CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) have announced a high-level business forum, to take place next year alongside the ITMA 2011 show, in Barcelona, Spain.

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit 2011 will be a one-day event that brings together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability.

It sets out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, comprising expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in years ahead, and providing delegates with new ideas to maintain their success in the textile manufacturing and supply chain.

Keynote speakers will be announced later this summer and are among the world’s leaders in their own sphere of expertise. In the economic arena the programme will address the post-Credit Crunch environment and the prospects for both market growth and investment. On trade, it will look at the future of the relationships between the major exporting countries and their markets in Europe and America.

On sustainability, it will consider the importance of ‘clean’ practices to communities in the developing world, and the impact of consumer pressure for a greener industry. And on technology, it will examine how up-coming developments such as nanotech, wearable electronics and low-input manufacturing are likely to change both the kinds of products that are made, and the way of making them.

The World Textile Summit is the first joint initiative between the ITMF and CEMATEX. It is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International.

The Summit will take place in Barcelona, Spain, on 21 September 2011 – the day before the opening of ITMA 2011, which is the 60th Anniversary edition of the show, and the day after the ITMF Annual Conference.

Steve Combes, Vice President of CEMATEX said: “The textile industry must adapt constantly to changing world conditions, and this has never been more important than in the aftermath of the economic crisis of the past two years. The World Textile Summit 2011 will give those with strategic responsibilities clearer insights into the future challenges and, at the same time, add significant value to a visit to Barcelona during ITMA week. The ITMF, with its global membership of leading textile companies, is the perfect partner and we are delighted to be working with this federation.”

Halit Narin, President of the ITMF said: “We are returning to Barcelona on the centenary of our first Conference in that city, and our joint event between the ITMF and ITMA confirms the truth that the textile industry will never lose its significance for us from birth to death. Taking into account the creative and innovative solutions of our industry, textiles will continue to exist both in the developed regions like Europe and US and also the developing countries of the world. This new event – focusing on the strategic business decisions that we must all make in a changing global market – will add an extra vital dimension. The partnership with ITMA and the opportunity to view the latest technical advances at the exhibition will make the Summit a memorable occasion.”