Frankfurt am Main, 20 April 2026 – In a major new industry position paper released today at Texprocess 2026, Gherzi Germany, on behalf of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies, delivers a clear and urgent message: the global textile industry is entering a new era where automation, digitalization, and system integration will decide who leadsand who follows.
Titled “Threads of the Future: How Automation + Digitalization will Reinvent Textile Processing, Cut & Sew and Finishing by 2035”, the report (together with its official Key Messages summary) states that global fibre production has already tripled since 1975 and will continue to grow. However, the real disruption is not in the machines themselves, but in how they are connected, controlled and operated.
Key Messages from the Report
- Textiles remain a structural growth market, especially in technical textiles (projected to reach ~USD 330 bn by the early 2030s) and smart home/IoT applications.
- Competitive advantage is shifting from individual machines to integrated, data-rich production systems.
- European machinery suppliers face two possible futures by 2035: Leadership Scenario (System Architects) — controlling key technologies, interfaces, data and ecosystems Dependency Scenario (Component Suppliers) — reduced to hardware providers in platforms designed elsewhere.
Four Strategic Priorities for VDMA Members
The report outlines four clear priorities:
- Strengthen technological sovereignty Retain control over automation architecture, interoperability, data standards and cybersecurity.
- Turn sustainability into a competitive advantage Move beyond compliance to deliver measurable reductions in energy, water and material use through advanced machinery and process design.
- Build resilient production networks Focus on regional clusters in Turkey, North Africa and Eastern Europe that combine automation with geographic proximity (near-shoring).
- Combine human expertise with automation Full automation will remain limited; the biggest productivity gains will come from effective human–machine collaboration supported by AI.
Ecosystem Shifts Already Underway
The role of machinery is fundamentally changing:
- From standalone assets → connected production systems (IoT + MES)
- From one-time CAPEX sales → recurring revenue from software, data services and performance contracts
- Key technologies: flexible robotics, machine vision & AI, digital platforms and low-impact processing
A practical three-phase implementation roadmap is proposed:
- Phase 1: Build the digital foundation
- Phase 2: Solve sewing and quality bottlenecks
- Phase 3: Scale through standardised reference architectures
China’s Accelerating Push
China is no longer just competing on cost. Through large-scale automated factories, integrated smart clusters, 5G + Industrial Internet platforms and strong government support, it is rapidly becoming a technology-driven textile powerhouse. This intensifies the global race on system integration, speed and financing.
Early Signals of the Future
The report highlights real-world examples already proving the shift:
- Brand-driven automation (Bestseller × Softwear Automation)
- Data-driven lot-size-one production (Youngor smart factory — made-to-measure suits in approximately 5 days)
- Full vertical digital integration (Ningbo Shenzhou International)
Anton E. Schumann, CEO of Gherzi Germany and project lead, summarised the core message:
“By 2035, leadership in textiles will be decided by system architects, not machine builders. European suppliers can maintain a leading position if they focus on high-value, technology-driven solutions and actively shape standards and ecosystems.”
The full report and Key Messages document are available via VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies.
