Techtextil Symposium opens as TT front looks up

Today technical textiles account for 27 percent of worldwide textile fabric production and a worldwide growth of 3-5 percent a year is expected for the technical- textiles sector: Michael Jänecke, Director, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, says in no uncertain terms with a beaming smile. He is the official ambassador for the Techtextil in Germany next year, to be held from May 4 to 7, 2015.

Michael is in Mumbai, as Messe Frankfurt is poised to launch its much-awaited Techtextil Symposium at The Lalit on October 16 & 17, 2014. He also has an important presentation on the markets for technical textiles.

Michael?s statistics list not only adequate but convincing: Technical textiles generate over 50 percent of the turnover of the German textile industry. Turkey is investing heavily in its technical textiles industry: In 2013, the foreign trade with functional textiles increased by 11 percent to US$ 1.7 billion. In the United States, technical textiles now account for 40 percent of turnover for the USA’s textile factories.

Michael is upbeat about the prospects of technical textiles in India. ?Next to China, I will bet on India,? he minces no words. Technical textiles is bound to play an increasingly larger role in apparel sector, he adds. Global production of apparel rose by 7.4 percent in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period of 2013. Emerging industrial economies maintained the biggest growth with 10 percent. China leads with 12,9 percent, but the increase in South Africa (7.4 percent) and Indonesia (5.6 percent) is also remarkable. Vietnam, Bangladesh and India also report increasing exports of apparel, In Germany, orders for Garment and Leather Technology increased by 20 per cent in the first four months of 2014.

Techtextile, along with Texprocess, is to be held from May 4 to 7, 2015 in Frankfurt, Germany. ?Already the exhibitors list has exceeded last year?s figures and there will be four halls,? he says and spells out some of the innovative features, a Fashion Show by leading universities one among them. Messe Frankfurt Director is keen to get more visitors from India for the show, and with India getting high on technical textiles he is sure that greater participation as exhibitors and visitors is bound to give a boost to the industry in the country.

Messe Frankfurt and Michael are also doing hectic work in preparing for the Techtextil India, to be held at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai from September 24 to 26, 2015. For, Michael is sure that ?analyses show that, in terms of growth potential, technical textiles rank among the leading five high-tech industries. Besides apparel and home textiles, more and more textiles are being used in other fields, such as construction, medicine, safety and environmental protection. And that technical textiles have many advantages compared to other materials because they are: light-weight, flexible, cost-effective, (multi)functional, and durable?.