Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

EDANA’s INDEX 26, the world’s leading trade fair for nonwovens, co-organised with Palexpo, officially concluded last Friday 22 May with a successful edition.

In a context marked by uncertainty and continued pressure, the 2026 edition of INDEX concluded successfully. With a diverse range of 625 exhibiting companies from 44 countries, an important number of visitors, and an expanded international reach, the event confirmed its role as a central hub for innovation and a representative showcase of the nonwovens’ ecosystem. Driven by the strong presence of exhibitors, the 2026 edition confirmed the continued relevance of the event. With 11,452 visits, the four-day event brought together a strong mix of global decision-makers and technical experts, who came to explore the sector’s evolution from mass-produced disposable items to high-tech, durable and sustainable solutions. The professional events were well attended, establishing the exhibition as an indispensable meeting place for sharing experience and passion for the industry.

The seminars were designed to provide strategic and technical insights into how nonwoven materials are evolving in response to global trends such as sustainability, circular economy policies, mobility transformation, infrastructure modernisation, and supply chain pressures. Topics included the impact of geopolitical events on plastics markets, access to EU and US public funding, sustainable innovation driven by regulation, advanced filtration technologies, and the role of nonwovens in next-generation vehicles and construction. They also served as a networking and knowledge-sharing agenda, presenting moderators, speakers, and key discussion questions for each session, while positioning the nonwovens sector as an industry undergoing rapid technological and regulatory transformation.

The exhibition offered a consistent experience-oriented approach, as evidenced by the numerous areas dedicated to innovation and technical demonstrations. The event also strengthened its networking dimension, introducing a unique 'Women's Networking Breakfast' to build mentoring networks for the future of the community. The new immersive experience, 'Nonwovens: In Every Layer of Life', was well received, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the integral role these materials play in modern society. Over four days, Geneva provided the setting for an exhibition that remains a place of discovery for current and future technologies.

Murat Dogru, General Manager of EDANA and CEO of GNA, concluded: “INDEX 26 has demonstrated how innovation in the industry is now being driven by global collaboration. The synergy between automated machinery, smart chemistry, and extreme weight reduction has pointed to a promising direction for a more efficient, circular manufacturing landscape. We are already looking forward to INDEX 29 (15-18 May 2029), to discuss the latest developments.”
 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Intertextile Shenzhen 2026 has secured key academic and association partnerships, set to reveal textile innovation in abundance at the fair’s debut Future Horizons Forum and Innovation Studio display area. The theme will extend across the show floor, with exhibitors from 11 countries and regions gathering from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center in Futian. Alongside a host of domestic exhibitors, with those from South China relishing the prospect of a platform closer to home, the fair’s International Zone will welcome the Japan Zone and standalone exhibitors from across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Industry advancement, especially relating to AI and sustainability, will be one of the major points for discussion at the upcoming fair.  

Shenzhen recently became China’s largest manufacturing and exporting city, solidifying its lead in AI and start-up cultivation, and Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics 2026 has adjusted its positioning to better reflect the city’s innovative edge. This is perhaps most evident at its fringe programme, where two new initiatives will increase the fair’s impact on industry advancement.

Alongside other Asian organisations, these same institutions will also play significant roles at the fair’s debut Innovation Studio, an integrated display area showcasing the sustainable materials, cutting-edge processes, and digital technology at the forefront of the apparel textile sector.

With Intertextile Shenzhen’s innovation-focused fringe programme set to generate added buzz, the fair’s exhibitors – hailing from China, Hong Kong, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and more – are preparing to win new business in between sourcing seasons. Those in the Japan Zone will feature a range of advanced, in-vogue fabrics that appeal to domestic and international buyers alike.

Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics is a business-friendly platform for unveiling new trends, innovative models, and dynamic forces shaping the industry. By showcasing pioneering case studies and comprehensive solutions for industry advancement, the fair enables stakeholders to discover and adopt successful new models and technologies through engaging displays, seminars, and themed forums.
 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, Autumn Edition will return from 25 – 27 August 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), set to reinforce its position as a leading global sourcing platform for the ever-changing apparel textile industry. Building on the success of the 2025 edition, where more than 3,700 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions welcomed over 100,000 buyers from 123 countries and regions, the upcoming fair will place special emphasis on high-growth segments – including advanced functionality, sustainability solutions, and digital transformation.

Responding to these priorities, the 2026 edition is guided by four overarching themes reflecting the industry’s most compelling opportunities. Fashion Forward inspires creative direction through curated fabric displays and the Intertextile Directions Trend Forum, offering buyers and designers early insight into upcoming seasonal trends. Performance Textiles highlights advanced functional fabrics engineered for sportswear, outdoor, and lifestyle applications, addressing growing demand for comfort, durability, and technical enhancement. Under Sustainability, exhibitors present eco-conscious materials, solutions, and innovations aligned with international standards, centred around the Econogy Hub’s variety of sustainable textiles and certifications. Meanwhile, Textile Future spotlights smart textiles, AI-driven design tools, and next-gen manufacturing technologies shaping the digital transformation of the apparel supply chain.

The enhanced Functional Lab will continue to offer an integrated booth, display area, and seminar model designed to foster deeper exchange between exhibitors and sourcing professionals. At the centre of the zone, The CUBE is a high-visibility display area showcasing standout functional fabrics and accessories. New to this edition, The CUBE will introduce a Product Presentation Series, providing brands with a structured opportunity to present their latest innovations directly to an engaged audience.

Beyond its expanded presentation format, this edition’s Functional Lab will extend its spotlight to fast-emerging markets, including climate-adaptive textiles and silver-age applications, among others. Innovations in temperature and humidity regulation are driving the development of fabrics that support comfort across diverse environmental conditions, while the response to ageing demographics ushers in textiles that prioritise comfort, ease of care, lightweight performance, and everyday practicality. Together, these focus areas illustrate how functional textiles are expanding beyond traditional performance categories, opening new avenues for product development and cross-sector collaboration.
 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

As a global sourcing hub for fashion professionals, the event will offer direct access to nearly 1,200 international textile and apparel companies across two main areas: Texworld, dedicated to fabrics and raw materials, and Apparel Sourcing, focused on finished products and accessories. These two shows stand out for their broad offering, centered on mid-range and premium segments, meeting the growing expectations of buyers seeking quality and added value. They will be complemented by the key Avantex sector, dedicated to innovative solutions for high-performance and responsible fashion.

This 59th edition continues to build on a strategy of qualitative consolidation. In line with previous editions, the overall structure of the show remains unchanged to ensure a smooth and intuitive visitor experience: Halls 3 and 4 will bring together the full offering, organized by expertise and end use. Synergies between exhibitors from both shows will be strengthened to optimize visitor flow, with a focus on womenswear, casualwear and sportswear. Hall 2 will host Avantex exhibitors, the Trend Forums, and the conference and service areas, forming a spacious zone designed to encourage interaction.

Following a record edition in September 2025, Apparel Sourcing continues its trajectory of qualitative growth. The interest shown by new countries, particularly Mongolia, Pakistan and Taiwan, reflects the industrial capabilities of these production regions while responding to European buyers’ demand for a broader sourcing offer.

In a continued effort to improve clarity and visibility, new pavilions dedicated to leather and jewelry will better showcase these specific finished-product sectors. Similarly, a new Outdoor area, positioned at the intersection of Texworld and Apparel Sourcing, will bring together around fifty exhibitors and offer a cross-category selection combining technical fabric manufacturers (active wear fabrics) and sportswear garment makers, meeting the needs of a rapidly evolving market.

Finally, the new Apparel Sourcing Initiatives area, an extension of the existing Texworld concept, will highlight high-value-added industrial know-how, production flexibility, and premium services offered by a selection of finished-product exhibitors.
 

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 concluded with strong visitor and exhibitor participation. With more than 36,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors, the leading international trade fairs offered opportunities for new business and partnerships. Again, the events thus showed a very high level of visitor satisfaction, at 95 per cent. Exhibitor satisfaction rose to 86 per cent across both trade fairs and reached 90 per cent at Texprocess. The quality of visitors, as perceived by exhibitors, saw a significant increase of 13 per cent.

This confirms Techtextil and Texprocess as the most important international platforms for launching innovations on the market and putting them into practice with relevant partners. Accordingly, the expected post-fair business for exhibitors at both trade fairs has grown considerably. In a challenging market, Techtextil and Texprocess have thus provided the global industry with a stable meeting place. Participants from 112 countries were represented at the exhibition grounds in Frankfurt. The top ten visitor countries were Germany, Italy, France, Türkiye, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Poland and Switzerland. Growth came from India, Japan, Portugal, Sweden and the USA, among others.

At Techtextil, exhibitors showcased high-performance materials designed for outdoor, sports, fashion, military and industrial safety clothing. Meanwhile, Texprocess showcased the processing technologies required to meet these demands. Concordia offered a durable, permanently flame-retardant fabric with inherent protection. Advance Hitech Textile International presented a stretch fabric for workwear with special abrasion resistance, dimensional stability and colour fastness.

Style3D | Assyst showcased new AI solutions for product development. These integrate design and marketing, streamline processes and reduce costs. Comelz demonstrated a cutting system that uses artificial image processing to reduce manual steps. Dürkopp Adler unveiled a new sewing system that enables simple integration through smart interfaces.