The IVGT was once again appointed official representative and contact by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Even though international business and ranking organisations currently rate Russia as a high-risk market, 45% of companies participating in an ad-hoc survey at the German Pavilion, said they expected the fair to lead to a boost in business. When asked whether they intended to return to the fair, 67% stated they would.

Expert group – Tape+Braid

In response to an invitation by the acting chairman of the expert group Tape+Braid, the managing directors of the member companies visited in early April a new production facility in the Ruhr Valley, specialising in braided and woven tapes and well as products for industry and the automotive sector. Topics up for discussion included “Production of the Future” and the industry-wide problem of recruiting new talent. The expert group is composed mainly of German companies and represents almost half of the manufacturing industry in German-speaking Europe. An industry survey conducted at the end of 2017 found that 90% of German manufacturers give greater priority to achieving operational excellence than to growth and expansion. The members of the expert group also confirmed that current objectives included improving cost efficiency and enhancing performance management. 52% of the respondents expressed concerns that their products and services could lose their customer relevance in the coming years. This is why 45% of companies are engaged in significant research and development work to pave the way for new products. More than 60% of German textiles companies are already producing technical products. Around 18% of the textiles currently on the market have been available on average for less than a year. The IVGT anticipates that this percentage will continue to grow at a steady pace.

2D-woven 3D textiles

In mid-April, the members of the Technical Committee met with technology and research leaders from industry and textile research institutes for their spring meeting in Rhineland-Pfalz. A tour of one of the biggest fully integrated facilities for medical and technical textiles was followed by an intense dialogue among experts. The discussion focused on progress in the manufacture and simulation of multi-dimensional textiles and current findings. The objective of such scientific work is to prepare the ground for merging machine and software technology with textile expertise with a view to enhancing iterative development processes in terms of their quality and duration. During the IVGT Members’ Meeting in Augsburg this November, the member companies will be invited to discuss advances in electronic error recognition and automated fabric inspection along the textile chain (from fabric production to the final product). In its role as an expert body, it is incumbent upon the Technical Committee to provide its members with valuable guidance on current technical developments, to promote dialogue and initiate future areas of research on textiles, machinery, raw materials and textile auxiliaries.

Events staged by the IVGT 2018

7 May – Business Management Committee in Frankfurt a.M.

22 May – High-Tex from Germany, Techtextil North America

6 June – 3rd PPE Expert Discussion in Frankfurt a.M.

13 June – Technical Discussion Worsted yarns + Wool testing workshop in Bremen

11 September – Environment Workshop in Wuppertal

24 September – Expert Group – Textile Polishing Discs in Frankfurt

14-15 November – IVGT Members’ Meeting in Augsburg