HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England — January 30, 2023 — Epson has partnered with renowned Japanese fashion designer Yuima Nakazato and his eponymous YUIMA NAKAZATO brand at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Spring – Summer 2023 to unveil creations that are both stunning and sustainable. In addition to utilising Epson’s digital textile printing to reproduce his unique and creative worldview, YUIMA NAKAZATO realized some of its creations with the help of a new, more sustainable and potentially industry-transforming textile production process.
Epson’s dry fiber technology, which is already used commercially to recycle office paper and which requires virtually no water, has been adapted to produce printable nonwoven fabric from used garments. The new fabric production process was revealed in Paris as part of a three-year collaboration between Epson and YUIMA NAKAZATO and was used in the creation of items for the first time during the latter’s runway show at the Palais de Tokyo on January 25, 2023.
The collaboration between Epson and YUIMA NAKAZATO builds on the success of the company’s printing support for his couture and evolves the level of his creations to enable the low-impact production of high-quality custom garments. Both Epson and YUIMA NAKAZATO are keen to raise awareness of the water and material waste associated with excess production. The Paris Show illustrates how switching to digital textile printing using more environmentally friendly pigment inks offers the fashion industry a more sustainable and less wasteful means of textile printing.1
The fabric taken to create the latest YUIMA NAKAZATO fashion line was derived from material from used garments sourced from Africa, the destination for many discarded garments from elsewhere in the world. Nakazato visited Kenya where he collected around 150 kg of waste garment material destined for the “clothes mountain” of discarded textiles he encountered there. Epson then applied its dry fiber process to produce over 50 meters of new re-fiberized non-woven fabric, some of which was used for printing with pigment inks with Epson’s Monna Lisa digital printing technology.2
Hitoshi Igarashi from Epson’s Printing Solutions Division explains the importance of the technology: “Although in its early stages, Epson believes its dry fiber technology combined with pigment ink digital printing could offer the fashion industry a much more sustainable future, significantly reducing water use while allowing designers the freedom to fully express their creativity.
“Epson’s Environmental Vision is committed to contributing to a circular economy, and this development could be one step towards achieving this. Dry fiber technology applied to the fashion industry offers the possibility of producing material for new clothes that have been recycled from used garments.”
In a trial of distributed printing for venue decoration, Epson inkjet printers in Japan and France with remote support from Epson engineers were used to create decorations in the venue space. Both Epson and YUIMA NAKAZATO intend to continue exploring the possibilities for contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry.
CARY, N.C. — January 30, 2023 — Global leading companies from more than 15 countries in the filtration and separation industry will connect with some 1,500 industry professionals and launch their innovations at FiltXPO™ 2023, October 10-12, at Navy Pier in Chicago.
Exhibitors will connect with industry decision-makers, discover unparalleled new partnerships, and highlight their capabilities over three power-packed days. Registration to reserve stands in the exhibition hall is now open on the FiltXPO website https://www.filtxpo.com/.
FiltXPO, North America’s only exhibition and conference dedicated exclusively to filtration and separation, is now being held on an 18-month cycle, making it an especially valuable opportunity to generate new business and grow global relationships with unique exposure to the North American market, according to INDA.
“Now as an every 18-month show, it is more important than ever for my clients to attend the FiltXPO show,” said Lowell George, Filter Division sales manager, Massman Automation. “Instead of traveling to see each of our clients, I look forward to exhibiting and meeting with current filter industry contacts and new prospects in one location at FiltXPO.”
FiltXPO will draw senior-level professionals from around the world in major market segments involved in the design, manufacture, sales, and use of filtration/separation products and services.
Hollingsworth & Vose Co. is among the leading organizations that will be represented at the exhibition with executives from purchasing, sales and marketing, engineering and doctorate-level innovators, according to Josh Ayer, president and CEO.
The direct engagement that FiltXPO offers is irreplaceable and the event provides the opportunity for participants to “step up their game” in providing impactful indoor air quality solutions, said Doug Huntley, senior global R&D Leader, Home Environment Markets, 3M.
A significant feature of the event will be the technical conference — Summit for Global Change. Five panels of global industry experts will debate filtration and separation’s most compelling challenges such as indoor air quality, filtration sustainability, standards and technologies. FiltXPO will also offer a one-and-a-half day intensive training course on the development, testing and application of filtration and separation media.
For exhibition, registration and training details, visit the FiltXPO website https://www.filtxpo.com/.
Posted: January 26, 2023
Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry
Coming off the challenging but strong year in 2022, the textile industry faces additional challenges and opportunities in 2023.
This issue of Textile Worldfeatures a review of investments made last year in the industry — and it is an impressive list. Companies large and small in a variety of diverse industry sectors clearly illustrate an appetite for investing in U.S. textiles.
Large, historic companies like Mount Vernon Mills and Milliken & Company continue to invest in capacity. On the other hand, family owned business Beverly Knits is creating new opportunities with Creative Dyeing & Finishing LLC. The acquisition gives Beverly the ability to provide solutions from knitting all the way to a completed garment.
Yes, there are headwinds in the economy with rising interest rates, inflation and faltering economies around the globe. But there also are positive trends like near-shoring and the clear demonstration that global supply chains are vulnerable — a fact made evident during the pandemic.
The year 2023 also is a year jam packed with industry events with something for everybody — ITMA 2023, INDEX™23, JEC World 2023, Techtextil North America/Texprocess Americas and the Advanced Textiles Expo, just to name just a few. But the schedule begs the questions: Has COVID changed the show and sales environment significantly? Will people want to participate? Will exhibitors invest? Will attendees travel?
The consensus seems cautious, but optimistic on both fronts. There are many people who miss the networking and sense of discovery that trade shows bring, as well as the search for and discovery of new technologies that can be leveraged or considered in a company’s investment plans.
The strong dollar may hurt U.S. exports but compared to recent years, it creates a buying opportunity for U.S. companies to purchase equipment from euro-denominated suppliers.
In addition, there is investment chasing new dominant trends in the industry that are tied to green and sustainable manufacturing — things that measurably reduce the carbon footprint of textile manufacturing. Technologies that reduce consumption of water, energy, use more environmentally friendly chemistries, and less of them, are sought after. And new materials that have a “greener” story than traditional products are being explored. It seems that brands and retailers continue to drive demand. And demand parameters have changed over the past five years.
The cheap needle and a blind eye to sources have shifted to a place of valuing things such as traceability, authenticity and ethical origins of manufacture. More and more, companies are appointing a chief sustainability officer or vice president of sustainability. It may not be a bad thing to see these initiatives and investments valued in the supply chain.
Surely, 2023 will see accelerating changes in the industry. The one thing that has always stood out about U.S. textiles is the companies that are successful have found success because of quick and smart adoption of innovations and acceptance of change. By all counts those qualities remain important today.
Fingers crossed that a negative black swan doesn’t shift the gears of the post-COVID recovery, and just maybe 2023 will yield more opportunities and fewer challenges.
revalyu Resources, a Germany-based chemical polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling company, has announced plans to open its first U.S. based PET recycling plant in Statesboro, Ga. The $50 million investment covers the initial phase of the development, which when complete, will result in capacity to process more than 225,000 pounds per day of post-consumer plastic bottles into sustainable esters and rPET chips.
The facility will employ 70 associates initially. Eventually, the facility will have capacity to process up to 450,000 pounds per day.
revalyu reports its proprietary chemical recycling process has processed more than 6 billion bottles into recycled PET of the highest purity. According to the company, its process uses 91-percent less energy and 67-percent less water than conventional polyester recycling processes. revalyu’s rPET chips may be used in any sustainable PET product, but are mostly used in the textile industry.
“We thank all our U.S. customers, partners, and the Statesboro community for their support, trust, and confidence in us,” said Jan van Kisfeld, managing director of revalyu. ”Expanding our operations to the U.S. is an important milestone for our global expansion strategy. It brings us closer to our target of recycling more than two million pounds of used PET bottles per day by 2026 and contributes to solving the plastic waste problem.”
Warp knit fabric producer Apex Mills, Inwood, N.Y., has announced plans to acquire a former HanesBrands facility in Patrick County, Va. The $3.1 million investment will retain 96 jobs and create 44 additional positions. Apex will maximize the full capacity of the facility to fulfill contracts for the Hanes basic apparel brand. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin approved a $300,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the county with the project. Apex Mills also is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program as well as funding and services to support employee training through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.
“The Apex Mills family of companies has been manufacturing Made in the USA textiles for 80 years, and as part of our dedication to support and grow the domestic textile industry we are continually seeking facilities and communities committed to this same goal,” said Jonathan Kurz, president and CEO, Apex Mills. “When we became aware of the imminent closing of the HanesBrands Woolwine operation and learned more about the rich tradition of textile manufacturing in Patrick County we ultimately made the decision that this was where we wanted to locate our next fabric formation facility.”
Advanced materials manufacturer Hollingsworth & Vose (H&V), headquartered in East Walpole, Mass., has announced a $40.2 million expansion project in Floyd County, Va. The expansion includes a 28,000-square-foot addition to existing facilities and will add 25 new jobs. Governor Youngkin approved a $558,700 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Floyd County with the project.
“Hollingsworth & Vose has generated positive economic impact and job opportunities in Floyd County for more than four decades, and this significant investment further solidifies the company’s commitment to Virginia,” Governor Youngkin said.
“We’ve been a part of the Floyd, Virginia, community since 1976,” said Josh Ayer, H&V CEO. “This facility is essential to serving both our global and domestic customers. We chose Virginia for this expansion because of its positive business environment and strong support from the Commonwealth of Virginia and Floyd County.”
Pearl River, N.Y.-based Anellotech has announced plans to start advanced lab testing and scale-up of its Tex-TCat™ mixed textile waste recycling technology. The solution is a fluid bed catalytic pyrolysis process that effectively recycles mixed waste textiles directly into the same chemical feedstocks such as benzene, toluene and xylenes. The closed-loop, fiber-to-fiber process then uses these compounds to make virgin polyester and nylon. According to the company, lab-scale studies have shown that Tex-TCat is capable of handling a variety of textile materials including cotton, polyester, nylon, elastane, acrylic and polyurethane. The technology is one solution to the mixed waste stream that ends up in landfills since it tackles single fiber garments as well as blends and traditionally non-recylable blends.
“Tex-TCat has the potential to divert large quantities of previously unrecyclable textiles from landfills and provide major brands, through their existing suppliers, with recycled content,” said David Sudolsky, president and CEO of Anellotech. “The technology promises to be a key enabler of the textile industry’s work to become more sustainable.”
ITMA 2023 will be held at the Fiera Milano Rho fairgrounds in Milan, Italy.
The global textile industry will converge on Milan in June for the 19th edition of ITMA.
TW Special Report
Since 1951, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) has organized what is generally regarded as the largest and most comprehensive textile machinery trade show in the world. Held once every four years, ITMA has become a platform for emerging trends and innovative solutions, new knowledge and best practices, and establishing relationships with textile industry leaders. The next edition of the show will be held June 8-14, 2023, at the Fiera Milano Rho fairgrounds in Milan, Italy. Milan is hosting ITMA for the sixth time since its inception at the now 19th edition of the show. ITMA is owned by CEMATEX, and is organized by ITMA Services.
The overall theme for ITMA 2023 is “Transforming the World of Textiles.” Four sub-themes under this umbrella title include advanced materials, automation and digital future, innovative technologies, and sustainability and circularity.
ITMA’s quadrennial schedule somewhat insulated the event from pandemic-related effects. The last show took place in 2019, and now, 4 years later, the 2023 event is on track to occur with minimal disruption for organizers. CEMATEX President Ernesto Maurer noted in a recent interview with Textile World that the industry has been very supportive of the event and strong participation is expected in June (See sidebar on page 10).
As of TW’s press time, exhibition space is almost sold out and more than 1,570 exhibitors from 42 countries have booked exhibit space. Italy, Germany and Spain form the top three countries based on the number of exhibiting companies; and the top sectors are finishing, spinning, weaving, printing, knitting, winding and nonwovens.
“We are also pleasantly surprised that a number of exhibitors have taken up larger stand surface,” Maurer said. “On average, we see a more than 10 percent increase in the space booked by exhibitors.” Companies with the largest exhibit space include Epson, Groz-Beckert, Karl Mayer/Stoll, Lonati, Muratec, Oerlikon, Pai Lung, Picanol, Reggiani Macchine, Rieter, Saurer, Savio, Stäubli, Trützschler and Vandewiele.
“After weathering over two years of the pandemic, the global business community is eager to get down to real business,” noted Charles Beauduin, chairman of ITMA Services. “Businesses are looking at long-term investments in key technologies to remain competitive. As the world’s most established showcase of its kind, ITMA is the quintessential platform for the industry to buy and sell, and to collaborate face-to-face.”
The Venue
Fiera Milano Rho is one of the largest fairgrounds in the world, spanning 345,000 square meters of covered gross exhibition space over 20 pavilions. The venue is well equipped with conference rooms, as well as a host of restaurants, bars and coffee houses. The fairground is located in the west of Milan and connected to the city center via a metro station, Rho Fiera. It is also served by railway and there are 14,000 parking spaces for visitors.
What’s New?
ITMA has added one new category to its list of exhibit “chapters” for 2023 — Chapter 11, which is focused on machinery for textile reinforcement structures for composites. This brings the total number of chapters to 20 (See Table 1).
CEMATEX has also launched the Start-Up Valley, a new initiative featuring companies in early stages of developments “with new and game changing solutions and technologies to support and inspire innovation for the textile, garment and fashion industry.” Sixteen start-ups were selected by an expert panel from a pool of applicants. Successful companies received a grant to help cover the costs of exhibiting at the Start-Up Valley during the exhibition, and also are invited to participate in the Innovator Xchange, ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award and Innovation Showcase. See the March/April 2023 issue of TW for more information about these show features and other events and education offerings for participants during the 2023 exhibition.
“CEMATEX is excited to launch the Start-Up Valley initiative to attract innovative, young companies to ITMA 2023,” Maurer said. “As the largest textile technology exhibition attracting leading textile and garment manufacturers from around the world, ITMA offers start-ups a useful platform to put their innovations in front of a global audience, to find investors and collaborators, and to leverage industry connections and professional networks.”
Visitor Incentive
Visitor registration is currently open. To encourage visitors to register ahead of time, ITMA is offering an early bird rate through May 7, 2023, on its website. Visitors may purchase a one-day pass for 40 euros and an eight-day pass for 80 euros. Students are welcomed June 10-14 at a discounted rate of 25 euros for a five-day badge.
Beginning March 8, registered visitors will gain access to ITMAconnect, an online platform that connects visitors with exhibitors and industry partners to make appointments for in-person meetings during the show, as well as enable discussions before and after the event.
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been exploring ways to add value to our participants in the digital space,” Maurer remarked. “We are excited that with the launch of ITMAconnect, we now offer the global textile community enhanced opportunities that extend beyond the physical exhibition. We hope exhibitors will make full use of this online platform to keep their contacts engaged while generating new leads to grow their businesses.”
The show is open June 8-13 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day. On June 14, the show opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m.
About Milan
Located in the northwestern section of the Po Valley, Milan is the second-largest city in Italy with a population of approximately 1.3 million. The city is the main financial, industrial and commercial center of Italy, housing the Borsa Italiana — Italy’s main stock exchange — and the headquarters of major banks and corporations.
The city has a long history as a fashion, clothing and textile producer and is widely recognized as one of the world’s fashion capitals, making it the perfect backdrop for a textile machinery trade show.
Famous must-see sights while in Milan include the Duomo di Milano, La Scala, and Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper mural.
Some of the more famous visitor attractions found in Milan include the Duomo di Milano, Italy’s largest church.
The Duomo di Milano,— or Milan Cathedral — took nearly six centuries to build. It is the largest church in Italy and the fifth largest in the world. The Duomo is dedicated to St. Mary of the Nativity and acts as the seat of the Archbishop of Milan.
Teatro alla Scala, or La Scala as it’s more commonly known, is an opera house opened in 1778. Throughout its history, many great operatic artists and singers have appeared at the venue, which is still considered one of the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world. The La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet and La Scala Theatre Orchestra are all housed at the opera house.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade
For ITMA visitors interested in a little shopping during their time in Milan, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a can’t miss stop. This four-story double arcade connecting the Duomo and La Scala, is one of the world’s oldest shopping malls built between 1865 and 1877. Today, the arcade features a variety of luxury retailers, restaurants, cafés and bars.
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
The Last Supper, da Vinci’s late 15th century mural, can be found in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The painting has seen better days after enduring repeated damage, years of neglect and various restoration attempts over time, but it is still a very popular tourist attraction.
Santa Maria delle Grazie church (photograph courtesy of Marcin Bialek), which houses The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
Traveling around Milan is easy thanks to the city’s extensive transportation system comprising an underground metro, trams, buses, link lines and taxis. The underground lines offer cheap and quick movement around the city, and bus routes follow the four metro lines M1, M2, M3, M4 as well as the most popular routes between the city center and outskirts. Bus service also runs all night on Friday and Saturday nights.
Maurer
Textile World Interview With CEMATEX President Ernesto Maurer
ITMA is owned by the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), an organization that represents Europe’s national textile machinery associations.
Ernesto Maurer, president of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association (Swissmem), currently is serving a four-year term as CEMATEX president.
Textile World recently had the opportunity to speak to Maurer about ITMA 2023.
TW: A lot has changed in the world since the last ITMA show held in Barcelona in 2019. Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected ITMA 2023 at all in terms of planning and organizing the event?
Maurer: We are fortunate that the COVID-19 pandemic started after we had successfully completed ITMA 2019. Since ITMA is held every four years, the pandemic has minimal impact on the organizing of the exhibition as preparations only intensify two years before the exhibition. By the close of our space application, many countries have lifted COVID-19 restrictions and companies are eager to take their business back on track.
Nevertheless, the pandemic has a vast impact on the global economy and disrupted supply chains, which has affected our participants adversely. Despite this, we are grateful for the support of the industry which has helped us secure a strong participation rate for ITMA 2023.
TW: Barring any unforeseen issues, what is the outlook for the show in terms of exhibitors and visitors?
Maurer: We are very optimistic about the outcome of the exhibition, as everybody — exhibitors, visitors and organizers alike — are really enthusiastic.
Our exhibitor promotions have yielded favorable response and virtually all exhibition space has been fully booked. Although we may not reach the number of exhibitors as in 2019, many exhibitors are booking more space. In terms of exhibition space, we have already surpassed the 2019 size, and this is what counts in the end.
Generally, the industry is looking forward to having face-to-face interactions again and we are positive that there will a good turnout of visitors from around the world, barring unforeseen circumstances.
TW: What are the areas of strength in technologies and markets for machinery?
Maurer: The world is pivoting to digital and there are also urgent demands for sustainable and circular solutions. Textile machinery that will help textile manufacturers transform digitally and automate processes to increase productivity will be in great demand. On the sustainability front, green technologies that reduce carbon footprint or use less water and energy are currently trending.
The pandemic has also spawned demand for machinery for the manufacturing of nonwovens, especially for hygiene and medical uses.
TW: Are there any emerging areas of interest for the textile industry?
Maurer: There are two broad areas the industry is interested in: digitalization and automation; and sustainability and circularity. These are the main forces shaping the future of manufacturing for many industries, including the textile and garment industry. Both digitalization and sustainability require a long-term commitment that reshapes the entire approach to business. At the same time, they need to have mind-changing inputs at a technological, as well as economical level. Increasingly, digitalization can be used as a powerful tool in the journey towards sustainable manufacturing.
TW: Does the show’s Milan location offer any benefits in terms of international travel?
Maurer: A cosmopolitan city, Milan is a very popular destination for exhibitions and conventions. As it has three airports, it is extremely well-connected to Europe and the rest of the world. Participants can make the most out of their ITMA 2023 experience by combining business with leisure. They can also take the opportunity to explore nearby picturesque cities and towns, art and culture, and gastronomic delights.
TW: Are there any new show features visitors should be aware of?
Maurer: For this edition, we have value-added to the ITMA experience by introducing ITMAconnect, a one-stop sourcing platform and knowledge hub. The platform connects the global textile community before ITMA, and extends the engagement after the exhibition.
Our exhibitors will be setting up digital spaces to showcase their exhibits, and registered visitors will be able to learn more about these products and schedule onsite meetings with them from March 8. With this platform, both exhibitors and visitors can plan their participation more effectively and be more productive during the exhibition.
Another new initiative is Start-Up Valley which spotlights companies in its early stages of development with game changing solutions. Sixteen companies have been awarded a CEMATEX grant to defray their participation costs. You can find out more about these start-ups and their innovative solutions from www.itma.com.
Last, but not least, we have expanded our index of products by introducing textile composites. Visitors will be able to source machinery for textile reinforcement structures for composites, auxiliary machinery and accessories.
TW: Please give a quick synopsis of ITMA 2023. Tell readers what to expect and why they should attend.
Maurer: ITMA 2023 will be the first major exhibition for the textile and garment industry to be held after the coronavirus pandemic. The industry is looking forward to the face-to-face interactions with their industry colleagues and customers in Milan.
The theme of ITMA 2023 is “Transforming the World of Textiles.” It is underscored by four trending topics: automation and digital future, advanced materials, sustainability and circularity, and innovative technologies.
Well-known as the launchpad for innovative products, you can expect many exhibitors to take advantage of the largest industry gathering to showcase the latest innovations from across the entire manufacturing value chain.
With greater emphasis on collaboration among various stakeholders, ITMA 2023 will present great opportunities for dialogues and sharing of knowledge among industry groups.
For more information about ITMA 2023, visit itma.com. Textile World will continue its pre-show coverage in the March/April 2023 issue complete with an A-Z exhibitor list and show floor plan.
Based on favorable feedback from a stakeholder poll, INDEX™ 23 returns to Geneva in 2023 despite pandemic-related disruptions to last edition
TW Special Report
Every three years Belgium-based EDANA — the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries — and show organizer Palexpo bring together the entire nonwovens industry at the INDEX™ trade show. The event, with its unique nonwovens focus and highly vertical format, offers four intensive days of insights, networking and rewarding business activities, according to EDANA.
However, the pandemic seriously impacted the triennial schedule for INDEX with the March 2020 edition of the show eventually taking place in October 2021 after several postponements and rescheduled dates.
This left a decision to make about when to host future editions of the show. After polling stakeholders including EDANA members and exhibitors, it was determined that the show should remain on its previously announced schedule with the next editions taking place in 2023 and 2026.
“We have heard our key stakeholders’ voice, and the leading position of INDEX among global nonwovens exhibitions gives us full trust in the industry’s favorable response to both INDEX 23 and INDEX 26,” said Michael Staal Axelsen, chair of the EDANA board and CEO of Fibertex Personal Care.
Currently, organizers are getting ready for the 2023 edition, which will be held April 18-21, at its usual location — Palexpo in Geneva. Dates for 2026 have yet to be announced.
The atypical show schedule makes it hard to predict visitor numbers, but organizers report they expect 2023 figures to be somewhere between 9,000 and 13,000 based on 2017 and 2021 attendance. The 2021 edition hosted 500 exhibitors with an additional 200 exhibitors participating via the show’s virtual platform.
Exhibits are organized into six groups: Filtration; Geotextiles & Civil Engineering; Hygiene & Cleaning; Medical: Infection Prevention; Transportation; and Packaging.
Alongside the exhibit floor, the show will host a seminar program focused on the topics of:
Sustainable use of geosynthetics in mega projects in civil and environmental engineering;
A look into the future of sustainable nonwovens;
Nonwovens are essential for the mobility transition;
Why nonwovens are indispensable in healthcare; and
Energy.
The INDEX 23 awards will be presented to winners during the exhibition, and visitors will be able to view all nominated products from each of the six award categories in a dedicated space on the show floor.
In addition, INDEX 23 will continue to offer a virtual option for participants unable to visit Geneva in person. The tool allows visitors to watch presentations, as well interact with speakers, exhibitors and other participants.
The exhibition is open April 18-20 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., and on April 21 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. A four-day ticket is available for 100 euros ($110). No daily tickets will be available. Participation in the virtual event will be free to all.
“The three year-cycle provides an ideal frequency to keep the momentum and eagerness for visitors and exhibitors alike to live the unique INDEX experience, reconnect with their business contacts and rediscover Geneva’s scenery again,” said Magali Fakhry, exhibition director, Palexpo. “We are looking forward to welcoming them again in April 2023 …”
For more information about INDEX™23 including details about the seminars, events and virtual options, please visit indexnowovens.com.
Comprehensive composites showcase JEC World returns to Paris in April for the 2023 edition.
TW Special Report
Dubbed by organizer JEC Group as the “festival of composites,” the annual trade show JEC World returns to the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, April 25-27, 2023.
JEC World is a global show attracting visitors from around the world to view what’s new in the composites arena. Established firms as well as startups join research and development personnel, scientists, academics and other experts to do business, share insights, learn and network.
Show Features
The 2022 edition of the show hosted more than 1,200 exhibitors covering the entire composites value chain from raw materials through to end-users and integrators. More than 36,000 visitors are expected in 2023.
Some exhibits will be grouped in variety of regional and international pavilions to highlight regional or national expertise in composite technologies. In addition, JEC World is offering dedicated tours for the first time.
Besides exhibitor booths, attendees can visit special show displays including the 3D Printing Village, Natural Fibers Village and Innovation Planets highlighting real-world composite applications in the Mobility and Industry sectors. The exhibits are designed to inspire and present current trends in the composites sector.
JEC World participants also can use the Business Meetings program to plan and organize meetings. The program offers team support preshow as well as a digital platform to connect industry buyers with JEC World exhibitors.
Across the three-day event, keynotes and conference sessions on two stages will present developments and innovations impacting the composites industry.
Competitions
For the sixth time, JEC World will host the JEC Composites Startup Booster, a competition designed to gain exposure for innovations in composites and advanced materials, and help startups grow their businesses. JEC World and its partners Airbus and Mercedes-Benz will select 20 finalists from the pool of applicants that will pitch their innovations during the show. Three winners will be selected after the pitches in Materials & Products; Process, Manufacturing & Equipment; and Sustainability categories.
Each year, JEC Group confers honors on deserving, cutting-edge projects that demonstrate the value of composite materials. The JEC Composites Innovation Awards will be presented during a ceremony on March 2.
The early bird rate for visitors who register for the event before March 1 is 55 euros ($60). The price increases to 85 euros ($92) after March 1. The “late bird” rate for attendees who wait to register on site is 110 euros ($120).
The show is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day.
For more information about JEC World 2023 and to register, please visit www.jec-world.events.
