AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grant Program provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing textile-related projects. Students may submit proposals now for funding to be awarded January 2026. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be considered.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

VDMA members at Techtextil: Smart technologies for technical textiles

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, the members of VDMA Textile Machinery underline their key role as global technology leaders for technical textiles and textile processing. With a strong presence of more than 50 members they will highlight how engineering excellence, innovation strength and sustainability expertise from Germany and Europe are shaping the future of the textile industry. Seven companies will be present at the VDMA group stand in the centre of hall 12.0.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

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.

ECCO introduces first shoe featuring innovative protein-based fibre

ECCO, in partnership with Spinnova, announces the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilising an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.