HeiQ–Archroma and Lenzing–Armedangels have won ITMF’s 2026 International Collaboration Awards, highlighting how textile innovation increasingly depends on partnerships that connect technology, materials, manufacturing and brands.
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named HeiQ with Archroma and Lenzing with Armedangels as winners of its International Collaboration Awards 2026. The two partnerships will present their projects at the ITMF & IAF Conference in Fortaleza, Brazil, on October 14–15, co-hosted by Brazilian textile association ABIT.
ITMF established the awards to recognise collaborations that improve textile manufacturing while supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Entries are assessed on value proposition, international development and results, collaboration and SDG contribution, and socio-economic impact and commercial viability.
HeiQ innovation meets Archroma scale
HeiQ and Archroma won for “Alone we Innovate. Together we Scale.” The partnership illustrates a recurring challenge in textile technology: developing an innovation is only the first step; achieving industrial adoption requires application expertise, regulatory support and access to mills and brands globally.
The companies formalised a co-marketing agreement in January 2026, combining HeiQ’s functional-textile technologies with Archroma’s international chemicals business and customer network. Initial areas include antimicrobial and odour-control technologies, including silver-based, metal-free and plant-derived solutions.
Lenzing and Armedangels connect fibre to brand
Lenzing and German fashion brand Armedangels were recognised for “The Power of Collaboration: Driving Innovation for a More Sustainable Textile Industry.”
Their relationship extends across lower-impact cellulosic fibres and supply-chain transparency. Armedangels has used TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibres, while earlier collaboration included TextileGenesis-enabled traceability pilots covering fibre-to-retail supply chains. Lenzing reported that its broader traceability programme subsequently onboarded hundreds of supply-chain partners.
Collaboration becomes infrastructure
The significance for mills and technology suppliers is practical: sustainability innovations increasingly require chemical suppliers, fibre producers, manufacturers, technology companies and brands to develop specifications together.
The Fortaleza presentations should provide the next important detail—quantified results showing how each collaboration converted technical innovation into scalable manufacturing and commercial adoption.
