The sixth ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 exhibition opened in Shanghai with industry players focusing on technology’s impact on taking China’s textile industry forward into the future. The combined show is spread over 180,000 sq. mt exhibition space and has attracted a total of 1,733 exhibitors from 28 countries and economies to showcase a wide array of latest technology solutions that will help textile makers to become more competitive.

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 is owned by Cematex and its Chinese partners – the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC). It is organised by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition and co-organised by ITMA Services. The Japan Textile Machinery Association (JTMA) is a special partner of the show. China occupies over 68,000 sq. mt. net space at the exhibition. In Asia, Japan takes up over 3,500 sq. mt. net space while Taiwan occupies nearly 2,500 sq. mt. net.Among European participants, Germany takes the largest space of nearly 6,400 sq. mt. This is followed closely by Italy and Switzerland.

In product categories, spinning has the largest space, occupying 22 per cent of the total exhibit space. Finishing machinery forms the next biggest group at 20 per cent, followed by knitting (19 per cent) and weaving (17 per cent).