ITMA 2027 Draws 1,500 Companies as Sector Plan Takes Shape

07 August 2026: ITMA 2027 has drawn more than 1,500 companies from 43 countries as organisers prepare for the textile and garment technology exhibition in Hanover, Germany.

The ITMA 2027 sector plan covers 12 halls and more than 180,000 square metres at Messegelände Hannover. It divides the exhibition into 20 product sectors spanning textile and garment manufacturing, including spinning, weaving, knitting, finishing, printing, garment making, recycling, software and automation, and fibres, yarns and fabrics.

Companies represented by CEMATEX’s nine national textile machinery associations account for 43% of applicants and more than 60% of the exhibition space booked so far, according to the organisation.

CEMATEX comprises ACIMIT, AMEC AMTEX, BTMA, GTM, Swissmem, Symatex, TMAS, UCMTF and VDMA. The association owns ITMA, while ITMA Services organises the exhibition.

Manufacturers from outside Europe represent more than half of all applicants and about 40% of booked space. China has the largest participation among these markets, followed by India, Türkiye and Japan.

Established machinery sectors retain the largest share of the floor plan. These include spinning, nonwovens, weaving, knitting, finishing, printing and garment making. Research and innovation, textile recycling, services, software and automation and the Start-Up Valley will also have dedicated areas.

Start-Up Valley attracts 64 applications

CEMATEX said applications for the ITMA 2027 Start-Up Valley doubled from the previous edition, with 64 young companies applying for up to 20 exhibition places. The programme offers selected start-ups a subsidised stand package and opportunities to present their work to manufacturers, investors and other industry participants. The initiative debuted at ITMA 2023 with 15 selected companies.

The Research and Innovation sector will focus on moving academic and technical developments towards manufacturing applications. Recycling technology will also receive a dedicated platform as textile producers respond to circularity targets and measures such as the European Union’s Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.

Organisers said advances in textile-to-textile recycling are improving its commercial prospects. However, the economics and technical readiness of these processes vary by fibre, technology and production scale. ITMA 2027 will run from 16-22 September 2027 at Messegelände Hannover. Its four stated focus areas are advanced materials, automation and the digital future, sustainability and circularity and human-centric manufacturing.

Visitor registration is scheduled to open in March 2027.

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