#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2025-07-10

IVGT: AddTex final meeting in Terrassa

From 25 to 26 June 2025, the final meeting of the ERASMUS+ project AddTex took place in Terrassa, Spain, which aimed to train workers, pupils and students in the textile industry. Over a period of three years, eleven partners from Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic and the IVGT association for Germany were involved in the project.

Final event – group photo with participants. On 26 June 2025, the final event took place in Terrassa under the motto ‘Textile Talent & Innovation’ with highlights from the AddTex and xBuild-EU projects. © 2025 IVGT

Europe's textile industry is becoming more digital and sustainable

With hackathons, virtual internships and 45 freely accessible MOOCs, AddTex set new standards in training and further education in the textile industry. The online platform www.addtex.eu provides professionals with the latest insights into green, digital and smart textiles – in a practical and free format.

AddTex.eu online platform

All the project goals were achieved. The partners developed innovative formats such as summer schools, back-to-school programmes, coaching services and masterclasses. The 45 massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the AddTex.eu platform offer explanatory videos and learning materials as downloadable PDFs, each tailored to the three main target groups: technicians, engineers and managers.

A highlight of the closing event on 26 June 2025, which was jointly organised by AddTex and the EU project xBUILD-EU under the motto ‘Textile Talent & Innovation: Driving Tomorrow's Industry’, was the interactive session ‘New Generations in the Labour Market’, including the speed dating event ‘Talent meets Industry’. The event brought together companies, students and experts for an intensive exchange and networking day in Terrassa.

The AddTex.eu platform will be continuously developed over the next five years by the IVGT Technical Textiles Department together with the project partners in order to provide up-to-date content and act as a point of contact for industry and universities. In addition to instructions for creating your own MOOCs, hackathons and webinars, new soft skills and formats such as back-to-school programmes and solution-oriented consulting have been developed and implemented by project hubs.

Final meeting in Terrassa – group photo with partners: All goals of the AddTex project have been achieved! © 2025 IVGT

A collaboration with the Chair of Textile Technology at Chemnitz University of Technology and the Texoversum Experts & Training Hub in Reutlingen is currently planned to supplement the project results. In addition to the three EU priority areas of ‘Green – Digital – Smart’, the focus is also on textile recycling and digitisation and AI topics in order to provide IVGT members with targeted information, training materials and network contacts.

The IVGT was most recently responsible for work package 5, ‘Qualification of the textile industry through ADDTEX hubs for green-digital-smart,’ as well as for the creation of an application manual and a business plan to ensure that the project content is updated for at least five years after the end of the project. The relevant documents are available for download as PDF files at //ivgt.info/addtex/(https://ivgt.info/addtex/), where you will also find links to videos on YouTube and to the project page on LinkedIn.

https://ivgt.info/addtex/

Images: IVGT/AddTex

Discussions on stage were part of the Addtex project. © 2025 IVGT

IVGT joint stand brings innovation and networking to Techtextil 2026

At Techtextil 2026 and the parallel Texprocess 2026, key transformation topics such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainability, recycling and the circular economy will be reflected across the show. Against this backdrop, the IVGT, together with 16 member companies, will present its joint stand in Hall 12.1 (Stand D62) as a platform for exchange and networking.

Promoting sustainability, digitalisation and resilience

The EU project ADDTEX has reached an important milestone with the two publications White Book and E-Book. Both publications contain comprehensive guidelines, findings and policy recommendations to support the sustainable, digital and resilient transition of the textile industry. The focus is on technical textiles, whose innovations are considered key to the competitiveness and resilience of the European industry.

IVGT on tour in Albstadt

For the second edition of the Albstadt ID industry event on 10 October 2024, more than 300 school students from all over Germany and around 200 other interested parties from the industry came to Albstadt to find out about new training and employment opportunities in the textile and clothing industry through numerous presentations. The IVGT was also there! In room 205-141, Iris Schlomski reported on the current status of the ADDTEX Erasmus+ project and explained in particular the content of the ADDTEX Academy and the Hackathon and Bootcamp programmes that have now been successfully implemented.

IVGT with the ETT Club at HANNOVER MESSE 2025

Technical textiles are highly developed materials that have been specially optimised for industrial applications. They are indispensable in many areas, even though they are often invisible. As "hidden champions" in the manufacture of numerous innovative products, technical textiles are a real alternative to conventional materials! HANNOVER MESSE, which will take place from 31 March to 4 April 2025, will bring together these important aspects for the first time and present the joint stand "Technical Textiles" in the innovative Future Hub in Hall 2.

Messe Frankfurt commits further to East Africa: three textiles trade fairs during Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week from 2027

Messe Frankfurt and its Texpertise Network continue their steady, successful trajectory in the region. As Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) opened today, Member of the Executive Board Detlef Braun announced that Messe Frankfurt is licencing its three leading international trade fair brands Texworld, Apparel Sourcing and Texprocess to Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in 2027. From now on, they will take place annually as part of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Nairobi.

“We Believe in the Value of Textiles”: Successful Opening of the KARL MAYER TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER

KARL MAYER inaugurated its new, state-of-the-art TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER (TIC) with a four-day opening week from April 21 to 24. The highlight of the week was the grand opening on Thursday, which drew a strong turnout from the international textile industry: around 220 customers, brands, and partners from across the textile value chain came to the company’s headquarters in Obertshausen for a first-hand look at the new high-tech development environment and lively exchange with industry peers.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles unveils Trends 2027 alongside new lifestyle zone and product expansion

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2026 will spotlight forward-looking design directions and evolving consumer demand, as the global home and lifestyle market continues to adapt to sustainability priorities, emotional well-being, and diversified living spaces. Taking place from 18 – 20 August 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the fair will present its latest trend theme, ‘BREATHE UP!’, developed in collaboration with leading international trend forecaster NellyRodi™ Agency, alongside expanded product categories, and the debut of the Home Textiles Lifestyle Zone.

Itema to showcase weaving excellence at ITM 2026

From June 9 to 13, Itema will exhibit at ITM 2026 in Istanbul (Hall 8 – Stand 806D), unveiling a distinctive exhibition concept designed to highlight the Company’s expertise across the entire weaving value chain. For this year’s edition, Itema will introduce an innovative stand experience built around two core areas: advanced weaving and spare parts solutions and an immersive textile gallery featuring fabrics produced by Itema Customers worldwide.

Last chance to apply: ITMA 2027 Start-Up Valley closes tomorrow

Applications for the Start-Up Valley at ITMA 2027 close tomorrow, offering young technology companies the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several successful participants from the 2023 edition. The initiative, organised under the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant programme, has already helped a number of textile start-ups accelerate their transition from early-stage concepts to industrial partnerships, funding rounds and commercial deployment.