The sixth ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 exhibition drew down its curtain at the
National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in
Shanghai on 19 October with industry
players set to focus on technology’s impact on taking China’s textile industry
forward into the future.
According to the organizer, the exhibition welcomed
visitorship of over 100,000 from 116 countries and regions, with an increase of
10% from domestic visitors compared to the 2016 show. About 20% of the visitors
came from outside of China. Of the overseas participants, Indian visitors top
the list, reflecting the strong growth of its textile industry.
The combined show grossed 180,000 square meters of
exhibition space, 10% larger than the last edition in 2016. It has attracted a
total of 1,733 textile machinery manufacturers from 28 countries and regions to
demonstrate their innovative technological products that focus on automation
and sustainable production.
China filled the biggest exhibition
area, followed by Germany, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. By product categories, spinning was the largest sector, occupying 22% of the total exhibition space. Finishing
machinery formed the next biggest group at 20%, followed by knitting (19%) and weaving (17%).
This year, the exhibition featured a newly opened
functional area- Research and Innovation Pavilion. The pavilion was established
in order to promote cross-border exchange between the industry and institution.
“Each ITMA ASIA + CITME edition features an
interesting presentation of the latest technologies by European exhibitors. On
show this year will be a wide range of solutions for automation and sustainable
production, as well as those for the production of technical textiles and
nonwoven materials,” said Mr Fritz P. Mayer, President of CEMATEX at the press conference during the exhibition.
“The combined show provides industry
members with a useful platform to conduct business, and learn about exciting
new trends. Hence, we are very pleased to have the participation of both large
and emerging players as they are important for meaningful industry collaboration,
dialogue and networking,” added Mr Wang
Shutian, President of China Textile
Machinery Association (CTMA).
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 is owned by CEMATEX
and its Chinese partners - the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT
(CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition
Centre Group Corporation (CIEC). It is organised by Beijing Textile Machinery
International Exhibition Co Ltd and co-organised by ITMA Services. The Japan
Textile Machinery Association (JTMA) is a special partner of the show.
Following the successful staging of the 2018
edition, the next combined show will be held in October 2020 at the National
Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai.