Strategy, innovation, and five days of exploration: Textile ETP at Techtextil-Texprocess 2026
Charting the future of EU technical textiles
On Day 2, Secretary General Lutz Walter took the stage at the Techtextil Forum to present the three Innovation Hub strategies (SmartX, DigitX, and Circular & Biobased Textiles) laying out the opportunities, challenges, and strategic pathways each addresses, and connecting them to future EU funding prospects. The presentation set the tone for a week in which strategy and industry reality were held in close conversation.
The most significant strategic moment came on Day 3, when Lutz Walter presented the first draft of the SmartX Innovation Hub strategy document The Future of EU Technical Textiles: Exploring New Opportunities in Protection, Defence and Space to a selected group of industry partners. The document represents the first element of the SmartX Hub's strategic roadmap: a structured attempt to map where the EU textile industry stands in relation to defence, aerospace and protection markets, and where it needs to go.
The presentation was followed by an open discussion with industry partners, with insights from Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of EURATEX. The exchange addressed the structural challenges the EU industry faces in scaling up for defence and space applications, the role of public funding in bridging the gap between research and industrial readiness, and the need for European coordination across a fragmented supply chain. More will be shared as the document develops. Watch this space.
Five tours across the halls
Across the fairs, Textile ETP organised five guided tours of the exhibition floor for members: two through Techtextil for SmartX, two through Texprocess for DigitX, and one through Techtextil for the Circular & Biobased Textiles Innovation Hub.
SmartX Innovation Hub
Smart textiles & wearables
The first SmartX tour explored the frontier of e-textiles and smart wearables. At CeNTI, members saw the Am2R project in action, smart sensor-equipped bike handles, backpacks, and e-textile seating with integrated audio. CITEVE presented the Texpact project, including a smart training suit with sensor-app connectivity for athletic performance, smart PPE solutions monitoring body temperature and cardiorespiratory effort, a smart blanket and a smart gown with integrated thermal heating. The tour closed at YKK, where electroconductive snap buttons and a zipper capable of detecting accidental openings and triggering safety alerts demonstrated how familiar components can carry entirely new functions.
Aerospace, defence & protection
The second SmartX tour went deep into high-performance materials for structural and safety-critical applications. DITF presented an innovative lightweight centre console and high-performance flame-retardant PEF knitted fabrics. At the Confindustria Moda booth, members encountered satellite fibre from Textech, graphene applications for defence from Directa Plus, silicone yarn from Lemur, and specialised protective fibres from Argar. Tèxtils.CAT showcased the breadth of the Catalan textile cluster through LEITAT, Hilaturas Arnau and the Torné Group. STFI presented ballistic composite textiles and digitally manufactured seat heating solutions, alongside a sport belt developed for postnatal muscle recovery now adapted for mobile applications. YKK rounded off the tour with infrared fastening technologies, zippers, buttons and buckles designed for defence end uses.
Circular & Biobased Textiles Innovation Hub
Sustainable fibres and recycling technologies
This tour followed a single thread across five stops: the end-of-life and second life of textiles. At STFI, the standout was a soundproof cabin built entirely from recycled nonwoven fibres, a functional proof that circular materials can deliver real performance. Centrocot presented prototype products from European research projects on mechanical recycling, including shredding, fraying, grinding, spinning and airlay techniques, as well as hybrid products combining post-consumer synthetic fibres with composite waste. Recyc'Elit demonstrated their patented chemical recycling process for blended multi-fibre textiles, with recovered PET monomers, virgin-like rPET pellets, and finished products developed with Decathlon and The LYCRA Company. Textechno showcased their MICROBATCH SPINNER, a laboratory melt-spinning system capable of working with as little as 20 mg of polymer, enabling development at a scale previously inaccessible. The tour closed at EREMA Group, presenting their collaboration with Australian company BlockTexx: a complementary two-stage process separating cotton from blended waste and then recycling the PET fraction into a 100% reusable granule.
DigitX Innovation Hub
Robotics & automation in textile manufacturing
The first DigitX tour at Texprocess focused on one of the industry's most persistent challenges: automating the handling of soft, non-rigid materials. CITEVE showed their robotic sewing cell in operation, integrating AI grasp detection to manipulate fabric with a precision that remains technically non-trivial. TU Dresden presented research on adhesive handling of non-rigid, air-permeable materials, a key barrier to broader automation. Robotextile GmbH rounded out the tour with their work on automating the separation and handling of fabric sheets and layers.
Digital tools & AI applications in textiles and apparel
The second DigitX tour surveyed some of the most promising digital and AI applications across the textile and apparel value chain. CITEVE opened with their Texpact project, covering 3D/VR visualisation of automotive fabrics, digital twins, AI-generated patterns, AR quality control, and energy optimisation through AI. Kornit presented the latest PrestoMax evolution, with strong applications across footwear, automotive and apparel. Style3D Assyst demonstrated an end-to-end workflow integrating AI-assisted 3D design, physical construction instructions, waste reduction, avatar try-on and retail store visualisation. TU Dresden closed the tour with research on 3D human scanning for product development and the integration of AI into academic curricula.
Performance Apparels on Stage
Several times daily throughout Techtextil, our Senior Manager for Smart & Technical Textiles, Judith Bosch, took to the stage at Performance Apparels on Stage, one of Techtextil's most compelling showcase formats, where garments are presented in motion.
The show brought together a range of high-performance apparel: from fire service uniforms and space suits engineered to withstand extreme environments, to sports clothing crafted from natural fibres that challenge the assumption that performance and sustainability are in tension.
Textile ETP’s photos of Techtextil-Texprocess are available here.
