In 2012, out of the world's top 10 textile machinery exporters, half were from Europe...
Charles Beauduin, President of Cematex (European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) discusses the vast world of global textile machinery with Fibre2Fashion correspondent, Ridaa Saiyed.
Synopsis:
Cematex comprises of the textile machinery associations of nine countries in Europe. Its aim is to develop the textile machinery industry in the member nations. Organizing exhibitions is the main business of the organization, and it also indulges in influencing regulations in the fields related to textile machinery industry.
Charles Beauduin has been the President of Cematex since 2012. After graduating in Law and Economics from his native Belgium, Mr Beauduin worked for two years at Keio University in Tokyo conducting research and teaching undergraduates. He has served as the CEO of Van de Wiele Group for over 25 years.
Excerpts:
How would you define ITMA? A forum for the global buyers and sellers or a platform for the emerging textile machinery companies? Give reasons.
ITMA is a global platform for textile machinery makers and buyers to transact and to network. Many of our exhibitors are very established and some have been with us since the very first show in 1951. However, new, emerging manufacturers who are able to meet our strict admission criteria are also using ITMA as their marketing platform to meet major buyers around the world.
ITMA is an excellent networking and knowledge exchange hub. Cematex partners industry-leading organisations to hold conferences and seminars to share new ideas and to tackle challenging issues facing the industry.
Cematex also encourages research and innovation, and for this reason there is a very active research and education pavilion at ITMA. A grant is given to deserving research and educational institutes to encourage more of these important organisations to take part and feel the pulse of the industry.
What is the contribution of Cematex in the European textile machinery industry? How has Cematex represented the European textile machinery industry on the global level?
Cematex is the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, made up of 9 associations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Since it was founded in 1951, CEMATEX has dedicated itself to the promotion of the European textile machinery industry, especially through its series of ITMA and ITMA ASIA exhibitions.
ITMA is the world's largest and most established international textile machinery exhibition. Each ITMA exhibition occupies some 100,000 square metres of net space, features over 1,000 exhibitors, and attracts visitorship of over 100,000.
As a showcase of the latest technologies from around the world, it is an excellent meeting place for the whole industry. Over the years, the vision and principles that guided us from the outset have not changed. The strict rules and regulations have helped us to maintain the quality of the exhibition and to enable European machinery manufacturers network with their buyers.
In addition, as the market started to shift to Asia, Cematex created ITMA ASIA to support European manufacturers expanding into the region. After two successful showcases in Singapore in 2001 and 2005, ITMA ASIA combined with the local Chinese show, CITME, in 2008, and ITMA ASIA + CITME is held biennially in Shanghai, with the next event taking place in June this year.
What are the latest technologies and researches introduced in the European textile machinery industry?
The European textile machinery industry is recognised for being at the forefront of cutting edge technology. Energy efficiency and sustainability are the driving forces in the industry's R&D activities.
How has ITMA helped the European textile machinery industry in progressing?
ITMA has helped showcase European textile machinery in the best possible light through an integrated, end-to-end solutions showcase for the entire textile and garment industry. By clustering the exhibits into sectors and having live demonstrations, it is easy for machinery buyers to source what they are looking for. ITMA has also levelled the playing field for smaller European manufacturers, giving them a global platform to show their capabilities.
Over the years, the show has helped to match European machinery manufacturers with buyers, and has enabled them to conduct valuable market research. This in turn has helped them to expand their markets.
Can you provide an overview of the current status of the textile machinery market on the European and global level?
After a sharp reduction in global shipments of new textile machinery in 2008 and 2009, exports increased significantly in 2010 and 2011, mainly to record highs. In 2012, exports of textile machinery totalled over US$8.4 billion, slightly down from the 2011 level of US$9.4 billion, but despite this, world economic growth is still in the positive zone. The International Monetary Fund has forecast that the world's GDP growth will register 3.8 per cent in 2014, up from 3.1 per cent in 2013. Hence, we expect that the demand for machinery offering cost-effective and environmentally friendly features will continue to be buoyant.
In 2012, out of the world's 10 top textile machinery exporters, half are from Europe: Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and Czech Republic. As a consumption market, Europe is still important for Cematex members. If you take the largest exporter as an example (Germany), Europe is its second largest market (Euros 875 million), after Asia (Euros1.8 billion).
Countries like India, China and others have been importing textile machinery from Europe? What do you think are the reasons?
Textile industry players all over the world invest in technologies which enable more efficient and flexible production. China and India - both big players in the world market - are willing to invest in sophisticated innovative European manufacturing solutions that provide them with the competitive edge. Their governments are also providing the impetus through policies and funding to modernise their industries.
One of the priorities under the China government's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011 - 2015) is to raise technological advancement and improvement in craftsmanship and equipment to an international level for the textile sector.
In India's case, the government's objective is to build state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities for all segments of textile industry, including technical textiles. The initiatives taken in this direction include flagship schemes, such as the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) to help modernise the local industry.
Do you think that U.S and Middle East countries lack the technology and skills when it comes to the textile machinery industry? What are the reasons?
The United States has the largest economy in the world and is a technology leader in a number of textile fields. Indeed it was ranked 7th in the list of top textile machinery exporters in 2012. As for the Middle East, the region is better known for its production of textiles rather than textile machinery. Every economy is different, and each country has its own growth strategies and list of target industries to develop.
Textile industry is the biggest pollutants releasing industry in the world. What steps should be taken by the textile machinery industry to reduce the emission thereby creating awareness about the preservation of environment?
The global textile industry is huge and is one of the major consumers of water and fuel. It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases on earth. One of the most effective way to decrease carbon footprint is to decrease the amount of energy needed for production of textiles.
Consumers and governments have started demanding industries to comply with stricter conditions for environmental protection. Textile machinery manufacturers have invested greatly on research and development and unveiling various innovative technologies and sustainable solutions that can help textile makers meet these challenges.
