#Associations

2024-05-02

New General Secretary of Cematex

Federico Pellegata has been appointed as the new General Secretary of Cematex, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers. He takes over from Cornelia Buchwalder, to whom goes Cematex thanks for the work done with professionalism and competence.

Federico Pellegata at ITMA 2023 ACIMIT press conference © 2024 TexData International

Federico Pellegata was nominated by the Board of Directors of Cematex on April 11, 2024. He was a longstanding Member of the Cematex Executive Committee since January 1998 to August 2023; he is now CEO of Acimit Servizi.

Cematex is the official representative body for Europe’s national textile machinery associations and is the owner of ITMA, the world’s largest international textile machinery exhibition. The first inaugural show was launched in 1951. Subsequent editions have taken place in Europe, Asia and China.

Over the coming years, Federico Pellegata will support Cematex through a globally challenging period, taking in four major events. ITMA Asia + CITME will be held in Shanghai from October 14 - 18, 2024. This will be followed in 2025 by the ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore from October 28 – 31, 2025 and then by ITMA Asia + CITME 2026 again in Shanghai, culminating again by ITMA in Hannover (September 16 – 22, 2027).

Cematex President, Ernesto Maurer, says: “Cematex is determined to maintain its leadership role for exhibitions, carrying the ITMA brand to partners worldwide today and in the future, including a focus on increasingly digital opportunities. I’m confident that Federico Pellegata long experience in our sector and its exhibitions will contribute to strengthening our industry”.

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

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.

FET’s revolutionary gel spinning system wins Techtextil Innovation Award

FET has received the prestigious Techtextil Innovation Award 2026 in the New Production Technology category. The Techtextil Innovation Award honours outstanding ideas in textile technology, sustainability, AI and the creation of technical textiles, selected by an international jury of experts. Ranging from new materials to new production technologies, this award recognises progressive ideas that are driving forces for numerous industries, such as automotive, medical and construction.

Savio Macchine Tessili will exhibit at ITM Istanbul 2026 presenting its flagship technologies

Savio Macchine Tessili will participate in ITM Istanbul 2026 in a corporate booth of Vandewiele Group, showcasing a selection of its most advanced winding and spinning solutions designed to support textile mills in achieving higher efficiency, flexibility and yarn quality. The company will bring to the show three flagship solutions: Proxima Smartconer®, Lybra Smartspinner® and the Phoenix Assembly Winder.

Rieter at ITM 2026: Spinning Redefined with Automation and Intelligence

Spinning mills need solutions that deliver stability, efficiency and future-proof performance. Rieter has put together a powerful portfolio for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye. These innovations give customers the tools to enhance cost efficiency, improve responsiveness and actively develop their competitive edge. Step-by-step, Rieter is moving closer to its Vision 2027 – the fully automated spinning mill. With each new technology, Rieter enables spinning mills worldwide to operate with greater precision and reliability, ensuring they remain at the forefront of an increasingly demanding global market.