Key Drivers Coming from User Industries Looking for Innovation, NextGen Apps

Are we also going to see re-shoring in technical textiles and nonwovens?
That is the point. Re-shoring requires a big investment and the question is who is willing to take the risk, who is willing to finance such an investment, and are the customers willing to pay the higher prices.

But overall, what can we expect to see at Techtextil Frankfurt? Are you going to see a range of product launches? How much innovation could we expect to see?
Techtextil and Texprocess finally bring the world of technical textiles, nonwovens, functional apparel textiles and the related production and  processing technologies together again after a break of three years.

New developments and innovations, some of those selected for the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Award, will be presented. Visitors can therefore expect a wide range of innovations in all areas. The topic of sustainability has developed particularly strongly recently. Exhibitors will show sustainable fibres and yarns, resource-saving processing technologies with minimal waste or water consumption, and modern recycling processes.

All exhibitors were invited to apply for Sustainability@Techtextil and Sustainability@Texprocess meeting certain criteria. A panel of international experts checks all these entries. Those companies who are accepted will be specially marked. Sustainability will also be a topic in the complimentary Techtextil Forum and Texprocess Forum.

So there is a lot to see, explore, discuss and learn at the shows.

A trade event is about both exhibitors (i.e sellers) and visitors (i.e. buyers). So, what kind of deals/agreements do you expect to be signed? Could you share any relevant figures from the earlier event?
Techtextil and Texprocess are B2B-platforms where business relationships are started, responses intensified, where R&D is initiated and where purchasing decisions are prepared. So you can say where supply and demand, sellers and buyers meet. About 90% of exhibitors were very satisfied or satisfied with Techtextil 2019. For 42% of Techtextil 2019 visitors, the focus was on establishing new business relationships.

Mobiltech, according to many market reports, is expected to be the fastest growth segment within this industry. Do you think there is a ring of truth to it? Or, will it be agrotech, given the general interest in climate/agriculture/land? Could you elaborate? In which particular sectors/applications are we likely to see the most dominance?
There is definitively a high demand for textiles for the mobility industry. But there are other growing sectors like building & construction (Agrotech, Buildtech, Geotech), medical & healthcare (Medtech), sports & leisure (Clothtech, Sporttech) and protection (Protech). And these trends are global.

A recent market report states: "The non-woven segment will continue to lead the technical textile market growth during the forecast period. Non-woven process is preferred over composite and other processes as it is cheaper than other processes and improves the properties of individual properties of natural fibre or synthetic fibre, which ultimately enhances the performance of textile material." Do you agree? 
The nonwoven segment is a (fast) growing segment. An important driver is the pandemic with regard to hygiene and medical products. Generally speaking, the buying decision is normally based on aspects like which material best meets the specification or requirement, provides the better properties, handling, sustainable aspects and recycability. At the end the price becomes important if there are alternatives on the material side.

The pandemic also triggered both an interest as well as need for medical textiles. What developments on this front can we expect to see at Techtextil? Personally, where do you see this segment heading in the near future? What kind of developments and innovations are we likely to see?
The demand for medical textiles remains high. During the pandemic, the demand for textile masks and protective clothing increased rapidly. Even though demand has fallen again in recent months, a need remains. Textiles are also in demand and evolving in other areas of medicine. These range from surgical clothing to textile implants.

Specifically, what do you expect to see in the Germany/EU market? Could you share any details about the spread of the industry (in terms of companies, etc) as well as in terms of overall revenues?
After a downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the German textiles industry is growing steadily again. This is also due to rising demand abroad. Growth is particularly evident in the field of technical textiles. We are pleased to be able to support this trend with Techtextil and Texprocess from 21 to 24 June in Frankfurt, and offer a platform for a wide range of innovations.