10 Textile Innovations ITMF Wants The Industry To Watch

New Products and Innovation

10 Textile Innovations ITMF Wants The Industry To Watch

Forget the trophies for a moment. The more interesting part of the ITMF Awards 2026 is what the winners are actually trying to change.

Across three award categories, 10 projects and business concepts are tackling some of textile manufacturing’s biggest challenges - from recycling nylon and PET to AI-driven production, bio-based fibres, zero-waste design and international technology partnerships.

The winners will present their work at the ITMF & IAF Conference 2026 in Fortaleza, Brazil, on October 14–15.

SUSTAINABILITY & INNOVATION

Three winners were selected for projects combining technological innovation with sustainability.

Epoch Biodesign, UK — Scaling AI-driven enzymatic depolymerization to turn textile waste into fiber-grade nylon 6,6.

Huvis, Korea — Polyester Chemical Recycling Technology for Sustainable Automotive Textiles. The project focuses on chemically recycling polyester for use in automotive textile applications.

Simabo Technology and Wuhan Textile University, China — Desert-Mulberry: Bioactive Silk Eco-Regenerative Cycle. The project explores a silk-based regenerative system built around desert mulberry and bioactive applications.

START-UP AWARDS

Five start-ups were recognised for business concepts aimed at reshaping textile production.

Matereal, Switzerland — Biobased Polymers and AI for Textile Manufacturing, combining new bio-based polymer development with artificial intelligence.

no.wasTee Soluções em Confecções Sustentáveis, Brazil — Zero-Waste Design for a Low-CO₂ Textile Industry, targeting waste reduction through garment design.

Tellura Technologies, Brazil — 100% Natural Yarn: From Fashion to Aerospace Biocomposite, taking natural yarn technology beyond conventional textile applications.

Unspun, USA — Automating Apparel Supply Chains with 3D Weaving, using 3D weaving technology to automate apparel production.

Yuantian Biotechnology, China — Enzymatic Recycling and Industrialization of Waste PET Plastic, targeting industrial-scale biological recycling of PET waste.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

The final two awards underline another trend: some textile challenges require companies to combine their capabilities.

HeiQ & Archroma — Alone we Innovate. Together we Scale. The partnership focuses on combining the two companies’ technologies to accelerate commercial adoption.

Lenzing & Armedangels — The Power of Collaboration: Driving Innovation for a More Sustainable Textile Industry. The project brings fibre technology and fashion-brand expertise together to push more sustainable textile solutions.

Taken together, the 10 winners offer a revealing snapshot of the innovation agenda: recycle more, use fewer resources, replace fossil-based materials, automate production - and collaborate to get new technologies into the market faster.

Taken together, the 10 winners offer a revealing snapshot of the innovation agenda: recycle more, use fewer resources, replace fossil-based materials, automate production - and collaborate to get new technologies into the market faster.

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