EDANA hosts four days focused on nonwovens manufacturing and technology in Geneva.
TW Special Report
INDEX™26, a global nonwovens exhibition, will take place May 19–22, 2026, at Palexpo in Geneva. Organized by Palexpo on behalf of EDANA, the international association for the nonwovens and related industries, the event is designed as a comprehensive meeting place for the global nonwovens value chain — from raw materials through machinery, production and converting to end-use applications in multiple sectors.
On Display
Around 600 exhibitors from 40 countries are expected, alongside senior decision-makers from industries including filtration, transport, medicine, geotextiles, packaging, construction, cleaning and hygiene. The show positions itself as a central platform for assessing how nonwoven materials and processes are evolving, particularly as demand grows for lightweight, high-performance and more sustainable solutions.
“INDEX™26 showcases an industry that is resilient and determined to diversify,” said Magali Fakhry Dufresne, director of INDEX™. “Today, it is no longer just about mass-produced disposable items, but about high-tech, durable and sustainable solutions to the most complex challenges of our time.” Dufresne described “a fundamental change in which reducing the carbon footprint per kilogram of nonwoven fabric is becoming the most important performance indicator for the entire value chain,” and said INDEX™26 is where that shift becomes visible.
The event layout is intended to facilitate cross-sector exchanges as much as product sourcing. Exhibitors span the full process chain — raw material suppliers, machinery and equipment manufacturers, nonwoven producers, component suppliers and converters — allowing visitors to follow developments from polymer to finished article within a single venue. Free workshops, seminars and tutorials will run alongside the exhibition, offering structured opportunities for learning and discussion in smaller, more focused formats.
Seminar Program
A key feature of INDEX™26 is its seminar program, which organizers describe as a strategic counterpart to the exhibition floor. Sessions are structured around three pillars: strategic market intelligence, sustainability and regulatory resilience, and innovation in specialized sectors such as filtration, geosynthetics and mobility. Drawing on EDANA’s industry data, the market intelligence track will examine how demand is shifting across end uses such as hygiene, wipes, construction and filtration, and how sustainability has moved from trend to baseline expectation.
The sustainability and regulation sessions will address topics such as carbon footprint reduction, resource efficiency and end-of-life options, as well as the implications of emerging environmental and product-safety standards for global supply chains. Innovation-focused sessions will look at how nonwovens support infrastructure projects and new mobility concepts, including lightweighting and acoustic management for electric and autonomous vehicles.
Collaboration Is Key
“INDEX™26 is far more than a showcase for individual products. It stands as clear evidence that innovation in the nonwovens industry today is powered by global collaboration rather than isolated breakthroughs,” said Murat Dogru, general manager of EDANA. “At a time when parts of the world are turning inward, INDEX™26 demonstrates the strength of an industry built on open exchange and interconnected value chains.”
2026 Quarterly Issue I
