With 1,700 exhibitors from 53 countries, “Techtextil” and “Texprocess” are once again the center for trend-setting innovations in the international textile industry this year. For its 20th edition, “Techtextil” shines with a new size. Texprocess” is also strongly positioned across all product groups. The materials, products, machines and processes presented at the two trade fairs, as well as the new business alliances established, set an important course for the future of the industry. “Frankfurt is once again the focal point for textile and technological innovations, which are often presented to the public for the first time at Techtextil and Texprocess. These are an important indicator and driver for the future of many other branches of industry. On its 20th anniversary, Techtextil is bigger than ever before and, together with Texprocess, is in top form”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, in his speech.

The trade fairs already provided impetus at the opening in the panel talk on the topic: From textile recycling to garment processing – the role of AI. Chloé Salmon Legagneur, Director, CETIA, Prof. Dr. Ingo Rollwagen, AMD Akademie Mode & Design / Hochschule Fresenius, Senior Advisor IMP Consulting, Elgar Straub, Managing Director VDMA Textile Care, Fabrics and Leather Technologies and Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt discussed the potential applications in textile production and processing.

Artificial intelligence in the textile industry – finding new ways, exploiting potential and improving existing processes. AI promises a multitude of opportunities for progress in the textile industry. The advantages are obvious: efficient, competitive, transparent and sustainable. However, making the best use of AI for your own company requires know-how, investment and the right technologies. The panel talk looked at how AI can be used optimally in the textile industry from different perspectives. For example, intelligent error detection during production or optimized material calculations make production and processing faster, better and more sustainable. On the other hand, AI can create completely new products.

“AI expands the scope for innovation. In addition to speeding up and increasing the efficiency of existing processes, it creates new added value by improving products. For example, in the form of circular, regenerative textile solutions with longer life cycles. In the future, AI will make it possible to no longer do the same thing faster, but to create completely new, better, more individual and more sustainable textile solutions that are better tailored to customers and better for the environment at the same time,” explains Prof. Dr. Ingo Rollwagen in his keynote speech.

The EU Green Deal calls for scalable recycling solutions. New developments with AI will provide a remedy in the future. For example, by differentiating between textile and non-textile materials, such as zippers, and automatically separating them. The French innovation platform “Cetia” develops industrial solutions that prepare textiles for the recycling process. “Efficient, innovative technologies are needed to enable textile recycling on a large scale. Automation, robotics and AI increase economic efficiency and competitiveness. Interdisciplinary cooperation between research and industry is crucial for this,” explains Chloé Salmon Legagneur in the panel talk.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a buzzword for companies. It is rapidly changing the industry and is finding its way into more and more applications. This also means that the industry must engage with AI in order to remain competitive and exploit the many benefits that AI offers. Techtextil and Texprocess, as the international meeting place for the industry, are the first port of call for information and exchange.