#Research & Development

2022-05-05

Johannes Diebel is the new managing director of the "Forschungskuratoriums Textil" (Textile Research Board) in Germany

Diebel has been reorganising the FKT (Forschungskuratoriums Textil) since 2017 as head of research together with the executive board member, Uwe Mazura, who is also chief executive of the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode). This included the strategic realignment of research to the future needs of the industry as well as a guideline for the textile future with the "Perspectives 2035".

"The future is being built from textiles".

Franz-Jürgen Kümpers, Chairman of the Board of the FKT: "Textiles are part of the solution in many places and in many areas of our daily lives: in clothing, of course, but also in a multitude of technical textiles, e.g. in filters for clean air and clean water, hygiene and medical textiles, in rotor blades of wind turbines, in cars or aeroplanes. Besides product innovations, circular economy, recyclability and CO2 neutrality are the important future topics in the textile industry. We wish Mr Diebel a lot of energy to implement these so important topics together with the partners in the research institutes and medium-sized industrial companies."

The FKT is the research association with the highest number of applications within the Industrial Cooperative Research (IGF), which builds a bridge between basic research and economic application.

Johannes Diebel: "The future is being built from textiles. Textile research holds essential technologies for an advanced circular economy and innovations for a climate-neutral economy. We see this as one of our main tasks in the coming years and want to develop the FKT into an important "think tank" in the textile industry. The aim is to accelerate the pathways from research to application and to provide strategic support to companies in the industrial transformation."

Johannes Diebel (c) 2022 Gesamtverband textil+mode

Further information on the FKT can be found at www.textilforschung.de.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Outdoor Industry Association completes Clean Heat CoLab initiative

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has completed its multi-year Clean Heat CoLab initiative, bringing together outdoor brands and technology experts to accelerate the adoption of electrified process heating in textile manufacturing. The collaboration focused on reducing emissions from thermal processes such as dyeing, washing and finishing, which remain among the most carbon-intensive stages of textile production.

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.

ADD-ITC 2026 publishes preliminary conference program

The organizers of the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) 2026 have released the preliminary program for this year's event, which will take place on November 26–27, 2026, at the International Congress Center Dresden. The conference is expected to attract between 500 and 700 participants from industry, research, and academia.

Première Vision Paris expands innovation focus across fashion and beauty

From September 1–3, 2026, Première Vision Paris will bring together more than 900 exhibitors from across the global fashion value chain. This year's edition places a strong emphasis on Innovation-Tech, highlighting technologies and materials that are reshaping product development, manufacturing and sustainability.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Première Vision Paris

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at Première Vision Paris in Paris, France next month. The company will exhibit in the "Smart Creation" area, dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge technologies that integrate sustainability and innovation. The knitting expert will be demonstrating solutions that optimize product development workflows and enhance sustainability through proposals in Digital Product Creation (DPC).