The stage is set for ITMA 2023 to host a highly anticipated showcase of textile technologies to be held in Milan from June 8 to 14. Exhibition space grossing 200,000 square meters of the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition center was fully booked as early as February.
The upcoming exhibition will feature over 1,600 exhibitors from 44 countries. There is a total of 20 product sectors covering the entire textile and garment manufacturing value chain, including textile composites.
Ernesto Maurer, President of CEMATEX, said: “Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword; the industry has to move faster to adopt the sustainability agenda to secure the future of their business. During the pandemic, many of our members channeled their resources into R&D activities. ITMA 2023 is perfectly timed to offer our exhibitors an opportunity to showcase these new products and cutting-edge technology.”
ITMA Industry Forums
Two industry forums will be reprised at ITMA 2023. The ITMA Nonwovens Forum and ITMA Textile Colourants and Chemicals Forum will feature renowned experts who will offer insights into current challenges and share ideas on how the textile industry can achieve sustainability by leveraging innovative technologies.
“Challenges in the industrial environment also bring with them a wealth of opportunities,” says Maurer. “The ITMA forums will bring together stakeholders across the entire value chain to review the issues of the day, dialogue, collaborate and ensure that we will have a sustainable future. ITMA 2023 offers a unique platform as it attracts all the textile industry players in one convenient place.”
Nonwovens Forum
The Nonwovens Forum, held on June 10, will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Bryan Haynes, Technical Director for Global Nonwovens at Kimberly-Clark Corporation (United Kingdom). He will speak on the topic: Ready Now Nonwoven Solutions for the Global Plastics Crisis. His presentation will provide insights into solutions that are commercially available, highlighting Kimberly-Clark’s sustainability journey.
According to Dr. Haynes, who has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville, the Single Use Plastics Directive was a wake-up call to the nonwoven industry. Hence, he would like to urge industry players to explore ‘Coopetition’ or cooperative competition as this will accelerate speed to market solutions.
Following the keynote, there will be two sessions with presentations by ITMA 2023 exhibitors. The forum will end with a panel discussion on the theme, Leveraging Sustainable Innovation and Digital Technology in the Nonwoven Industry.
The panel includes Dr. Haynes and programme committee members: Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Executive Director & Associate Dean of The Nonwovens Institute; Dr.-Ing. Martin Dauner, Head of Competence Centre, Chemicals Fibres & Nonwovens of the Deutsche Institute für Textil (DITF); and Professor Stephen J. Russell, Professor of Textile Materials & Technology of Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour.
Textile Colourants & Chemicals Forum
Held since 2011, the Textile Colourants and Chemicals Forum, to be held on June 9, will feature a joint keynote presentation by Mr. Prasad Pant, Director, South Asia, ZDHC Foundation and Ms. Sophie Mather, Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Microfibre Consortium (TMC).
The presentation, Textile Wastewater: Addressing Microfibre Loss during Manufacture, focuses on the impact of fiber shedding from clothing during manufacture and consumer use. Microfibers have been flagged as an environmental hazard and the presenters will share the key findings from the joint project by the two organizations on fiber fragmentation in wastewater. Separate forum registration and fee can be found at www.itma.com.
Participants can also attend other complimentary activities, such as the Innovator Xchange (June 9 – 13) and the Innovation Video Showcase which will feature selected videos from exhibitors. For all enquiries, please email info@itma.co.
