On 11th May 2006, this year's IMB — World of Textile Processing —in Cologne (10th to 13th May 2006) hosted the inaugural presentation of the IMB Innovation Award by Koelnmesse and the Munich-based VDMA German Garment and Leather Technology Association.
A panel of five representatives from noted trade publications was asked to select two winners in the field for the best marketable innovations in the processing of flexible materials.
In the “International Research Establishments” category, the prize was won by the Institute of Textile and Clothing Technology at the Technical University of Dresden for the development of a machine that automates the manufacture of car covers.
And the prize in the category for IMB exhibitors went to the Kaiserslautern engineering company PFAFF Industrie Maschinen AG for a programmable welding system featuring full parameter control via touchscreen. The patron of the award is Janez Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research.