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Italy will help Vietnam to open two technology centers for the garment and footwear industries in 2016. Italy wants to help Vietnam improve the performance of garment and footwear sectors. The Italians will equip the upcoming centers with their machinery and technology as well as send experts to train the local workforce.
The centers will be set up at two leading universities. They will receive 15 machines from Italy, which will be used to help train skilled employees for both the Vietnamese and Italian apparel businesses. Italy is Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner in the EU, with bilateral trade topping $4billion in 2014, up 17 per cent from a year earlier. As of end of last year, Italy ranked ninth among EU countries, and 28th among foreign investors, in terms of direct foreign investment in Vietnam.
Vietnam and Italy have similarities in small and medium sized business structures and the two countries are discussing options for increasing bilateral trade ties and investment cooperation. Vietnam is among the ten emerging markets Italy has prioritised for developing trade and investment with. Many Italian businesses have plans for long term investment in the Vietnamese market.
Fiber supplier Euro Fibers has been renamed as Prisma. The company is known for high performance fibers like Dyneema, Twaron, Technora, Vectran and Zylon. Rebranding came about because the company is now transitioning to a technology platform with a growing presence and expanding services. It has tripled its coating capacity within a year.
The rebrand is the positive outcome of the company’s broadening footprint in and outside Europe, unprecedented demand, and increasing recognition. The company’s brand Prisma embodies a coating technology that creates innovative solutions to shield high performance fibers. The name Prisma originates from the initial trials conducted when Euro Fibers tried to coat Dyneema fibers. Dyneema is only available in white and with the Prisma coating technology the company can offer it in all colors of the rainbow. The new logo clearly shows all these colors. The stylised shield is a statement in itself with the shield representing the protective features the Prisma coating technology offers to treat high performance fibers.
The new brand identity is a logical step that communicates to both customers and end users that the company continues to provide products and services that consistently outpace its competitors’. With a strong logo, and a clear and distinctive website, the company shows customers why Prisma shielded fibers are the fibers of choice.
India's first industrial hemp start-up Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO), is run by seven twenty-year-olds, who dream of a green world. Hemp, hardly recognised in India, as it is confused with marijuana, is touted to be a billion-dollar industry in the West. Hemp is hardly consumed in India, unlike a small town in Australia that runs entirely on hemp. Locals in north India use it in their food and to make fibres, but that's about it. Sanvar Oberoi, one of the co-founders says, the Textile Ministry claims that industrial hemp fibre can rake in a potential revenue of approximately Rs 240 crore annually.
Several hemp-based products can be found at BOHECO’s office such as a couple of cream canvas hemp shoes that are still in the works, a neatly packaged crisp, white hemp shirt ready for shipment, bottles of hemp seed oil sit beside packets of hemp seeds, etc.
Romesh Bhattacharji, former narcotics commissioner of India and an advisor to BOHECO explained that hemp is created from the stalk and seed and is a non-narcotic and non-excisable duty item, not from the bud and leaf, which are used to make psychotropic substances. Suman Sahai, founder of the Gene Campaign and an advisor to BOHECO says that the long-term solution for integrating hemp is through development of Indian seeds. The first licence to develop hemp seeds in India in partnership with a government entity is bagged by BOHECO. Kotak stated that they would want to have their own seeds by 2017.
Sustainable clothing options are increasing for those dedicated to the cause. Luxury knitwear made from dead-stock yarns, one-of-a-kind pieces from unwanted locally sourced materials, and a synthetic spider silk parka are some of the latest options. The first product successfully made of synthetic spider silk materials is the Moon Parka. It took 11 years, 10 design iterations, and 656 gene synthesis designs to create it. Spiber, the Japanese advanced biomaterials company in collaboration with The North Face, created the prototype outerwear jacket and expects to deliver the final product in 2016. The product was a result of biomimicry and Spiber’s researchers were inspired by the extremely strong and flexible threads that spiders produce with biological proteins. The synthetic fibre used in the Moon Parka, called Qmonos was due to the development of over a decade. It is produced through an industrial fermentation process that involves micro-organisms producing proteins.
Spiber hopes to revolutionise the apparel industry with Moon Parka as a proof of concept for the spider silk fibre and the company has also set its sights on the automotive and medical device industries for future product development. Focussing on geckos’ sticky toe pads to improve adhesives and recyclability, Ford Motor Company’s researchers are also exploring biomimicry for inspiration.
Eleanor O’Neill, the designer with her Study 34 label is doing her part, where she hand-makes clothing using leftover luxury yarn. O’Neill buys the remnants of high-quality yarns disposed by manufacturers if there is not enough left to produce a complete line of garments. She buys in bulk and produces limited knitwear collections.
President John Mahama’s directive on government's policy on Made in Ghana products is being flouted by the Min¬istry of Education according to certain documents. Fabrics being used for government's free school uniform programme for de¬prived pupils by the ministry are being imported from China. The ministry has rendered a contractual agreement with one of the local textile manufacturing companies, to supply the fabric useless with Printex Ghana.
Now, equipment worth millions of dollars, which the company purchased to re¬tool in anticipation of continuous production of the uniforms, lies idle. In 2009, local textile manufac¬turing companies were empowered by the government, by procuring all its fabric needs from local manufacturers. However, it seems the government has abandoned the plan a few years down the line as the local textile manufacturing companies, to pro¬cure the uniforms from China made huge investments into retooling and installing new ma¬chines to meet the new demand.
The Greater Accra Regional Directorate of the Ghana Ed¬ucation Service released sets of uni¬forms to schools in Metropolitan, Municipality and District Assemblies for onward distribution to pupils in the region, recently. This action has resulted in many in the manufacturing industry doubting the government's commit¬ment to grow the local industry if it continues to import cheap fabric from China at the expense of a weak local textile manufacturing industry.
Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson said that the policy to pro¬cure fabrics locally was to help resusci¬tate the local textile industry and to create jobs and the union was seriously disappointed at the development.
“Where global industry and economy is facing challenge, the biggest edition opening today, attests ITMA as the trend setting exhibition,” says Charles Beauduin, President of the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) which owns the ITMA series, said, "ITMA has a very strong reputation as the world's most established textile and garment technology exhibition. We are grateful to our exhibitors and industry partners who have put their faith in the ITMA brand. The key to ITMA's success is its ability to reinvent itself and remain relevant to the industry that it serves.” Adding further he said, “The increasing number of exhibitors is an indication that industry is looking for efficient solutions, better technology and ITMA is responding to the demands of the textile industry.”
ITMA 2015 has opened up today on Nov 12, 2015 achieving a new 
milestone, with 1,691 exhibitors, the maximum so far in 64 years of history of ITMA, 20 per cent larger than 2011 exhibition. Opening at the Fiera Milano Rho today, the 17th edition of ITMA has 1,691 exhibitors from 46 countries and economies. The previous record was set by ITMA 2007 when 1,451 exhibitors from 38 countries took part in the exhibition.
The theme of ITMA 2015 is 'Master the Art of Sustainable Innovation'. The exhibition is not only a mega technology showcase; it also features initiatives underpinning the focus on sustainability. “As manufacturers realize that investing in sustainable technology is not about saving earth but also this is reducing cost of production” says Charles. Among the new initiatives is the launch of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award, the rebranding of the Research and Education Pavilion to Research and Innovation Pavilion, and many knowledge-sharing platforms to drive home the sustainability message.
ITMA 2015 features the largest exhibition so far, with the net exhibit space of over 108,000 square metres, occupying 11 halls of the Fiera Milano Rho fairgrounds, about 20 per cent larger than the 2011 exhibition.As in previous editions,exhibitors from CEMATEX countries occupy the largest space, with 73,830 square metres representing 69 per cent of the total net exhibit space, an increase of 18 per cent increase from the 2011 figure.The largest participating country in terms of space booked is Italy. Italian exhibitors totaled an area of 32,540 square metres, followed by Germany at 21,380 square metres, Switzerland at 5,530 square metres, and Spain with 4,540 square metres.
From non-CEMATEX countries, the four largest groups of participants are from Turkey at 7,590 square metres, China at 5,880 square metres, India at 4,870 square metres, and Japan at 3,960 square metres.The countries fielding the largest contingent of exhibitors at ITMA 2015 are Italy (453 exhibitors), Germany (238 exhibitors), China (184 exhibitors) and India (158 exhibitors).
ITMA 2015 features exhibits clustered into 19 product sectors. The sectors range from spinning, web formation, winding and texturing, weaving, knitting and hosiery, embroidery and braiding, finishing, dyestuffs and chemicals, software, logistics, plant operations, recycling and education to garment making and textile processing, printing and fibre and yarn.The top five sectors being dyeing and finishing which occupies 23 per cent of the space, with 303 exhibitors, spinning with 14 per cent of the space, 290 exhibitors, weaving with 12 per cent of the space, 179 exhibitors, knitting and hosiery, 13 per cent of the space, 128 exhibitors and printing that has 10 per cent of the space, 113 exhibitors.
CEMATEX continues to support research and educational institutes with a grant for the participation in the Research and Innovation Pavilion.The pavilion has 40 participating institutions. Taking centre-stage at the pavilion is the Speakers Platform which will be held from 15 to 17 November. A total of 43 papers on the theme of sustainable innovations, achievements in innovation and technical textiles applications, will be presented at the platform.
A series of complementary events have been organised to meet the needs of textile and garment industry professionals. These key events include, 2nd World Textile Summit, Nonwovens Forum, Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum, 2BFUNTEX Final Conference, Better Cotton Initiative's Responsible Sourcing Seminar, Digital Textile Conference, EURATEX Convention and SistemaModa Italia Presentation Organised by MP Expositions, ITMA 2015 is expected to draw visitors from over 130 countries. It is held from 12 to 19 November at the Fiera Milano Rho. The next ITMA will be held in Barcelona at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue from 20 to 26 June 2019.
World Textile Summit
13 November 2015 -The World Textile Summit (WTS) 2015 will bring together the world's most influential textile business leaders to explore business responses to the international drive for sustainable manufacturing. Hosting the summit is Nadine Dereza – an award-winning journalist. Illustrious speakers include:Franke Henke, Global Vice President of Social &Environtment Affairs, adidas Group,Linda Keppinger, Global Materials Director, Nike Inc., and Roger Yeh, President, Everest Textile Co Ltd.WTS 2015 is organised by CEMATEX, MP Expositions and World Textile Information Network.
Textile Colourant and Chemical Leaders Forum
14 November 2015- Launched at ITMA 2011, the forum was an industry initiative that drew lively participation from dyestuff, colour and chemical professionals from around the world. This year’s forum focuses on sustainable manufacturing vis-à-vis colourants and chemicals. The agenda will addresstopics related to chemical pollution and the environmental issues and how these impact the market place, the response of supply chain; andthe trends and/or game changers moving forward.
Nonwovens Forum at ITMA
16 November 2015- Jointly organised by EDANA, the international association for the nonwovens and related Industries and MP, the forum features topics relating to applications and technologies, as well as added value ingredients and finishing for nonwovens. Jacques Prigneaux, Market Analysis and Economic Affairs Director at EDANA, will also touch on production figures, trends and forecast, and international trade dynamics for the nonwovens sector.
Bangladesh wants to develop its silk industry. The traditional silk industry has lagged behind economically and market is limited. Original silk has been replaced by synthetic duplicates. Bangladesh imports 486 tons of silk mostly from China every year as the local production of raw silk is only 24 metric tons against the demand of 510 tons. Local production of silk meets only 4.7 per cent of the domestic demand.
The country also wants to encourage production of quality silk for export. The main constraints of the silk sector in Bangladesh are a shortage of local mulberry production, obsolete technology, poor advertising, inadequate capital and insufficient governmental facilities. The sericulture industry in the country has largely become stagnant. Silk production declined dramatically over 1995 due to an increase in VAT on imported silk, followed by devastating floods in 1998.
Mulberry leaf is the food on which the silkworm lives. Production of raw silk is directly dependent on the production of this leaf. In Bangladesh mulberry plantation occupies now about 4,000 hectares. Bangladesh today can produce 80 to 100 metric tons of raw silk if it utilises its present resources. India is the second largest producer and the largest consumer of silk in the world.
During the recent Denim Playground show in Dhaka, organiser Denimsandjeans.com launched a first of its kind online show called DeBrands.
The idea behind this concept is to take advantage of the changes happening in the global fashion space owing to the Internet revolution. Elaborating, Sandeep Agarwal, Organiser, Denim Playground says, “Lots of business will be transacted online in the coming years and that’s the reason we need to be prepared for the new trend driven by the Internet and social media. So through Denimsandjeans.com, we decided to create a platform specifically for the denim industry, where the denim mills could showcase their collections to the buyers across the world, without actually having to meet in person to do so.”
Initially, the platform would implement the program with some denim fabric companies and later it will extend it to garment producers and others, who are part of the supply chain. The platform will provide several features for exhibitors, suppliers and buyers such as exhibiting products, opportunity to show limited or entire product range, initiate a dialogue and so on.
The fourth edition of our Denimsandjeans show, Denim Playground was based on the theme of athleisure, sighting the trend that consumers across the world are looking for much more comfortable, stretchy and active wear products with a lot of sales from the denim industry shifting to active wear segment. The idea was to focus on the athleisure part of the denim and how the industry players can integrate this trend in their denim offerings.
www.denimsandjeans.com
The Russian government plans to focus on the development of domestic technical textiles industry for the next several years. According to Denis Pak, Head of the Department of Development of domestic trade, light industry and consumer market of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, technical textiles is considered the most promising segment among Russia’s light industry.
Linen and wool currently occupy a small share of the Russian market, which is steadily declining. However, consumption of polyester and viscose is steadily growing. Historically, Pak says, the Russian light industry was focussed on natural raw materials, and in particular cotton, wool, linen, while the production of synthetic fibres and technical textile materials was insignificant. However, technical textile industry could potentially be the largest contributer to the national GDP and they are planning to focus on the development of this segment during the next several years.
Despite all efforts taken by the Russian government in recent years, though, the volume of domestic technical textiles production still remains low, while up to 80 percent of the market accounts for imports, according to data from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. However, the government believes that in the coming years, the current situation would change.
The implementation of a series of investment projects in the field of technical textiles in Russia would provide import replacement in the domestic technical textiles market that would amount to 70 billion rubles ($1,2 billion) a year, as per the Ministry. To speed up R&D activities in the field of technical textiles and in particular those aimed at developing new types of synthetic fibres and yarns, the government also plans to allocate funds.
