Interview with Elgar Straub, VDMA TFL
Elgar Straub (Source: VDMA)
On June 21-14, 2022, the Techtextil and Texprocess will finally take place in person in Frankfurt/Germany, what do you hope/expect from this fair?
Now that 3 years have passed since the last Texprocess, the industry has a lot of catching up to do in terms of personal communication. Exhibitors want to show what innovations they have developed over the last 3 years. They have had little opportunity to show these to a wider audience since the pandemic began. In turn, visitors are looking for solutions for more sustainable, more flexible, and also more regionally production. Accordingly, the expectations for Texprocess are enormous and linked to the hope that many necessary investments will be made. The pandemic has shown that no virtual meeting can replace personal exchange on site.
Now that 3 years have passed since the last Texprocess, the industry has a lot of catching up to do in terms of personal communication. Exhibitors want to show what innovations they have developed over the last 3 years. They have had little opportunity to show these to a wider audience since the pandemic began. In turn, visitors are looking for solutions for more sustainable, more flexible, and also more regionally production. Accordingly, the expectations for Texprocess are enormous and linked to the hope that many necessary investments will be made. The pandemic has shown that no virtual meeting can replace personal exchange on site.
At the moment, every new development, every new product should also be sustainable and environmentally friendly. What is your approach to a greener world?
End consumers' demand for sustainable products and supply chain traceability is steadily increasing. Accordingly, the requirements for sustainable production are also increasing. For example, technology manufacturers offer solutions for sustainability through: Software in product development (sustainable design), fit improvements through body scanning and customization, zero-waste cutting, 3D printers, optimization of resource consumption. And innovations like the digital product pass with information like CO2 consumption in the production process are standing in the starting blocks.
What are the biggest challenges for the textile industry in times of pandemic and war in Europe?
Even before the pandemic, there were changes in the textile and apparel industry. Consumer demands have changed: on the one hand, we have online retail, increasing consumption and shorter fashion cycles. On the other hand, there is a greater awareness among consumers for more sustainable, long-lasting products. The topic of a circular (textile) economy is also becoming increasingly important for end consumers. In addition, there were challenges such as higher energy and labor costs, as well as labor shortages. Challenges that have only been intensified by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Technology providers are increasingly responding to these challenges with automation and digitization solutions.
Elgar Straub
VDMA Managing Director Bavaria,
Managing Director Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies (VDMA TFL)
Munich/Germany
VDMA Managing Director Bavaria,
Managing Director Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies (VDMA TFL)
Munich/Germany
