#ITMA 2023

2023-01-19

Sustainable Apparel Coalition to host Planet Textiles at ITMA 2023

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is pleased to announce it will be hosting the 2023 edition of Planet Textiles at this year’s Textile & Garment Technology Exhibition (ITMA 2023), the world’s largest international textile and garment technology exhibition, on June 12-13 at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition center in Italy.

Event to focus on technology innovation to drive industry transformation and future-proof global supply chains

Planet Textiles will see the SAC bring together industry leaders and topic experts with a commitment to drive sustainability improvements throughout global supply chains. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of this unique opportunity to explore ITMA 2023, network with international peers and share learnings and best practices on how collective action can help accelerate industry transformation and future-proof manufacturing processes. Across the two days, delegates will explore technology innovations and the latest thinking on circularity, sustainability measurement, decarbonization and much more. Delegates will also get the latest updates on the SAC’s Higg Index suite of tools, including those related to its independent, third-party review.

Planet Textiles is a licensed brand of MCL News & Media, who will be working in close partnership with the SAC to ensure the event continues to provide the very best experience for attending delegates by bringing together leading brands, retailers, textile manufacturers, nonprofits and academic institutions.

Lee Green, Senior Director, Communications at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said, “We are living in a climate emergency. There is an urgent need to accelerate action and spur global change; we believe in the power of collaboration and collective action to achieve this. As such, we are delighted to be hosting this year’s Planet Textiles at ITMA 2023 and in collaboration with MCL News. Planet Textiles is renowned within the industry as a key sustainability event, so we have a lot of responsibility to ensure we deliver the very best program and speakers in Milan. We look forward to bringing together our global community to take advantage of this unique opportunity alongside tens of thousands of ITMA visitors as we explore sustainability innovation across the supply chain and the vital role played by manufacturers”.

Registrations for Planet Textiles 2023 will open on January 31. To learn more, visit the SAC’s dedicated event content.

Owned by CEMATEX, ITMA is the place where the industry converges every four years to showcase the latest textile and garment processing technologies, machinery and materials, promote collaborations and forge partnerships.

“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.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.