ITMA 2027 Draws Strong Industry Response As Sector Plan Unveiled
ITMA 2027 has unveiled its sector plan, signalling strong momentum for the world’s largest textile and garment technology exhibition, scheduled to take place from 16–22 September 2027 at Messegelände Hannover, Germany.
Covering 12 exhibition halls and more than 180,000 square metres, the sector plan spans 20 segments of the textile and garment manufacturing value chain, including spinning, weaving, knitting, nonwovens, finishing, printing, garment making, software and automation, recycling, and fibres, yarns and fabrics.
The industry response has been robust, with more than 1,500 companies from 43 countries already securing participation. Manufacturers represented by the nine member associations of CEMATEX—the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers—account for 43% of all applicants and over 60% of the exhibition space booked to date.
International participation remains strong, with manufacturers outside Europe representing more than half of all applicants and around 40% of booked exhibition space. China leads international participation, followed by India, Türkiye and Japan, highlighting continued demand from major textile machinery manufacturing hubs.
Commenting on the response, Alex Zucchi, President of CEMATEX, said the diverse participation reinforces ITMA’s position as a neutral global platform where manufacturers can showcase innovations and compete on equal footing.
Charles Beauduin, Chairman of ITMA Services, noted that despite geopolitical uncertainties and challenging economic conditions, the strong response reflects the industry’s resilience and confidence in investing for future growth.
Traditional sectors such as spinning, weaving, knitting, finishing, printing and garment making continue to occupy the largest exhibition footprint. At the same time, sectors focused on research and innovation, recycling, software and automation, fibres, yarns and fabrics, services, and Start-Up Valley underline the growing importance of sustainability, digitalisation and innovation across the industry.
The Start-Up Valley, introduced successfully at ITMA 2023, has gained significant traction. Applications have doubled for the 2027 edition, with 64 start-ups competing for 20 exhibition spaces, reflecting increasing entrepreneurial activity within textile technology.
The Recycling sector is also expected to play a larger role, driven by global sustainability regulations and advancements in textile-to-textile recycling technologies that are making circularity increasingly viable on a commercial scale.
Visitor registration for ITMA 2027 is expected to open in March 2027, with the newly released sector plan providing exhibitors and visitors an early opportunity to prepare for the event.
