In the opening hours of the 19th edition of the quadrennial textile & garment technology exhibition, ITMA organisers announced the launch of an iteration of ITMA Asia in Singapore, the announcement of Hannover, Germany, as the locale for ITMA 2027, and explored the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.
The world’s largest textile & garment technology exhibition, ITMA 2023, opened in Milan, Italy, yesterday, unveiling a definitive showcase of cutting-edge technologies presented by 1709 exhibitors from 47 countries.
At the official ITMA press conference, organisers announced the show owners of ITMA Asia + CITME had extended their collaboration to organise the combined textile machinery exhibition in a second Asian location. The combined exhibition has been held biennially in Shanghai since 2008 but show owners CEMATEX and its Chinese partners CTMA and CCPIT-Tex have selected Singapore to host the exhibition in 2025.
The Singapore iteration will be held at the Singapore Expo on 28-31 October 2025. Ernesto Maurer, president of ITMA owner CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers), said: “We have successfully held seven editions of ITMA Asia + CITME in Shanghai. As part of our strategy to support the aspirations of local manufacturers in South Asia, the Southeast and the Middle East to modernise their operations, we are augmenting the series with a second location in Asia to better reach out to the textile hubs in these regions.”
Billed as “The Leading Textile Technology Exhibition Driving Regional Growth,” ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025 is expected to gross 60,000 sqm. It aims to attract over 700 exhibitors and a visitorship of 30,000.
Meanwhile, the fast-upcoming ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition will be held in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre on 19-23 November 2023, and will continue to be held biennially on even years in Shanghai. The 2024 combined exhibition will be held on 14-18 October 2024.
Elsewhere, ITMA announced that its next edition will return to Hannover, Germany, in 2027 for the first time since 1991. The event will run from 16-22 September, 2027.
And, reiterating ITMA’s spotlighting of innovation, event organisers announced the winners of its Sustainable Innovation Awards at the press conference. The winner of ITMA’s Research and Innovation Award was Philipp Benjamin Weigel for his thesis on numerical simulation of profiled yarns. The Industry Excellence Award was given to Candiani for its Candiani Custom solution.
ITMA 2023: a post Covid-19 industry
Following a tumultuous four years since its last edition in Barcelona in 2019, ITMA 2023 was introduced with acknowledgement of the economic hardship that businesses, industry and the world at large had suffered.
Maurer, speaking at the press conference, suggested that although ITMA’s timing was lucky – being both before and after the pandemic, thus going largely unaffected – the event marks a “turning point for all of us,” as industry gathers to prove “textile business is a survivor” through its special announcements and multitudinous attendees.
Alex Zucchi, president of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), added: “Despite facing numerous challenges, we are pleased by the resounding enthusiasm exhibited by our companies.”
Spanning 200,000 sqm of the Fiera Milano Rho venue, ITMA 2023 is the biggest textile machinery exhibition in the post-pandemic era. Highlighted on the show floor are solutions on advanced materials, automation and the digital future, innovative technologies, and sustainability and circularity under the show theme, “Transforming the World of Textiles.”
According to CEMATEX, the textile machinery exhibition has continued to build on its strong reputation as the global innovation launchpad since its debut in 1951.
Speaking at the ITMA 2023 press conference, Maurer said: “ITMA continues to be a sought-after platform for textile machinery manufacturers, with this year's exhibition receiving a 3% increase in net exhibit space compared to ITMA 2019. Interestingly, we also welcomed new exhibitors from Tunisia, Estonia, Ireland, Norway, Ukraine, and as far as Panama, Peru and Honduras.”
Demographics and themes
ITMA 2023 features a spectacular display of manufacturing technologies and raw materials spread over 118,300 sqm of net exhibit space. Buyers can source newly launched machinery and products across 20 product sectors that will aid in the digital and sustainable transformation of their business.
The event features strong participation of European companies in the textile machinery sector. Like past ITMA editions, exhibitors from CEMATEX countries continue to have a strong presence on the show floor. A total of 867 exhibitors booked 63% of the net exhibit space.
The largest contingent of 422 exhibitors comes from Italy, formed by ACIMIT. Italian exhibitors occupy the largest space at 30% of the space.
The next biggest group of exhibitors come from Germany. A total of 198 German exhibitors booked 15% of the space. The third-largest group is from Turkey with 191 exhibitors taking up 12% of the space.
Exhibitors from other non-CEMATEX countries with sizeable participation are China (7% of space with 231 exhibitors) and India (6% of space with 181 exhibitors).
Meanwhile, with the inclusion of a new product sector – textile composites – visitors can source a comprehensive range of technologies and services.
The top five sectors in terms of participation are finishing (27% of exhibit space), spinning (13%), weaving (10%), printing (12%) and knitting (10%). Although not in the top sectors, the recycling and software sectors have attracted great interest. In this edition, both sectors have seen a doubling of exhibit space.
Charles Beauduin, chairman, ITMA Services, explained: “Digitalisation and sustainability are twin drivers to build a better future for the industry. Research and development in these areas have resulted in many ground-breaking technologies. Hence, these sectors have gained greater traction and there is a healthy growth in the number of exhibitors.”
He further emphasised: “The global pandemic has significantly impacted businesses across the industry. In response, exhibitors and visitors alike are leveraging the ITMA exhibition as a means to revive and rejuvenate their respective enterprises. Recognising the exhibition as a valuable platform, industry stakeholders are hoping to seek opportunities at the exhibition to propel their businesses forward amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
Spotlighting innovation
The spotlight on innovation can be seen from various highlights at ITMA 2023. Among them is a new initiative that showcases young enterprises with game-changing solutions for the textile, garment, and fashion industry. The Start-Up Valley in Hall 3 features 15 companies selected by a panel of industry experts. All start-ups receive a CEMATEX grant to support their participation at ITMA 2023.
Other highlights at the exhibition include the Research & Innovation Lab, the Innovator Xchange (9-13 June), the ITMA Textile Colourants and Chemicals Forum (9 June) and the ITMA Nonwovens Forum (10 June).
Co-located industry events that enhance educational and networking opportunities among textile industrialists from around the world are the ZDHC Impact Day 2023 by ZDHC Foundation (11 June) and Planet Textiles, hosted by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (12-13 June).
ITMA 2023 is held at Fiera Milano Rho, Milan, and ends on 14 June. The opening hours are from 10am to 6pm daily except 14 June, when the exhibition ends at 4pm. For more information, please visit www.itma.com or download the ITMA app.
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