Techtextil started yesterday (May 9th) in Frankfurt, Germany, and visitors can see, for example, an airbag for building workers, luminescent and heated garments, smart knee bandages and textile-reinforced concrete with built-in sensors.
A total of 1,477 exhibitors from 55 countries (2015: 1,389 from 52 countries) are presenting the complete spectrum of potential areas of application for textile materials and technologies at the biggest ever edition of Techtextil.
Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management at Messe Frankfurt GmbH, says, “We’re holding the biggest Techtextil ever, this year. The high number of exhibitors reflects the outstanding dynamism among producers of technical textiles, who enjoy continuing growth. The multifaceted range of applications seen at Techtextil, from products for the automotive industry to those applied in architecture, medicine, clothing and sports stands for the innovative power of the textile industry.”
With 423 exhibitors from Germany and 1,054 international exhibitors, the level of internationality at Techtextil has climbed to 71%. Represented for the first time are Lebanon, Mexico and Vietnam. Fourteen countries (Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the U.K. and U.S.) are represented by pavilions. The biggest increases in exhibitor number come from Europe, especially Spain, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, and China and India.
The largest groups of exhibitors are made up of companies with products for industrial applications (762), automobile and aerospace industries (673), architecture and building (559) and occupational safety (488). The fastest rates of growth have been registered by the industry segment (up 73), followed by sport (up 57), mobility (up 55) and apparel (up 49).