Animated by 2015`s topic “Bio-Boosting Today`s Technology“ experts from the textile industry and textile research institutes will discuss the latest state of research in fiber technology and flexible electronics or exchange opinions concerning the research on bio-based components or lightweight constructions inspired by nature.

Since 2007 the textile research institutes of the Aachen and Dresden area together organize the Aachen-Dresden International Textile Conference. As of 2016 the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) will join as a new partner. With over 700 participants most recently the conference counts as one of the most important textile conferences in Europe.

This year France is the official partner country and will be represented by Yves Dubief, president of Union des Industries Textiles, with a plenary lecture on “Textile innovations 2020 – The French contribution”. In addition to two other plenary lectures, the program of the event will comprise eight invited keynote lectures and 55 contributed talks. Furthermore, the organizers expect about a hundred poster contributions.

This year`s conference addresses a key question of the future technology development: How can we learn and take advantage of biological principles and how can we tune man-made technology to be in balance with nature?

Nature manages to produce highly complex and extremely durable materials such as wood and spider silk, which provide an ingenious inspiration for sustainable and synthetic materials. Professor Thomas Speck from the University of Freiburg will introduce this subject with a plenary lecture on “Fibres in Nature and Technology: Smart Materials and Structures Inspired by Biology”.

This is followed by a compilation of various lectures on remarkable techniques to replace or supplement synthetic components by natural elements, based on the model of nature. In this context, novel approaches on resource efficient production of reinforcing textiles will be discussed. Inspired by nature’s fascinating answers to lightweight constructions, this research can provide groundbreaking knowledge for aeronautics and serial production in the automotive industry.

Scientists working in the field of flexible electronics will be presenting promising visions of applications for smart textiles and fashion, but also for architecture and printed organic photovoltaics. Professor Karl Leo from the Technical University Dresden will be inaugurating this intriguing topic with a plenary lecture on “Organic Semiconductors: From a Lab Curiosity to Highly Efficient Devices”.

After being successfully established in the past years, the IGF-ZIM transfer event “From Idea to Practice” will again be held as a third parallel session on the first day of the conference. The audience will be introduced to successful examples of products or methods which were developed in joint effort by academia and industry and then implemented by the industry.

On behalf of the textile research institutions of the Aachen and the Dresden area, the organizers would like to invite all interested companies, research institutes, associations and students from around the world for a lively scientific exchange of experiences and information – to the “9th Aachen-Dresden”.