#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.

Aachen Summer School: Textiles become smart through 3D printing and origami

From 21 to 29 September 2026, the Aachen Summer School will transform Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University into a laboratory of the future: over the course of a week, students will use origami folding techniques and 3D printing to develop active textile structures capable of performing programmable movements. This interdisciplinary event combines theoretical foundations with practical prototyping – from digital modelling right through to functional textile prototypes.

25 years of medical devices: ITVP combines experience with innovation

ITV Denkendorf Produktservice GmbH (ITVP) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. On October 1, 2001, ITVP was founded as a subsidiary of the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), Europe’s largest textile research center. This spin-off company made it possible to consolidate expertise in medical technology and significantly expand production, which had previously been initiated mostly in the DITF’s cleanrooms.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.