Industry News

Nominations open for 2027 IDEA Achievement Awards 

August 17, 2026

The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), in collaboration with Nonwovens Industry Magazine, is now accepting nominations for the 2027 IDEA® Achievement Awards. Nominations must be submitted by Nov. 8. The IDEA Achievement Awards recognize outstanding innovations, technical advancements and leadership across the nonwovens and engineered materials industry. Industry professionals are invited to submit their company’s most innovative products, materials, …

Industry News

U.S. imposes new tariffs following Section 301 investigation

August 14, 2026

Sixty trade partners of the U.S. are subject to new tariffs following the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 investigation into concerns about forced labor. The investigation began in March, with the USTR determining in June that the acts, policies and practices of the economies were “unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.” Trading partners …

ATA News

2026 International Achievement Award submissions due Aug. 28

August 13, 2026

Submissions for the 2026 International Achievement Awards (IAA) are due Aug. 28. Project submissions are $25 per entry, and winners are recognized online, in print and at Advanced Textiles Expo®, Nov. 3–5, 2026 in Orlando, Fla. For more than 75 years, the IAAs recognize outstanding and innovative projects representing the latest accomplishments in design and …

Industry News

Registration open for ATA webinar: A Complete Security Blueprint

August 12, 2026

Registration is open for the Complete Security Blueprint webinar, Aug. 26, 1–2 p.m. EDT. Hosted by Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), it is free for ATA members and $39 for nonmembers. A Complete Security Blueprint will provide a practical roadmap for building and maturing an effective cybersecurity program. Whether you’re starting from scratch or enhancing an existing …

Industry News

Elevate Textiles announces closing of Burlington finishing plant

August 11, 2026

Elevate Textiles announced that its finishing plant in Burlington, N.C., will close at the end of the year. “This closing is a result of changing market dynamics across several businesses and product lines that the plant supports, which are significantly reducing production volumes. Despite efforts to identify new product lines, the identified volumes remain too …

In the Industry

2026 Emerging Technologies Conference set for November 2

August 10, 2026

The Advanced Textiles Association’s Emerging Technologies Conference (ETC) Nov. 2. will open four days of educational sessions, exhibits, and networking events at ATA Expo Nov. 3–5, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. This year’s event is also co-locating with Sun Shading Expo North America.  Monday’s ETC education sessions begin with “Engineering Anti-Smoke Textiles: Insights from Controlled WUI and …

In the Industry

Lenzing Group will phase out historic lyocell plants

August 10, 2026

Austrian fiber producer Lenzing Group has moved to phase out production at its historic Tencel lyocell sites in Heiligenkreuz, Austria, and Grimsby, U.K., by the end of 2027, shifting production to core hubs. As reported on prismnews.com, this move gives Lenzing more leverage as demand for cellulose-based fibers continues to be strong.  Heiligenkreuz has historically …

What's New?

E-thread enables a discreet wearable medical monitor 

August 10, 2026

There is generally a stigma attached to wearable technology – even something as ubiquitous as eyeglasses, and moreso if it involves medical monitoring. Now, researchers at Tufts University, a private research institution based in Massachusetts, have created a wearable technology that’s so thin, light, flexible, and unobtrusive that users will barely notice they’re wearing it. …

Features

User acceptance in smart fabric products

August 10, 2026

Summer is a time for rest and renewal, much needed to bring fresh energy and perspective to challenges facing the textile industry. The work of The Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is particularly inspirational at this time in considering how some persistent user issues around e-textiles and wearables might be addressed. Aalto is …

My Take

But will they wear it?

August 10, 2026

The world of the most technologically advanced textile products is populated with incredibly smart and talented scientists, researchers, designers and entrepreneurs. Soon after e-textiles specifically, and smart fabrics in general, appeared on the advanced textiles scene, it became evident that textile people alone were not going to be able to take these innovations where they …

ATA News

2026 International Achievement Award submissions due Aug. 28

August 13, 2026

Submissions for the 2026 International Achievement Awards (IAA) are due Aug. 28. Project submissions are $25 per entry, and winners are recognized online, in print and at Advanced Textiles Expo®, Nov. 3–5, 2026 in Orlando, Fla. For more than 75 years, the IAAs recognize outstanding and innovative projects representing the latest accomplishments in design and …

ATA News

Judge applications open for 2026 International Achievement Awards

May 14, 2026

Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) is now accepting applications for judges for the 2026 International Achievement Awards (IAAs). The IAAs are an annual competition that celebrates the best projects in the specialty fabrics industry, showcasing ATA members’ technical skills and accomplishments. Judges will have the chance to recognize excellence in textiles and influence the future of …

ATA News

Registration opens for Advanced Textiles Expo

May 13, 2026

Registration is open for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2026. The show returns Nov. 3–5, 2026, in Orlando, Fla., at the Orange County Convention Center (West Building). Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) expects 4,000+ attendees and 300+ exhibitors. Exhibit booths are still open as well. Expo programming Attendees can look forward to show floor education with hands-on learning, …

Expo News

Plan your stay: Official housing for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 now open

March 11, 2025

We are pleased to announce that Site & Stay has been selected as the official housing partner for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place Nov. 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Hotel booking is now open, offering attendees and exhibitors exclusive access to discounted rates at our official host hotels—all conveniently located …

Expo News

Advanced Textiles Expo 2024 brings more than 4,200 attendees, showcasing innovation and collaboration

October 17, 2024

Advanced Textiles Expo® 2024, the largest event of Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), concluded with resounding success Sept. 24–26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Once again held in conjunction with Sun Shading Expo North America—organized by Messe Stuttgart, founders of R + T and the world’s largest trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun shading …

Expo News

ATA negotiates lower rates for exhibitors at Advanced Textiles Expo

August 14, 2024

The Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) has renegotiated its General Services Contractor contract for the 2025–2027 Advanced Textiles Expo® shows. By selecting Freeman through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, we have secured rates that significantly lower the cost burden on our exhibitors. RFP process Key achievements This successful negotiation translates directly to cost savings for …

ATA News

Messe Stuttgart’s Sun Shading Expo North America moves co-location debut with IFAI Expo to 2022

July 6, 2021

Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …

Expo News

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021

May 10, 2021

Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …

Expo News

Standard for active illumination developed in Europe

November 16, 2020

In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries.  Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries …

Expo News

Textile industry leaders call for policy changes to support U.S. production of PPE

November 13, 2020

The U.S. textile industry has stepped up to meet the demand for face masks, medical gowns, wipes and other products necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but it needs policy changes from Washington so that the U.S. is not caught off-guard again in a future crisis, according to association leaders speaking at Industrial Fabrics Association …

Features

User acceptance in smart fabric products

August 10, 2026

Summer is a time for rest and renewal, much needed to bring fresh energy and perspective to challenges facing the textile industry. The work of The Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is particularly inspirational at this time in considering how some persistent user issues around e-textiles and wearables might be addressed. Aalto is …

Features

Quality, standards and balanced regulation

July 27, 2026

Today over 90 percent of textiles are imported in the U.S. Globalization has altered the manufacturing dynamics where cost has dominated the trade, shifting labor-intensive industries, such as textiles, leather, jewelry and others, away from the most developed nations. This trend has continued for over 35 years, but recently, discussions have begun to bring back …

Features

From prototype to product

July 13, 2026

The Global Electronics Association through its IPC standardization efforts has been a driving force in global electronics standardization for nearly 70 years. The last time we checked in with Advanced Textiles readers, you may have known us as IPC. In summer 2026, our organization went through a rebranding effort—an evolution in our organization that reflects …

Features

Rediscovering natural fibers’ technical prowess, Part II

June 22, 2026

Editor’s note: This feature is the second part of a two-part article by this writer on the topic of natural fibers in advanced textile materials and products. Part I focused on cotton and wool; This article discusses bast fiber: plant-based fibers that grow within the stems of certain plants.  According to textilelearner.net, the fibers are …

Features

Rediscovering natural fibers’ technical prowess, Part I

June 8, 2026

Editor’s note: There’s a lot to talk about in natural fiber technologies, so this feature represents just Part I of a two-part article by writer Debra Cobb on the topic this month. Part I focuses on wool and cotton; Part II discusses bast fibers—hemp, flax, jute and ramie. – jp When it comes to technical …

Features

Today’s advanced textiles global landscape

May 26, 2026

One might be tempted to question why we in America should care about the technical textiles sector beyond U.S. borders. The U.S., along with the EU, take the lead in industrial, nonwovens and functional materials—sectors that grow at least on par with the GDP growth rate in developed economies. In developing and emerging economies, such …

Features

Smart textile sensing technology for large-scale use

May 12, 2026

In the early years of development, smart textiles (or e-textiles) were commonly referred to as “smart materials and systems.” In the 1990s early adopters (such as civil engineers) saw attendant technologies as necessary in order to deliver the performance needed, such as structural health monitoring or earthquake warning systems.  On one level, technology integration is …

Features

What’s next in medical textiles?

April 27, 2026

The medical, defense and protective textiles (MDP) are market segments within advanced textiles which show promise even when stressful situations, such as war and natural calamities, dominate our attention. It is ironic that during challenging times prices of commodity products are in high demand, and, interestingly, the growing demand for life-saving products seems to be …

Features

Biomedical textiles’ success stories

April 13, 2026

There are a number of reasons why the success of biomedical textiles in recent years is worth noting. First, it’s a demanding market niche fraught with standards and regulations that take time—and time is money. The investment needed to even start in this market is considerable. It’s also highly specialized, which means that the cushion …

Features

The system-level imperative

March 23, 2026

Rapid advances in high‑performance fibers and the growing need for multi‑hazard protection are reshaping the protective textiles market, yet the real test of these innovations lies in the field. A compelling case in point is new research on how ballistic protection interacts with firefighter turnout ensembles—the highly engineered PPE firefighters rely on every day. Looking …

Industry News

Nominations open for 2027 IDEA Achievement Awards 

August 17, 2026

The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), in collaboration with Nonwovens Industry Magazine, is now accepting nominations for the 2027 IDEA® Achievement Awards. Nominations must be submitted by Nov. 8. The IDEA Achievement Awards recognize outstanding innovations, technical advancements and leadership across the nonwovens and engineered materials industry. Industry professionals are invited to submit their company’s most innovative products, materials, …

Industry News

U.S. imposes new tariffs following Section 301 investigation

August 14, 2026

Sixty trade partners of the U.S. are subject to new tariffs following the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 investigation into concerns about forced labor. The investigation began in March, with the USTR determining in June that the acts, policies and practices of the economies were “unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.” Trading partners …

ATA News

2026 International Achievement Award submissions due Aug. 28

August 13, 2026

Submissions for the 2026 International Achievement Awards (IAA) are due Aug. 28. Project submissions are $25 per entry, and winners are recognized online, in print and at Advanced Textiles Expo®, Nov. 3–5, 2026 in Orlando, Fla. For more than 75 years, the IAAs recognize outstanding and innovative projects representing the latest accomplishments in design and …

Industry News

Registration open for ATA webinar: A Complete Security Blueprint

August 12, 2026

Registration is open for the Complete Security Blueprint webinar, Aug. 26, 1–2 p.m. EDT. Hosted by Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), it is free for ATA members and $39 for nonmembers. A Complete Security Blueprint will provide a practical roadmap for building and maturing an effective cybersecurity program. Whether you’re starting from scratch or enhancing an existing …

Industry News

Elevate Textiles announces closing of Burlington finishing plant

August 11, 2026

Elevate Textiles announced that its finishing plant in Burlington, N.C., will close at the end of the year. “This closing is a result of changing market dynamics across several businesses and product lines that the plant supports, which are significantly reducing production volumes. Despite efforts to identify new product lines, the identified volumes remain too …

Industry News

Morito Scovill Americas announces acquisition of Edward Segal Inc.

August 10, 2026

Morito Scovill Americas, a supplier of high-performance fasteners for apparel and light industrial applications based in Clarkesville, Ga., has announced the acquisition of Edward Segal Inc., a Thomaston, Conn.-based manufacturer of eyelet, grommet, rivet and snap fastener for machines and custom-engineered automated assembly systems. Edward Segal Inc. will become part of Morito Scovill Americas, further …

Industry News

INDA brings nonwovens to 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit 

August 10, 2026

The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) exhibited at the 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit, held in Chicago, Ill. Drawing over 9,000 attendees from across the country, this year’s summit marked the fourth time that INDA exhibited at the event. Representing the association in the exhibit hall, Wes Fisher, director …

Industry News

U.S. imposes additional tariffs on Canada

August 7, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump announced July 20 that 50% tariffs on certain goods from Canada will be imposed beginning Aug. 19. The tariffs are pursuant to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and are in response to “Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American products,” according to a White House statement. These tariffs apply to …

Industry News

Gwen Conley joins Herculite as innovation engineer

August 6, 2026

Herculite® Products announced that Gwen Conley has joined Herculite as an innovation engineer. In this role, Conley will focus on advancing Herculite’s innovation strategy, developing new products and solutions and supporting growth across the organization. Conley has nearly two years of experience with product development and improvement, materials testing and quality control. Before joining Herculite, …

Industry News

Organic Dyes & Pigments names Arya Chem exclusive Canadian distributor

August 4, 2026

Organic Dyes & Pigments LLC (ORCO) has announced an exclusive Canadian distribution partnership with Arya Chem, headquartered in Toronto, Ont., Canada. Arya will be authorized to carry the full range of ORCO dyes, pigments and chemicals. As ORCO’s exclusive distribution partner in Canada, Arya will represent, service and support the products and solutions developed by …

Out There

Connecting to the body with bio-based textiles and biosensors

July 13, 2026

Berlin-based design and research firm WINT Design Lab envisions, prototypes and designs regenerative futures through devices and biotextiles that allow humans to connect with their bodies more, and free themselves from fossil materials that harm them and the environment. The industry currently produces materials that run almost entirely on fossil fuels, but the design lab …

Out There

Materials from mycelium tiles to bio-melanin fibers

June 8, 2026

Thailand’s ‘Slow Hand Design 2026’exhibition returned to Milan Design Week 2026, with an exhibition titled “Heritage Reimagined.” Thai designers are pushing the boundaries of upcycling by blending ancestral craftsmanship with cutting-edge biotechnology through innovative materials such as mycelium-grown tiles and bio-melanin fibers.  Mush Composites creates surfaces cultivated from mycelium, naturally turning agricultural waste into materials in non-replicable …

Out There

POCO soft robot rethinks human-AI connection

May 12, 2026

POCO is a soft, robotic companion developed by designer Mehrnaz Amouei that examines alternative relationships between humans and artificial intelligence. The project focuses on interaction models based on presence, responsiveness, and clearly defined limitations, rather than systems that interpret or direct emotional states. As AI increasingly operates within personal and emotional contexts, questions emerge around dependency, interpretation …

Out There

Konel unveils a wearable bag to calm the wearer

April 27, 2026

During Milan Design Week 2026, Tokyo-based creative agency Konel Inc. released a translucent, wearable bag that converts the user’s heartbeats into slow pulses to help them be aware of their current state and calm them down. Named “Pulse Pack,” the self-calming product measures the heartbeat in real time and responds to the accessory with a …

Out There

Kinetic clothing captures energy in human motion

March 9, 2026

The Birds of Static project by designer Wren Walker investigates how garment structure can influence the capture of energy from human movement. The concept draws on the principle of static electricity, in which charge imbalances can generate electrical energy when conducted through a circuit. Walker’s work takes inspiration from Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs), a technology that …

Out There

Solar motorcycle is self-charging

February 23, 2026

Sardinia-based MASK Architects has introduced SOLARIS, a self-charging solar motorcycle developed as part of the studio’s “Invent and Integrate” design approach led by founders Öznur Pınar Cer and Danilo Petta. The project explores autonomous mobility through a vehicle capable of generating its own power without reliance on fuel, electrical grids or commercial charging networks. SOLARIS …

Out There

Flying umbrella has autonomous capabilities

January 26, 2026

John Tse of I Build Stuff has created an autonomous flying umbrella that follows and shields the user from rain and sunlight. An updated version of the remote-controlled one, the hands-free device hovers above the user and trails them wherever they go, keeping them dry or cool without needing to hold anything.  The autonomous flying umbrella is actually a drone disguised …

Out There

Xiaomi launches voice-controlled, mite-fighting blanket

January 8, 2026

Ever since Xiaomi was founded 15 years ago in Beijing, it has expanded from producing smartphones to AR glasses, robotic dogs, and even electric cars. Now, the company has introduced another innovation: a smart blanket with voice control that also fights mites. The Mijia Smart Electric blanket is designed to be used as an additional layer on top of a …

Out There

Coperni’s C+ regenerative clothes have probiotics

October 13, 2025

Skincare within regenerative clothing defines Coperni’s C+, a series of everyday wear infused with probiotics and prebiotics. Capable of restoring the skin’s microbiome, each garment contains living microorganisms that interact with the skin during wear, support the skin’s natural balance, and help it repair itself over time.  The C+ line is made using a biobased …

Out There

Suture-free tissue reconstruction is now possible

September 8, 2025

For tissue repair, surgeons are currently limited to mechanical solutions like sutures and staples, which can cause their own damage, or meshes and glues that may not adequately bond with tissues and can be rejected by the body.  Medical startup Tissium now offers surgeons a new solution based on a biopolymer technology first developed at …

What's New?

E-thread enables a discreet wearable medical monitor 

August 10, 2026

There is generally a stigma attached to wearable technology – even something as ubiquitous as eyeglasses, and moreso if it involves medical monitoring. Now, researchers at Tufts University, a private research institution based in Massachusetts, have created a wearable technology that’s so thin, light, flexible, and unobtrusive that users will barely notice they’re wearing it. …

What's New?

Soft robots move with a tiny, soft pump

July 27, 2026

Soft robots have a “cardiovascular” problem: while their bodies can deform and bend, their hearts, the pumps that keep them moving, have remained bulky and rigid. Researchers at the University of Bristol have created a “soft” miniature pump that weighs about as much as a single dried pumpkin seed but can generate enough hydraulic pressure …

What's New?

Hypershell introduces new exoskeleton products

June 22, 2026

Shanghai-based Hypershell Co., Ltd. has introduced its Hypershell X Series intuitive exoskeleton designed to deliver support that feels more natural, immediate and closely aligned with the wearer. The new range includes Hypershell X Ultra S, Hypershell X Max S and Hypershell X Pro S, offering different levels of support, range and terrain capability for hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, …

What's New?

DITF announces climate control for workwear

May 26, 2026

Conventional protective workwear often reaches its limits during strenuous physical activity, particularly in managing the transport of sweat and controlling excess body heat. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) conducted research on flow-optimized, air-conducting textile structures that enable targeted climate control directly on the body. These structures can be integrated straight into …

What's New?

Wearable for infants with jaundice is under development

May 26, 2026

Inspired by her experience with her own infant, Lucy Dunne decided to find a better way to treat jaundice in a newborn, An MPR News story reports. Dunne is the founder and co-director of the University of Minnesota’s College of Design Wearable Technology Lab. So, one project she is currently focused on is a specialized …

What's New?

Shape-shifting wings could change future aircraft design

May 12, 2026

Imagine looking out the window of an airborne airplane and seeing the wing rippling and twisting. This is what German engineers have created: prototype morphing wings that change their shape mid-flight. The innovation from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), aptly named morphAIR, aims to make aircraft more efficient and …

What's New?

Nerve surgery performed with sutureless polymer-based product

April 27, 2026

TISSIUM, a medical technology company pioneering biomorphic programmable polymers for tissue reconstruction, recently announced the first commercial use of its product COAPTIUM® CONNECT. The procedure was performed by Dr. Michael Franco, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in peripheral nerve surgery at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. This marks a significant step forward in the …

What's New?

Battery-free solar blanket repels mosquitoes

April 13, 2026

A conundrum for smart textile developers is how to combine conductive materials and power sources with soft, flexible textiles. In the new light-emitting fabrics developed by Florida think tank Global Research and Discovery Group (GRDG) and Ashford Textiles®, there are no power cords, batteries or chemicals powering their illumination.  The technology that makes the blankets …

What's New?

Researchers create novel heating element with CNTFs

March 23, 2026

A cross-disciplinary team at Rice University has developed a new type of electric heating element—one that looks less like a traditional metal coil and more like a high-performance thread. In a study published in Small, the researchers demonstrated that wires and fabrics made from carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) can deliver substantially more heating power per unit …

What's New?

Fiber battery development is underway

March 9, 2026

Fiber batteries are an emerging technology which could one day be used to create smart clothing with a wide array of functions, from charging electronic devices to acting as wearable controllers. However, a new study finds scientists have two major obstacles to overcome before the technology is ready for practical use. First and foremost is …