[pageLogInLogOut]
CONNECTED BY NARROW FABRICS.

#Weaving

Itemalab evolves: the excellence of textile machinery innovation now available to all the industrial sectors

Itema, the leading provider of advanced weaving solutions, announced the new structure of Itemalab®, the innovation incubator opened in 2014 at Kilometro Rosso innovation district in Bergamo. Born with the goal to design the platform for the “loom of the future” and breakthrough solutions for the textile industry, Itemalab® becomes now an independent company and widens its field of action, providing customers and partners with system engineering and business process re-engineering skills.

With a team made up by 70 engineers and specialized professionals, the Textile division of Itemalab® will continue to respond to the innovation needs of Itema Group and the textile industry. The new Industrial division will, instead, become the reference point for all the industrial companies looking for a partner of excellence to study advanced solutions to digitalize and reshape industrial products and processes.

“The textile machinery sector is one of the most complex in the industrial scenario, due to the confluence of high precision mechanical, electronic and mechatronic technologies which, in this industry, face very severe challenges in terms of conditions of use, applications and productivity. Multidisciplinarity is one of the strong points of Itemalab®: it makes possible to offer transversal solutions and a significant added value in terms of innovation, sustainability, digitalization and system engineering, by transferring the know-how gained in the textile machinery world to other sectors”, said Lorenzo Minelli, General Manager of Itemalab®.

A phase of the manufacturing of the Itema weaving machines in the Colzate plant. The operators, through tablets and scanners, have all the data of the machine assembly according to the principles of industry 4.0 (c) 2021 Itema Group
A phase of the manufacturing of the Itema weaving machines in the Colzate plant. The operators, through tablets and scanners, have all the data of the machine assembly according to the principles of industry 4.0 (c) 2021 Itema Group


"Innovation is essential to compete in increasingly complex and competitive markets. With the strengthening and evolution of Itemalab®, we set the conditions for endless innovation opportunities in the most diverse application fields", added Ugo Ghilardi, CEO of Itema Group. “In recent years we teamed up with various companies and we explored new horizons and perspectives in the areas of materials and mechatronic principles. I am sure that Itemalab® will play a crucial role for the development of Itema Group and will become a key partner for many companies in their transformation and innovation paths”.



In the center on the right Ugo Ghilardi - CEO of Itema, on the left Lorenzo Minelli - General Manager of Itemalab. Behind them, from left to right, the heads of the Itemalab divisions: Massimo Arrigoni - Innovation Manager, Carla Roberta Cavalleri - Industrial Manager, Jessica Mazzola - Program Manager, Francesco Alghisi - Product Development Manager (c) 2021 Itema Group
In the center on the right Ugo Ghilardi - CEO of Itema, on the left Lorenzo Minelli - General Manager of Itemalab. Behind them, from left to right, the heads of the Itemalab divisions: Massimo Arrigoni - Innovation Manager, Carla Roberta Cavalleri - Industrial Manager, Jessica Mazzola - Program Manager, Francesco Alghisi - Product Development Manager (c) 2021 Itema Group


The evolution of Itemalab® confirms the traditional innovation drive of Itema Group, as underlined by Angelo Radici, on behalf of the Board: “the board of directors supports the strategic move of Itema and we share the same vision. As an entrepreneur, I firmly believe that today the way forward is that of teamwork, where collaboration and synergy of skills are the fundamental ingredients for growing in your sector and seizing possible opportunities in many others. As RadiciGroup, a few months ago we launched Radici InNova, a consortium company that aims at combining research and innovation activities across the Group's business areas by comparing and opening up to firms, universities and external public and private research centers. Itemalab® heads in this direction too, tackling complex projects and addressing cross-cutting initiatives that alone would be difficult even to imagine”.

The breakthrough mechatronic device iSAVER® developed by Itemalab in 2018 that allows weavers to save up to 1.000 Kg of cotton thus establishing a new benchmark in sustainable weaving (c) 2021 Itema Group
The breakthrough mechatronic device iSAVER® developed by Itemalab in 2018 that allows weavers to save up to 1.000 Kg of cotton thus establishing a new benchmark in sustainable weaving (c) 2021 Itema Group


More News from ITEMA S.p.A.

#Weaving

Itema America acquires Palmetto Loom Reed, strengthening local manufacturing and service in the U.S.

Itema America, the U.S. subsidiary of Italy-based Itema Group, has acquired – through an Assets Purchase Agreement – Palmetto Loom Reed, a Greenville, South Carolina-based manufacturer of weaving reeds and one of the last remaining domestic producers of these precision components in the United States.

#Weaving

Itema exhibits the two best-selling high-end rapier weaving machines of the Region, R9500EVO and Galileo-RX at SITEX 2026

Following the opening of its new Surat Service Center in November, Itema will exhibit at SITEX (Stand 286) from February 21st to 23rd at the Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre (SIECC). Surat has long been one of Itema’s most strategic markets, a role further reinforced by the inauguration of the Surat Service Center last November. Equipped with an advanced electronic repair center, a weaving machine behavior simulator, and a local spare parts warehouse, the new facility strengthens Itema’s presence in the region while bringing the company even closer to its Customers.

#Weaving

Itema announces strategic partnership with Ivy Decarb to accelerate decarbonization in weaving process

Itema is pleased to announce the strategic partnership with Ivy Decarb, the digital platform helping textile companies measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

#Weaving

Itema opens Surat Service Center to strengthen support for Indian weavers

On November 26, Itema has officially inaugurated its new Surat Service Center during a ceremony attended by customers and partners from across the region.

More News on Weaving

#Techtextil 2026

From carbon to canvas: DORNIER presents flexible and reliable weaving technologies for 3D weaving and dynamic markets at Techtextil

At Techtextil from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Frankfurt am Main (Hall 12.0, Stand D95), Lindauer DORNIER will be showcasing reliable and flexible weaving technologies for ever-changing market requirements. The machine and plant manufacturer will present retrofits for existing machines, the new TRITOS® FLEX 3D weaving technology, intuitive automation concepts and software solutions for data-sovereign networking of the weaving machine fleet.

#Techtextil 2026

Groz-Beckert showcases cross-segment innovations for technical textiles in Frankfurt

From April 21 to 24, 2026, Groz-Beckert will present its latest innovations and solutions across the product areas of knitting, weaving, nonwovens and sewing at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt (Hall 12, Booth B90).

#Techtextil 2026

Crealet to showcase electronic warp feeding solutions at techtextil 2026

Crealet AG will present its latest developments in electronic warp yarn feeding at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt. The company will exhibit at the Swiss Pavilion (Hall 12.0, Booth B01), organised by Swiss Textile Machinery.

#Techtextil 2026

From preparation to 3D weaving: Stäubli’s solutions at Techtextil 2026

Stäubli, a global leader in high performance weaving technologies, is pleased to announce its participation at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. As technical textiles continue their rapid expansion across demanding markets such as defense, mobility, aerospace, construction, energy… Stäubli will showcase innovative solutions designed to empower mills to produce the next generation of advanced fabrics. Stäubli will exhibit its trend-setting technologies at the Swiss Pavilion Booth B01.6 in Hall 12.0.

Latest News

#Heimtextil 2027

Heimtextil celebrates Milan Design Week honoring partnerships with Patricia Urquiola and Alcova Milano

Heimtextil is represented at Milan Design Week with its strong design partners Patricia Urquiola and Alcova. At Villa Pestarini, the leading trade fair spotlighted its dynamic collaborations with acclaimed designer Patricia Urquiola and Alcova Milano.

#Texprocess 2026

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.

#Textile processing

NATULON® zipper series surpasses 50% of YKK’s global zipper sales

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) announces that the global sales share of its NATULON® zipper series—zippers that incorporate recycled materials—has exceeded 50%.

#Smart Textiles

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.

TOP