VDMA Highlights Innovation at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025

With a total of 69 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 once again underscores the strong representation of VDMA members. Altogether, 82 German companies will participate in the exhibition, occupying nearly 3,500 square meters of space—making Germany the third-largest exhibiting nation after China and Italy. VDMA has also organized a German Pavilion featuring two group stands—one for spinning in Hall 4 and another for finishing in Hall 7—bringing together 30 exhibitors.

During the VDMA press conference at ITMA ASIA + CITME, Dr. Janpeter Horn, Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and Managing Director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik, remarked: “The geopolitical and economic conditions are currently difficult. This makes the strong presence of VDMA member companies at ITMA ASIA + CITME, which is being held in Singapore for the first time in twenty years, all the more gratifying. The show offers VDMA members a key opportunity to showcase their latest technologies and connect with the ASEAN markets as well as other markets in Asia.”

Dr. Harald Weber, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, added: “It is no surprise that most visitors to the ITMA ASIA + CITME shows in Shanghai came from the People’s Republic. My expectations of the trade fair in Singapore are that the audience will be broader. I hope we will see numerous visitors from the ASEAN region, from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and from the Central Asian countries, just to mention a few.”

The VDMA exhibitors in Singapore represent nearly all machinery sectors of the textile value chain, including spinning and man-made fibers, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting and warp knitting, finishing and dyeing, as well as technologies for textile recycling and processing of recycled materials. The companies continue to drive innovation and sustainability, developing advanced solutions that help reduce production costs while maintaining the exceptional quality standards associated with European textile machinery. Their joint presence at the exhibition reflects their shared message: “Experience Leading Technology.”

Key themes at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 include automation, sustainability, and the circular economy. Among the innovations on display are automation systems designed to address labor shortages in textile operations, such as automated sliver transport solutions in spinning. The exhibition also highlights the growing importance of recycling, with systems that can automatically sort garments by composition and color, enabling efficient recycling into fibers for spinning, nonwovens, and composites. Sustainable dyeing technologies are another major focus, reducing the consumption of water, energy, chemicals, and dyes while maintaining high product quality and improving production efficiency.

Asia remains the world’s leading hub for textile and apparel production and will continue to play this role for years to come. Unsurprisingly, Asia is also the largest market for VDMA member companies. Between January and August 2025, German exports of textile machinery and accessories reached nearly 1.2 billion euros, representing a 9.5% decline compared to the previous year. However, performance varied by market, with exports to China rising by 25%, to Pakistan by 32%, and to Uzbekistan by 16%.

A recent VDMA member survey conducted in October 2025 revealed mixed business expectations. About 50% of respondents rated their current business situation as satisfactory. Around 30% expect conditions to remain unchanged in 2026, while 60% foresee a decline. For 2025, 60% of companies anticipate stable sales, and for 2026, 74% expect stagnation. Nevertheless, 19% of respondents are optimistic, projecting sales growth of up to 20%.

Looking ahead, VDMA members are more optimistic about sales opportunities in Asia for 2026. Respondents cited Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia as the regions offering the most potential. These expectations align with IMF projections, which forecast GDP growth of over 6% for India and more than 4% for China and the ASEAN region in 2026.

“The Asian markets are offering great chances that European machinery manufacturers can take with their innovative and sustainable solutions and the high quality of machinery that customers rightly expect. The VDMA members are looking forward to welcoming numerous visitors from various countries to their booths in Singapore,” summarized Dr. Janpeter Horn, Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association.

A complete list of all VDMA member companies participating in ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 is available at www.vdma.eu/itma.