More than half of Swiss Textile Machinery’s 42 member companies will exhibit in Istanbul, highlighting how premium machinery suppliers are repositioning around measurable productivity and sustainability gains.
Swiss textile machinery suppliers are preparing a strong showing at ITM 2026, as manufacturers in Türkiye and nearby sourcing regions look for technologies that can cut energy use, improve consistency and support more data-driven production. The exhibition will take place at the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul from June 9–13, 2026.
Engineering meets digital pressure
Cornelia Buchwalder, secretary general of Swissmem’s Swiss Textile Machinery sector, said the global energy crisis has raised production costs and made textile manufacturers more cautious about capital spending. But it has also strengthened demand for machinery that delivers efficiency, automation and resource savings.
The Swiss proposition remains anchored in precision engineering, durability, process know-how and after-sales support. Swissmem says its textile machinery sector brings together more than 40 companies and is strongly export-oriented, with member firms active through sales and service networks in key global markets.
AI as an operating tool
The interview frames AI not as a marketing slogan, but as an operational layer. Swiss manufacturers are integrating AI into predictive maintenance, automated quality control, process optimisation and energy management. Buchwalder’s central point is that the future balance between Europe and Asia will not be decided by the speed of AI adoption alone but by the ability to combine software with reliable engineering and long-term machine performance.
That matters for mills because downtime, unstable quality and excess energy use are now direct margin issues. Machinery decisions are increasingly evaluated not only by output speed, but by total cost of ownership, data visibility and repeatability.
Türkiye remains strategic
More than half of Swiss Textile Machinery’s 42 member companies will exhibit at ITM 2026, though without a national Swiss pavilion; companies will participate independently or with local agents and partners.
Türkiye remains a priority market because of its industrial base, export orientation and position between Europe and Asia. Its textile sector has faced inflation, higher costs and softer European demand, but it still has strong production capability and modernisation needs.
The next signal from ITM will be whether mills treat Swiss machinery as a premium expense—or as a productivity, traceability and energy-efficiency investment that protects competitiveness under tighter global market conditions.
