Global trade fairs in Frankfurt highlight innovation, collaboration and textile technologies

Techtextil and Texprocess will bring together start-ups, universities and research institutions to present developments in the global textile sector. The events focus on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, research initiatives and innovation-led collaborations.

The two trade fairs, held in Frankfurt am Main, will feature exhibitors presenting concepts across materials, production technologies and textile processing. The events include participation from academic institutions, research organisations and early-stage companies, with a focus on linking research with industrial applications.

“Techtextil and Texprocess bring together global research with textile and user industries. This leads to new ideas and collaborations that bring innovations to the market more quickly,” says Sabine Scharrer, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles & Textile Processing at Messe Frankfurt.

The Campus & Research area will host around 40 research institutes and universities from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Participating institutions include Saxion University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), the InnoFiber Research Lab at the University of Minho (Portugal), IMS Bauhaus Latino América (Uruguay), the Higher Institute of Technological Studies of Ksar Helal (Tunisia) and TU Dresden.

The TFI – Institute for Flooring and Interior Systems at RWTH Aachen University will present a textile-based guidance system designed for visually impaired individuals, aimed at improving accessibility in indoor environments. Research institutions and universities will be marked at exhibition stands and within the online exhibitor directory.

Approximately 20 start-ups will showcase technologies across the exhibition. At Techtextil, companies such as Climatex (Switzerland) will present circular textile solutions and recyclable products, while qCella (Switzerland) will introduce a cellulose fibre innovation and ultra-thin surface heating technology. R.O.A.M Systems (USA) will exhibit a nonwoven production method based on additive fibre placement.

At Texprocess, the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab, Hong Kong) will present an AI-based system for textile inspection, focusing on automated fault detection and real-time quality control. Prodactive Solutions (Bulgaria) will display an AI-supported SaaS platform for managing apparel production processes. Start-ups will be identified through signage at their stands and in the exhibitor search system.

Artificial intelligence applications will also be demonstrated across the exhibition floor. Visitors will be able to interact with robots at the Style 3D/Assyst booth, where training software for managing apparel production processes will be presented. Willy Italiana (Italy) will showcase a checklabel machine using self-learning AI to inspect ribbons and labels. Picvisa Machine Vision Systems (Spain) will demonstrate AI-enabled optical sorting systems designed for textile recycling, capable of identifying and separating materials by type and colour.

Exhibitors and presentations related to artificial intelligence will be marked with the “Texpertise Focus AI” sign to support visitor navigation.