Innovate Textile & Apparel, to be held in Amsterdam from 6-8 November 2018, will also introduce product developers to the latest smart materials and will host the fourth edition of the Future Textile Awards, recognising innovation in everything from novel fibre to smart manufacturing technology. The winners of the Future Textile Awards will be announced at a special reception on the early evening of 7 November.

“The advancing influence of digitalisation can be seen across all areas of the textile and apparel industry, with profound implications for business strategy and supply chain relationships. Innovate Textile & Apparel takes account of both the business and the technical aspects of Industry 4.0, with additional focus on the cutting-edge materials that are likely to offer some of the most exciting market opportunities,” commented WTiN managing director Mark Jarvis.

Delivering vital insights

Organised by World Textile Information Network (WTiN), Innovate Textile & Apparel expands on last year’s successful Textile 4.0 Conference, which remains a key element in the event, now complemented by:

• Textile Business Futures, a high-level conference for strategic decision-makers, developed in partnership with leading sector-specialist consultancy Gherzi;
• Re:Think Materials, which will focus on the application possibilities of the latest e-textiles and the ‘wonder material’ graphene.

Innovate Textile & Apparel events will take place at the Novotel Amsterdam City and the adjacent Holiday Inn Amsterdam. The three complementary conferences, each exploring a different theme with innovation at its core, have been designed to deliver vital insights into the most important areas of business and product strategy in textiles and apparel. Launch sponsors are Oerlikon and Softwear Automation.

Complementary conferences

Textile 4.0 Conference (6-7 November) will explore emerging digital business models and introduce the latest application opportunities in smart factory development, including robotics, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and virtual or augmented reality.

Re:Think Materials (7-8 November) will provide expert technical insights for product developers, including market opportunities in connected textiles; conductive fibre and yarn; textiles for energy harvesting and storage; printed textile electronics; and the application possibilities of graphene and other 2D materials.

Textile Business Futures (8 November) is an intensive one-day introduction for C-level executives and will examine digital business strategy, risk management, return on investment, leadership and culture change.

Further information