The European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association (ESMA) announced a brand new event to explain and inspire change within the industry. Textile Printing and Sustainability (TPS) conference takes place on 8-9 September 2022 at Dorint Kongresshotel Düsseldorf-Neuss. It welcomes all involved in automatization, new business models, and best environmental practices for various textile applications.
Textile Printing & Sustainability looks at all critical factors and global trends which influence textile market conditions today and in the nearest future: customer-made fashion, responsible businesses, quality concerns, customization, and personalization. The event assembles industry experts from two main printing processes – screen and inkjet – to promote best practices, discuss new application fields and explain the benefits and challenges of individual technology choices.
The first submitted contributions include a keynote address by Karin Ekberg from Leadership & Sustainability. Karin has a professional track record as Head of Environmental Services at Adidas Group and Chair of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Heiner Rupperath from Brother will look at the environmental challenges in hardware manufacturer operation, and Dr. Inga Barende from Covestro will introduce the raw materials perspective. Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen will share the latest know-how behind smart textiles.
Forty presentations are scheduled on two conference tracks, accompanied by a networking section with more than 40 tabletops representing key industry and academia players. The program covers the entire supply chain and workflow. It involves manufacturers of products for fabric handling (pre-and post-treatment), the printing process itself (inks and equipment), printers, cutters, sewers, value-added resellers, and brand owners. From material science, through print systems, to micro-factories and finishing – TPS brings together those who drive change and contribute to innovation.
Peter Buttiens, CEO of ESMA, said, “According to the European Environmental Agency, textile has the region’s fourth-largest climate impact, following only food, housing, and transport industries. The average European throws away 11 kilograms of textiles every year, and different international bodies throw their weight behind changing this. For example, the EU introduces a digital product passport to boost the circular economy. This forms an incentive for every textile production and workflow step to stimulate creative reuse, recycling, and repurposing of materials and end products.”
