#INDEX 20

2021-09-16

Italian textile machinery at INDEX 20, the world’s leading nonwovens trade show

From 19 to 22 October, 2021, INDEX, the reference trade fair for the nonwovens sector, will take place in Geneva. Also for this edition there will be more than a hundred Italian exhibitors, of whom about eighty are machinery manufacturers. As in the past editions, Italian Trade Agency will organize an Italian Pavilion, where 13 Italian manufacturers will exhibit.

The following ACIMIT member companies will be exhibiting in this area: A. Piovan, Bianco, Bombi, Color Service, Guarneri Technology, Monti-Mac, Officina Master, Ratti, Texera, Toscana Spazzole, Unitech. Other ACIMIT member companies will exhibit with their own booth.

In recent years nonwovens production have grown on a global scale, much more significantly than the traditional textile industry. According to figures collected and compiled by EDANA, the global association of nonwovens companies, production of nonwovens in Europe grew by 7.2% in 2020 to reach 3 million tonnes (and 85.9 billion square metres), with a total estimated turnover of Euro 9.6 million.

“Index is the leading trade fair for the nonwovens industry, comments Alex Zucchi, president of ACIMIT. It is therefore particularly important for ACIMIT and the Italian textile machinery industry to be present at the reference exhibition for nonwovens, a sector that has shown strong growth during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. The increased demand for nonwovens, especially those intended for the medical sector (surgical masks, but also other personal protective clothing and equipment) has rewarded the Italian technological offer, rich in innovative solutions”.

The demand for nonwovens has boosted the Italian production of nonwovens machinery during the last year. The increased demand for innovative solutions is precisely what enhances the role of Italian textile machinery manufacturers. The Italian exports of machines used for producing nonwovens (HS code 844900) reached a value of 59 million euros in 2020. In the first six months of 2021, then, the growth was impressive: +142% over the first half of 2020, worth 37 million euros.

Italian textile machinery orders show quarterly recovery in Q2 2026

In the period between April and June 2026, order intake for Italian textile machinery manufacturers showed mixed but encouraging signals for the second half of the year. The order index at constant prices stood at 46.6 points (taking 2021=100 as the base year), showing a slight decrease of 3% compared to the same quarter of 2025. This trend was largely due to the contraction recorded in the domestic market, which fell by 25% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

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.

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.

Mongolia: Workshop on Italian textile technologies kicks off in Ulaanbaatar

The workshop dedicated to Italian textile technologies will kick off in Ulaanbaatar from 21 to 23 June 2026. Focused on the most advanced innovative solutions for the textile industry, the initiative will bring together 13 Italian textile machinery manufacturers, confirming the growing interest in strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries and highlighting Mongolia’s strategic importance for Italian textile machinery producers.

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

DOMOTEX Southeast Asia 2026 - Building the Gateway to ASEAN's fast-growing flooring market

From 11–13 November 2026, the inaugural DOMOTEX Southeast Asia will take place at BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre) in Bangkok, Thailand. Jointly organized by GLOBUS Events Limited and Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd., with Worldex G.E.C. Co., Ltd. as the local partner, the exhibition marks the expansion of the internationally recognized DOMOTEX brand into Southeast Asia. As the newest addition to the global DOMOTEX portfolio, the exhibition has been developed specifically to serve the rapidly evolving ASEAN market, creating a dedicated business event for the flooring and interior finishing industry.

Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.