ITMA 2027's sector plan has been unveiled, covering 12 halls at the Messegelände Hannover venue and spanning over 180,000 sq m. The plan features 20 sectors of the textile and garment making process, from spinning to finishing, software and automation, recycling, and fibres, yarns and fabrics. The event has drawn more than 1,500 confirmed exhibiting companies from 43 countries to date.
- CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers comprising nine national associations, accounts for 43% of all applicants and over 60% of exhibition space booked to date.
- Manufacturers from outside Europe account for more than 50% of all applicants and around 40% of exhibition space booked, led by China, followed by India, Türkiye and Japan.
- The established sectors are Spinning, Nonwovens, Weaving, Knitting, Finishing, Printing and Garment Making, all confirmed for the plan alongside its newer additions.
- CEMATEX's nine national associations, ACIMIT, AMEC AMTEX, BTMA, GTM, SWISSMEM, SYMATEX, TMAS, UCMTF and VDMA, demonstrate leadership and confidence in ITMA as the premier global platform for textile manufacturing innovation.
- This level of international participation reflects strong demand from key textile technology manufacturing markets worldwide, spanning both established and emerging regions represented in the plan.
INSIDE THE PLAN: The sector plan also incorporates Research & Innovation, Services, Recycling, Fibres, Yarns & Fabrics, Software & Automation and Start-Up Valley, which is funded by CEMATEX, alongside the established sectors already confirmed for the 2027 edition. Their inclusion reflects the industry's growing recognition that innovation, sustainability and digitalisation are now integral to the textile manufacturing value chain, and not simply supporting activities.
- The exhibition also provides global textile machinery manufacturers a platform to launch innovations, demonstrate technologies and engage with customers across the manufacturing value chain.
- Research & Innovation, a highlight of the show supported by CEMATEX, shows the importance of closer collaboration between academia and industry in supporting the transition from research to manufacturing.
- Start-Up Valley has gained strong momentum since its successful debut at ITMA 2023, providing emerging start-up companies a stage to showcase their technologies.
- The Recycling sector is gaining momentum, driven by regulatory initiatives such as the EU's Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy, with textile-to-textile circularity, turning old textiles into new fibres, commercially viable.
WHAT COMES NEXT: ITMA 2027 will take place from 16 to 22 September 2027 at Messegelände Hannover, Germany, when the show will continue to spotlight innovation across the entire textile and garment manufacturing value chain. The confirmed sector plan gives exhibitors and visitors early insight into the exhibition's structure well ahead of visitor registration, which opens in March 2027, allowing them to begin planning their participation.
- The confirmed focus areas include advanced materials, automation and the digital future, sustainability and circularity, and human-centric manufacturing across the industry.
WHAT THEY SAID
The diverse participation from around the world reinforces ITMA 2027's position as a neutral global platform, providing manufacturers with an equal opportunity to compete and showcase their latest innovations. … The Start-Up Valley is an important initiative for our industry …
— Alex Zucchi
President
CEMATEX
Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and a challenging global economic environment, the strong response to ITMA 2027 reflects the industry's resilience and continued confidence in investing in innovation and future growth.
— Charles Beauduin
Chairman
ITMA Services
