#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2024-07-25

INDA, NWI announce collaboration agreement to foster continuing education of the nonwovens industry

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and The Nonwovens Institute (NWI), are excited to announce a collaboration agreement to provide continuing education to the nonwovens industry. This agreement expands upon the ongoing partnership between INDA and NWI, whereby the two organizations have successfully presented training programs, covering the full spectrum of the nonwovens value chain from raw materials to processes to products.

Under terms of the agreement, INDA and NWI will develop and present a full roster of training courses, featuring a combination of classroom learning supported by hands-on activities in NWI’s world-class nonwoven production and testing labs on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University. The two organizations will also work together to explore additional educational programming to serve the needs of the nonwovens industry as they evolve over time.

“This collaboration agreement represents a significant next step in the partnership between INDA and NWI, as we build upon our training course offering to ensure it is meeting the needs of the nonwovens industry now and going forward,” said Matt O’Sickey, director of education and technical affairs at INDA. “We are also committed to pursuing new avenues to expand the knowledge base of professionals working in areas related to nonwovens.”

“As we enter into this new phase of our partnership, NWI and INDA are excited to leverage our diverse perspectives and industry contacts to create an unmatched training and education program,” said Tom Daugherty, deputy director at NWI. “This will ensure the nonwovens industry remains competitive and is equipped with the latest skills. With the pace of change in our industry heightened due to the rapid rise of such mega trends as sustainability and machine learning, we believe continuing education in nonwovens is more important than ever – and NWI and INDA are well positioned to serve the needs of our industry in this regard.”

Matt O’Sickey from INDA (left) and Tom Daugherty, deputy director at NWI © 2024 INDA

The current roster of INDA/NWI training courses include:

+ Elementary Nonwovens

+ Intermediate Nonwovens

+ Fiber and Filament Extrusion Fundamentals

+ Meltblown Technology

+ Nonwoven Bonding Fundamentals

+ Nonwoven Fabric Property Development and Characterization

+ Nonwoven Product Development and Innovation

+ Spunbond Technology

Course registration is open to INDA/NWI members and non-members. The INDA/NWI Short Course Value Pack program enables companies to purchase a block of registrations, which can be used by any combination of employees to register for any combination of training courses, at a discounted rate. Value Packs are available in bundles of 5, 10, 15, and 20 registrations, with discounts ranging from 10 percent to 25 percent, depending on the size of the Value Pack. For more information about the Value Pack program, visit https://thenonwovensinstitute.com/short-course-value-pack/.

For more information about upcoming INDA/NWI training courses, visit https://www.inda.org/training/.

2026 World of Wipes Innovation Award® finalists revealed

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the 2026 World of WipesInnovation Award®. The finalists are The Clorox Company for their Clorox™ Refreshables™, Lenzing Fibers, Inc. for their Lenzing™ DualWipe, and Rockline Industries for their First Defense™ Fentanyl Detection Wipe.

INDA honors four industry leaders with 2026 Lifetime Service and Technical Achievement Awards

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced the four distinguished recipients of the 2026 INDA Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Award. Tom Daugherty, Pricie Hanna, Carey Hobbs, and CK Wong are being recognized for their exceptional leadership, innovation, and enduring contributions to advancing the nonwovens industry and strengthening the global community it serves.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

Mayer & Cie. Global gears up tor ITMA Asia 2026

Mayer & Cie. Global will focus on mattress fabric production at ITMA Asia, taking place in Shanghai from 20 to 24 November 2026. The company will showcase one of its flagship models for this application: the OVJA 2.4 EM. Joining the mattress fabric specialist will be an OV 3.2 QCe, presented at ITMA Asia in a configuration for knitting double-face fabrics in E40. This gives the OV 3.2 QCe a combination of capabilities rarely found in the market. The German textile machinery manufacturer will also introduce its new portfolio strategy and share updates from its development team at its Albstadt headquarters.

FET highlights advances in fibre spinning technology at Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) presented its latest developments in fibre spinning technology at the Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress in Austria in September 2026. In a presentation entitled “Spinning a good yarn”, Dr Jonny Hunter examined recent technological developments and challenges facing the fibre industry, highlighting the company's expanding range of specialised fibre extrusion and spinning systems.

Vietnam’s market evolution creates new sourcing opportunities at VIATT 2027

As Vietnam’s textile industry continues to upgrade and scale, new opportunities are emerging for suppliers of advanced raw materials, design-led fabrics, production technologies, and sustainability solutions. The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will return 24 – 26 February 2027, presenting a cross-sector platform – spanning apparel, home and technical categories – for overseas companies to connect with manufacturers, brands, sourcing offices, retailers, and industry buyers from Vietnam, ASEAN, and beyond.