#Associations

2023-02-02

IAF at OECD Forum

IAF and its partners in its global projects Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI) and SCI (Standards Convergence Initiative) are active participants in the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector that will happen online February 13 – 15 and in hybrid form in Paris on February 16 and 17.

On Monday February 13, from 09:00 am to 10:00 am CET, IAF and ITMF will jointly give an online update on their work in the Standard Convergence Initiative (SCI). The SCI was set up by our organizations to keep pushing for a faster reduction for the audit and standard fatigue faced by garment manufacturers.

On Tuesday February 14, from 10:00 am to 11:10 am CET, IAF, through its STTI project, participates in an online session titled “Responsible Purchasing Practices: how can companies integrate them in their businesses? Learnings from the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices (CFRPP), the STTI White Paper and a community-based approach” This session explains how in practice better purchasing practices are currently being implemented. The session is organized by the MSI Working Group on Responsible Purchasing Practices and the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI).

Also on Tuesday February 14 from 16:00 pm to 17:00 pm CET, IAF (through STTI) and the Better Buying Institute (BBI) will jointly host an online session titled: “Commercial compliance – accelerating change, measuring progress.” In this session BBI and STTI will share findings of their data collection. Based on the data they will share what purchasing practice improvements suppliers want brands to prioritize. They will explain how data can show real purchasing practice progress in the form of true partnerships. And they will put the collection of data on commercial compliance/purchasing practices in a legislative context, making the link with mandatory due diligence.

Then on February 17, IAF is involved in two in person sessions at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector in Paris. First, IAF Secretary General Matthijs Crietee will speak in a panel taking place at 09:30 am to 11:00 am that is titled: “Implementing impactful due diligence: a practical perspective from Vietnam”. Later that day, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm CET, STTI spokesperson and BGMEA vice-president Miran Ali will speak in a panel called: “Due diligence costs and responsibilities: Collaborative approaches to buyer supplier relationships”

All online sessions can be accessed by going to https://www.oecd-events.org/garment/sessions?searchtext=&page=2. You will find the agenda there featuring all online side sessions and by clicking on a particular session you will reach the ‘register’ buttons. Upon registration you will receive the link to join online. To attend the OECD Forum in Paris, you may register through https://www.oecd-events.org/garment either to attend in person or to follow it live online.

“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.

Sustainability: European industry calls on EU to keep Single-Use Plastics Directive unchanged

A broad coalition of European industry associations, including EDANA, Euratex and Plastics Europe, has urged EU institutions to maintain the current legal framework of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). In a joint statement, the organisations argue that reopening the Directive at this stage would create legal uncertainty, increase regulatory complexity and undermine investment, while its implementation across the European Union is still incomplete.

Textile machinery: Italian technology charts the course for revival

Operating in a scenario characterized by geopolitical instability, slowing industrial investments, and new protectionist pressures. This is the main challenge for the Italian textile machinery industry that emerged during the General Assembly of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), held today in Milan at the Shareholders’ Hall of Palazzo Edison.

New skills for a circular textile economy

Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is developing three practical training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has now been developed and validated together with industry representatives. The module provides participants with knowledge of regulatory requirements, material sorting and the preparation of textile waste for recycling.

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.

Ibrahim Fibres and Trützschler: A strong partnership enters its next phase with the TC 30Si

For more than two decades, Ibrahim Fibres and Trützschler have grown side by side, driven by a shared ambition to continuously improve spinning performance, strengthen technology leadership and set new benchmarks in the textile industry. Today, Ibrahim Fibres is a leading yarn and polyester staple fiber manufacturer in Pakistan. The company operates the largest number of Trützschler cards in the country, with more than 200 machines running across its mills in Faisalabad, and plays an important role in one of Asia’s largest textile industries.