#Associations

2025-11-06

Elections of the ITMF Board for the term 2025-2027

Mr. Juan Parès (Spain) elected as new ITMF President

On October 24th, 2025, during the ITMF Annual Conference & IAF World Fashion Convention 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the Committee of Management of the ITMF elected the members of the ITMF Board for the period 2025-2027.

Mr. Juan Parès (Spain) was unanimously elected as the new ITMF President of the Federation.

Juan Parés born in Cantabria-Spain in 1960, is Chairman of Textil Santanderina Group, a leading European textile industry group with a complete, traceable, vertical production system: Spinning, Design, Weaving Finishing, Coating, Printing and making up. Degree in Business administration and management at the University of Cantabria, he started at Textil Santanderina SA in 1980, where he worked as Quality Manager (1985-1989), Product & Marketing Manager (1989-1993) and was appointed Managing Director & CEO in 1994, and Chairman of Textil Santanderina Group in 2007.

Mr. Mustafa Denizer (Türkiye) was re-elected, and Ms. Yan Yan (China) was elected as new Vice Presidents of the Federation.

Mr. Ernesto Maurer (Switzerland) was re-elected as Honorary Treasurer. The following persons were re-elected as Non-executive Board Members:

• Mr. Salman Ispahani (Bangladesh)

• Mr. Yingxin Xu (China)

• Ms. Suchita Jain Oswal (India)

• Mr. Tae Jin Kang (Korea)

• Mr. Anees Khawaja (Pakistan)

• Mr. Stefan Hutter (Singapore)

• Mr. Uday Gill (Thailand)

The following persons were elected as new Non-executive Board Members:

• Mr. Ernst Grimmelt (Germany)

• Mr. Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu (India)

Mr. Rafael Cervone (Brazil), Mr. Mohammad Kassem (Egypt), Mrs. Michelle Tjokrosaputro (Indonesia), Mr. Loek de Vries (Netherlands), and Mr. Muharrem Kayhan (Türkiye) were co-opted to the Board.

Mr. K. V. Srinivasan (India) was appointed Honorary Life Member of the Federation in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Federation as Vice President (2018- 2023) and as President (2023-2025).

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.

ITMF and IAF conclude successful Joint Convention 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) have successfully concluded their second joint convention, held this year in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In close collaboration with the host Indonesian Textile Association (API), the event gathered over 400 delegates from around the world from across the entire textile and apparel value chain.

Waste2Fashion: FTTH Committed to advancing Circular Fashion in the Mediterranean

As an official partner of the Waste2Fashion project, the Tunisian Federation of Textile and Apparel (FTTH) participated in the Kick-off Meeting held on 10–11 December in Spain. The event brought together project partners from across the Mediterranean, including Spain, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia, to align on a shared vision and initiate the first implementation steps.

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.

Businesses urge European Commission to allow continued sale of products already lawfully placed on the market before the Empowering Consumers Directive’s application to avoid unnecessary waste and costs

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, alongside a coalition of leading European business associations, has issued a joint statement urging the European Commission to introduce a "grandfathering clause" to the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive. The coalition warns that without transitional provisions for products already lawfully placed on the market, the new rules could inadvertently lead to massive waste and economic disruption.

Innovation center for textile circular economy inaugurated

Just over eight months after the foundation stone was laid, the new Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy was officially inaugurated today at TITK Rudolstadt. Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt, TITK Director Benjamin Redlingshöfer, and other guests of honor cut the ribbon to the modern building complex and viewed the premises, which are now ready for occupancy. The “DICE – Demonstration and Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy” is TITK's largest single investment to date. The Free State of Thuringia supported the total cost of €11.5 million with €8 million in GRW and FTI funding.

Sustainable design of Geosynthetics and roof underlayments made from recyclates

Is it possible to recover plastic recyclates from previously unused waste streams in order to produce high-quality fibers and films? How can bio-based polymer fibers be manufactured so as to allow adjustable biodegradability? These are the questions being addressed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in the Zirk-Tex project.

Yanpai expands nonwovens capacity with two new ANDRITZ needlepunch lines

Zhejiang Yanpai Filter Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yanpai”) has placed an order with international technology group ANDRITZ for two high-performance needlepunch lines. The equipment will be installed at Yanpai’s headquarters facility in Tiantai County, China. Commissioning is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.