#Associations

2022-01-06

ARISE Integrated Industrial Platform (IIP) joins ITMF

In January 2022, the textile division of ARISE Integrated Industrial Platform (IIP), based in the UAE, has joined ITMF as a new Corporate Member.

ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (IIP) identifies industrial gaps in African countries to unlock value and create new industries. The objective is to industrialize key sectors by creating local transformation, maximizing production, efficiency, and cost, which in turn generates local value addition.

Arise IIP seek to boost exports, enable local transformation of raw materials and promote trade by tailor-made special economic zones in Gabon, Benin and Togo. In Benin and Togo Arise IIP will focus at creating value chains for the textile industry – from raw material sourcing to resource transformation through manufacturing, to exporting final products.

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) founded in 1904 is the international forum of the global textile value chain. Its members are from textile and apparel producing countries representing 90% of global production.

“By becoming a Corporate Member of ITMF, Arise IIP will benefit from a unique international network, the expertise of ITMF, and an international platform for the global textile value chain where international trends and are discussed. Likewise, ITMF and ITMF’s members will benefit from Arise’s activities in West Africa”, stated Dr. Christian Schindler, Director General of ITMF.

Mr. Rajaguru Raja, the CEO of Arise IIP (Textile Division), commented that “by joining ITMF we have access to all major players in the global textile and apparel value chain. The world is getting more and more integrated. Therefore, cooperation along the global textile value chain and understanding its complexity and dynamics are paramount”.

SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

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.

Europe is losing its textile industry

EURATEX has released its latest Economic Update on the performance of the European textile and apparel industry in 2025. For the third consecutive year, the sector recorded negative results across all key indicators — production, turnover and employment — confirming a continued erosion of competitiveness across Europe.

Speed and connectivity: Techtextil and Texprocess provided market-ready solutions for industries under pressure

With more than 36,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors from a total of 112 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 demonstrated how innovation comes into industrial use. The convergence of research, industry and application proved to be a breeding ground for new material solutions, manufacturing and processing technologies. Natural fibres, performance apparel, connected systems and AI-driven processing technologies emerged as key growth and future markets.

Italian Textile Machinery heads to Geneva for Index 2026

An important delegation of Italian companies will exhibit at the upcoming INDEX 2026, the world’s leading event for the nonwovens sector, taking place from May 19 to 22 in Geneva (Switzerland). Numerous Italian exhibitors will be present within the Italy Pavilion, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT, an exhibition area of over 140 square meters dedicated to the latest innovations proposed by the Italian industry.