CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, has launched an award programme as part of its ongoing efforts to encourage and recognise outstanding industry members and post-graduate students for their contributions to the sustainable development of the global textile and garment industry.
Mr. Charles Beauduin, CEMATEX President, said: “Sustainability, as we all know, is a major concern for global businesses involved in the textile and garment making chain. Hence, we have adopted the theme ‘Master the Art of Sustainable Innovation’ for ITMA 2015. We are pleased to launch the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award to make ITMA the meeting place where captains of the industry converge to source technologies and share their expertise in the area of sustainable innovation.”
The ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award comprises three categories, two of which are open to post-graduate students – the Industry Excellence Award, R&E Excellence Award – Masters, and the R&E Excellence Award – Doctorate.
The Industry Excellence Award recognises textile and garment manufacturers who have leveraged on technological innovations to advance business sustainability that benefit people, planet and profit. It aims to promote sustainability excellence in textile and garment production through active collaboration between technology providers and industry users.
The Research & Education Excellence Award – Masters and Doctorate – recognises outstanding achievements in textile and garment related post-graduate research. It highlights excellence in relevant research fields with the aim of furthering the development of cutting-edge technologies which will power future innovations in the industry.
The winner of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros and a prestigious trophy, among other rewards. Cash prizes of 4,000 euros and 5,000 euros will be awarded to the winners in the Masters and Doctorate categories, respectively.
Nominees of the Industry Excellence Award ITMA 2015 must be nominated by exhibitors. Institutions participating in the ITMA 2015 Research and Education pavilion are eligible to nominate their post-graduate students for the Research & Education Excellence Award
Entries can be submitted online at www.itma.com from September 1, 2014 to March 1, 2015.
A knowledge hub
Complementing the exhibition are several initiatives that will promote knowledge exchange and networking. “All the initiatives are designed to help industry members heighten their engagement with the very important subject of sustainable innovation at ITMA 2015,” explained Mr. Beauduin.
ITMA is returning to Milan after 20 years, and response for exhibit space for the 2015 exhibition has been positive. Over 65 per cent of the space booked to date has been reserved by CEMATEX members. Currently, Italy takes the top spot, followed by Germany, Turkey, India, Switzerland and Belgium. Washing, bleaching, dyeing and finishing; spinning; knitting; weaving; and printing are the top sectors.
Ms. Sylvia Phua, MP’s strategic partner of ITMA 2015, said: “ITMA has a strong reputation as the world’s most established textile and garment technology showcase. Every four years, the entire global industry converges at ITMA to witness the launch of cutting-edge innovations. Hence, we are anticipating even more applications to stream in once ITMA Asia + CITME has concluded as most of the exhibitors have been busy with the combined show.”
Around the world, interest in the nonwovens and technical textiles sector is on the rise, thanks to strong demand from end-user industries. As a result, ITMA 2015 will have greater emphasis on technological innovations in this sector.
“ITMA is always reinventing itself in order to be a relevant showcase of solutions that meet the present and future needs of the industry. As more innovative materials and applications are created, leading textile and garment industry players can leverage on ITMA to explore new and better solutions that can move their business forward in this exciting sector,” added Ms. Phua.