Interview with Charles Beauduin

ITMA has been evolving with the industry and reinventing itself through the years to ensure that the platform remains relevant. As there is greater focus on sustainability in recent years, responsible sourcing and eco-friendly technologies will be a common trend seen at ITMA 2015. CEMATEX also launched the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award as part of its ongoing efforts to encourage and recognise outstanding industry members and post-graduate students for their contributions to the sustainable development of the global textiles and garment industry. The product index has been expanded for the 2015 edition to feature printing as a separate chapter, bringing the total number of exhibit sectors to 19. Digital printing technologies will be more prominently featured in the showcase. The fibre & yarn sector has also been expanded to include a new sub-chapter on recycled fibres and yarns, in order to cater to the ever-growing segment and interest in sustainable raw materials. There are more knowledge-sharing activities at ITMA 2015. Many of these events are organised in collaboration with leading industry partners. A new conference, the Nonwovens Forum, will be held on November 16. It is jointly organised by EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, and MP Expositions, the ITMA 2015 organiser. The forum will feature topics on applications and technologies for nonwovens, and added value ingredients and finishings. Other complementary events include the 2nd World Textile Summit (November 13) and Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum (November 14).

There are a lot of developments in the digital textile printing space. In line with the sector's rapid growth, printing features as a dedicated chapter for the very first time. New digital inkjet printing solutions are driving the transformation of the industry, with advantages such as on-demand manufacturing and customisation. There is also a Digital Textile Conference taking place on November 15 which will be of interest to those looking to tap into this burgeoning sector. Sustainable solutions throughout the entire value chain will be a key point of focus as well. This includes machinery with green features, such as those which use less water or energy, or reduces emissions and wastewater production; and innovative technologies that provide a more sustainable alternative to current processes, such as waterless dyeing and advanced dyestuffs based on biosynthetics. Initiatives at ITMA 2015 underpinning the focus on sustainability include the launch of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award and rebranding of the Research & Education Pavilion (to Research and Innovation Pavilion), which comprises the Speaker's Platform featuring many papers on the theme of sustainable innovation. At the second World Textile Summit on November 13, the agenda will also be very much focused on sustainable manufacturing and how businesses can create value through a sustainable strategy.

The economic climate continues to be challenging for all businesses, including those in the textiles and garment sector. As a result, textile machinery manufacturers are also negatively affected. Having said that, Europe has a strong engineering tradition and European textile making technologies are world renowned. While 2014 statistics showed a decline in shipments for most textile machinery segments, some such as single heater draw-texturing spindles for polyamide filaments and flat-knitting machines registered an increase. European textile machinery manufacturers who are always working to be ahead of the technology curve will have an edge, coupled by a weaker euro which will make European machinery more attractive for export. Given that a large part of European textile machinery exports is to countries outside the eurozone, a weakening of the euro should help to boost exports.

The response from the industry has been very positive for the coming edition of ITMA; based on the number of exhibitors and exhibition size, the upcoming exhibition will be bigger than its 2011 showcase. Over 95 per cent of the exhibition space had been booked when space application closed in July last year. Due to overwhelming response, an 11th hall was added to accommodate the strong demand. Currently, we have 1,600 exhibitors from more than 40 countries.

Technological innovations can go a long way in mitigating the main environmental issues - not just emissions but also pollution and excessive water use - faced by the textiles and garment industry, particularly in the dyeing and finishing, chemicals and colourants, and fibre and yarn sectors. ITMA 2015 will showcase an array of sustainable technologies. These innovations can be found throughout the 19 chapters featured in the exhibition. Among the examples are innovative waterless dyeing technology that uses recycled CO2 gas instead to permeate textiles with dyes, exciting new digital printing technologies, advanced dyestuffs with new formulations requiring less water, and even dyes based on biosynthetics derived from agricultural waste products which can help reduce the environmental impact of the industry. In addition, to drive the agenda on sustainability in dyeing and finishing processes, several complementary events, such as the World Textile Summit and Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum will discuss issues on this important topic.

CEMATEX comprises nine national European textile machinery associations, and as such its primary role is to promote and strengthen the textile machinery industry of its member associations. As the owner of ITMA, CEMATEX offers a single platform where providers of textile and garment manufacturing technologies encompassing the entire supply chain can showcase their latest innovations, meet, transact and network with international buyers. It will continue to ensure that the ITMA and ITMA branded exhibitions are quality showcases and relevant to the industry.

ITMA and ITMA branded showcases feature a unique selling proposition that requires all exhibitors to be owners of the technologies they showcase, and to provide live machinery demonstrations to visitors. Hence, it requires substantial investments and resource commitment from our exhibitors to take part in an ITMA exhibition. As such, for the benefit of both buyers and sellers, CEMATEX will continue to put its focus on ensuring that each ITMA or ITMA ASIA showcase is a truly quality exhibition of cutting-edge technologies and solutions.

Technical textiles is a very exciting growth segment. In recent years, there have been numerous developments in the technologies used to make technical textiles for a wide range of applications. These include, for example, use of nanotechnology to impart properties to textiles such as resistance to washing and abrasion, anti-friction, electrical conductivity or magnetic protection, and catalytic selfcleaning. Increasingly, the possibilities for technical textiles are expanding beyond the traditional coated fabrics and protective clothing, and we can expect to see some of the latest technologies in various product sectors at ITMA 2015. The MoU between EDANA and MP Expositions, the organiser of ITMA 2015, is intended to support the organisation of the Nonwovens Forum. The full-day forum, themed 'Nonwovens: A World of Growth and Opportunities', will take place on November 16. Pierre Conrath, Sustainability & Public Affairs director of EDANA will give an introduction to the nonwovens industry. The comprehensive programme will cover applications and technologies for nonwovens, and added value ingredients and finishing for nonwovens over two sessions, and end with a presentation by Jacques Prigneaux, Market Analysis and Economic Affairs director of EDANA, on trends and forecasts for the nonwovens industry, as well as a panel discussion. Industry members who are keen to find out more or attend the forum can find the details and online registration at www.itma.com.