#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2018-01-19

ISPO Munich 2018: Highlights and dates

The latest fitness and outdoor trends will be presented from January 28–31. / Image credit: ISPO

From January 28 to 31, the international sports industry will be meeting at ISPO Munich. More than 2,700 exhibitors from across the globe will be presenting the latest from the outdoor, winter sports and fitness sectors.

On top of that, sporting greats such as skier Felix Neureuther, the swimming legend Franziska van Almsick and the four-time world champion of wind surfing Philip Köster will be in attendance. For the first time ever, the ISPO Munich Sports Week will take place with a trail run through the Olympiapark.

The largest industry gathering for the international sports industry—ISPO Munich—will take place in just a few days. Aside from the roughly 85,000 visitors and more than 2,700 exhibitors, there will be numerous prominent guests. Among them will be pro triathletes Anja Beranek and Nils Frommhold, former boxing world champion Henry Maske and the four-time world champion of wind surfing Philip Köster. More information about attending sporting greats and athletes at ISPO Munich are available here:

https://www.ispo.com/en/munich/program/celebrities

Trail run goes urban—Night run through the Olympiapark

This sports euphoria from January 27 to February 3 will also be perceptible beyond the trade fair halls during the ISPO Munich Sports Week, when numerous events will be organized for the first time in the Bavarian capital together with Munich retailers for one whole week. The opening will be the ISPO Munich Night Run through the Olympiapark on January 27. Among those taking part will be long-distance runner Sebastian Hallmann. Participants can choose between a five or ten kilometer course.

The highlight will be the Olympiaberg, a hill within the park that will need to be conquered. And it’s up there at its peak that participants will be rewarded with a view of Munich at night. Runners will also have the opportunity to test the latest ICEBUG shoes on the diverse terrain of the park. You can register for the run until Saturday, January 27.

In the days that follow, retailers, brand stores and fitness partners will transform Munich into an adventure tour. Sports enthusiasts can experience stars live and take part in exclusive free activities. Whereas Sport Scheck will be inviting participants to some blissful sunrise yoga, the adventurers Cathy O´Dowd and Staffan Björklund will be sharing their eventful outdoor projects during the Globetrotter Adventure Night.

You can find the complete and up-to-date program at:

http://www.ispo.com/sportsweek.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Texhibition Istanbul signals stability and global connectivity

From 4 to 6 March 2026, Texhibition Istanbul once again brought together the international textile industry at the Istanbul Expo Center. Organized by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in cooperation with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB), the fair confirmed its role as one of the most important international sourcing platforms for fabrics and textile innovation. With 500+ exhibitors across 5 halls on 42,850 sqm, the trade fair attracted 19,325 visitors. Among them, 5.565 international visitors represented Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, North America, and other regions, underlining the show’s expanding global reach.

Val:ue Milan unveiled – a curated boutique business hub for high-end apparel textiles

Messe Frankfurt continues to expand its international textile network with the announcement of Val:ue Milan. Moving beyond the traditional trade fair model, Val:ue Milan debuts as a prestigious, boutique-style business hub exclusively dedicated to elected fabrics and accessories for apparel. Taking place from February 3 to 5, 2027, at The Mall in Porta Nuova, the event breaks away from conventional formats through a strictly curated environment designed for strategic networking. By bridging the gap between high-end international manufacturers and top-tier segment buyers, Val:ue Milan further strengthens the Group’s global portfolio with a unique, high-impact concept built around a refined and carefully selected offering.

Solving the Feedstock Gap: Unlocking Post-consumer Feedstocks for Textile-to-Textile Recycling in Europe

Fashion for Good launches Project FAE (Feedstock Activation Europe) to develop the sorting and pre-processing infrastructure needed to channel non-rewearable post-consumer textiles into textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling at scale. The project is a practical response to one of the most pressing problems in textile circularity: making post-consumer waste a viable, commercially competitive raw material for recyclers.

Kornit Digital expands digital production into footwear and technical textiles with Presto MAX PLUS

Kornit Digital (NASDAQ: KRNT) (“Kornit” or the “Company”), a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production, today unveiled the Kornit Presto MAX PLUS, a new roll-to-roll system expanding digital manufacturing into footwear, automotive interiors, military camouflage, high-performance sportswear, and high-end furnishings. Debuting at Texprocess 2026 in Frankfurt, Presto MAX PLUS enables entirely new applications for on-demand textile production.

Covestro, FILK Freiberg, and OUT e.V. develop flexible, conductive polymer smart textile system

As the smart textiles market continues to grow across healthcare, personal protection, sportswear, and automotive applications, developers are seeking new ways to integrate electronic functionality directly into textiles, without the rigidity and complexity of conventional wiring. To address this challenge, FILK Freiberg Institute, an independent research institution with expertise in polymer coatings for textile applications, collaborated with Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologie (OUT) e.V. The joint project, funded under the German Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), focused on developing flexible, conductive polymer surfaces for next-generation smart textiles.