#ITM 2018

2018-02-28

Panama participates into ITM 2018 for the first time

A surprise country will take place at the ITM 2018 Exhibition, in which the heart of the textile world will beat and the sector leaders will be introducing their latest technological products, in the present year. The Panama Colon Free Trade Zone, the world's second largest free trade zone, will take part at its booth at ITM.

Mr. Manuel Grimaldo, Director General of the Panama Free Trade Zone, expressed a special interest in the ITM 2018 Exhibition, into which exhibitors and visitors from nearly 100 countries will participate. Manuel Grimaldo requested a location from the exhibition space.

After the talks, Mr. Manuel Grimaldo confirmed that the Panama Colon Free Zone would participate into the ITM 2018 Exhibition. Thus, Panama will become one of the first countries taking place at the ITM for the first time. Grimaldo with the team, among whom there are members of the Panama Free Zone Board of Directors, will visit the ITM 2018 Exhibition.

Panama, which is the fastest growing economy in South America, has 18 registered free zones. The largest of these is the Panama Colon Free Zone, the second largest free zone in the world after Hong Kong.

There are nearly 3,000 companies in the Panama Colon Free Zone and 500 of these companies are operating in the field of textiles and ready-made clothing.

The annual trade volume of the Panama Colon Free Zone is 20 billion US dollars.

Italian Trade Agency ITA took its place at ITM 2024 with its Italian Pavilion

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) decided to participate in the ITM 2024 Exhibition this year with the Italian pavilion. Italian textile machinery manufacturers, which are leaders in the global textile industry, will mark on the ITM 2024 with their innovative technologies focusing on energy consumption, efficiency, sustainability and digital transformation.

Providing Turkey's visa facilitation will make ITM 2024 a global destination

Leading textile machinery manufacturers, global industry investors and professional visitors will meet at ITM 2024 to see the latest textile technologies. The fact that the textile manufacturers of the countries that have visa problems when travelling to Europe will not have this problem when coming to Istanbul will increase the number of exhibitors and visitors of ITM 2024 Exhibition.

Naia™ from Eastman strengthens western hemisphere textile connections at Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala

As brands and retailers explore more diversified and responsive sourcing networks, the Naia™ brand from Eastman is strengthening its engagement with the textile and apparel value chain across the western hemisphere. From August 18–20, the company will participate for the first time in Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala, a regional meeting point for apparel sourcing, manufacturing and nearshoring.

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

Europe is committed to recycling end-of-life wind turbine blades

Starting in 2026, Europe’s wind energy industry has committed itself to ensuring that wind turbine blades do not end up in landfills once they reach the end of their service life. The EU-funded research project REWIND is exploring ways to reuse this composite waste. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are one of 13 project partners from seven countries.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.