The presentation and awarding of winners for the prestigious ITMF Awards and ITMF Start-up Awards for the global textile industry will take place in Samarkand on September 10, 2024. The event will be the final chord of the inaugural joint conference of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) to be held in the city on September 8 -10.
The ITMF Awards recognise outstanding achievements by actors in the global textile industry in two categories: Sustainability & Innovation and International Cooperation. These awards highlight the textile industry’s commitment to sustainability and global cooperation, showcasing innovation and collaborative efforts that are driving progress towards a more sustainable future. The award winners, selected by an expert jury, will present their unique projects in a special session.
ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award
The ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award aims to recognize achievements in the textile industry with an emphasis on innovation, design, development, and production in accordance with the highest standards of sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Projects are evaluated by the jury based on criteria such as the value proposition of the chosen approach, environmental impact, outcomes achieved, novelty, socio-economic impact and economic viability.
The winners for 2024 are:
- GuoWang High-Technique Fiber Company (China) for “Low Carbon and Sustainable Innovations in PET Fiber Production”;
- HeiQ AeoniQ Holding AG (Switzerland) for “Hyper-Scaling HeiQ AeoniQ”.
- Samsara Eco (Australia) for “Endless Plastic Recycling: A Solution for Textiles Out of Use.”
ITMF International Cooperation Award
The ITMF International Cooperation Award aims to recognize progress in international cooperation within the textile industry in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the UN.
The winners for 2024 are:
- DITF (Germany) and RBX Creations (France) with the project “Next Generation Cellulosic Fibers from Hemp”.
- HKRITA (Hong Kong, China) with the “Open Lab.”
In addition, the conference in Samarkand will host a presentation and award ceremony for the ITMF Start-up Awards, created to give startups a platform to showcase their innovations and connect with leading companies from across the entire textile value chain.
The winners of the ITMF Start-up Award 2024 are:
- RE&UP Recycling Technologies (Netherlands) with the project “RE&UP – Scalable Recycling Technology for High-Performance Fibers”;
- Sci-Lume Labs (USA) with the project “Bylon – Oil and Waste-Free Melt-Spun Fibers”.
- Sycoretec CAS (China) with the project “SYCORE-TEX – Topological Soft Gel Materials for Ultra Thermal Insulation”;
- Syre Impact (Sweden) with the project on recycling textiles into new textile products.