Interview with Stefano Cavestro – AICTC (Associazione Italiana di Chimica Tessile e Coloristica)
By: Kohan Textile Journal
About AICTC Association:
AICTC is a no-profit association founded in Milan beginning XIX century; our mission is the cross-fertilization between textile field and related fields like chemistry, research, school, textile machinery production, dyestuff and chemicals trading, textile industry, textile solutions provider.
It’s a comprehensive action covering textiles as a general topic. Our members are entrepreneurs, textile technicians, a researcher for textile a salso from industries, university and middle schools teachers, chemists and students a salso all people interested in textile.
AICTC is an active member of IFATCC – International Federation of Associations of Textile Chemists and Colourists since the foundation, is also is a member of FAST – Federation of Italian Scientific Associations. Our action is based on volunteers activities: we are supporting knowledge through publications, a periodic bulletin named A CAMPIONE who is informing readers about Association activities, chemistry news, research published in Italian containing also news in English trying to attract more people, a yearly publication called QUADERNI who is dedicated to a specific topic.
Usually, AICTC is organizing twice a year congress regarding specific topics always having an eye on knowledge. Nowadays we organize, reacting to the pandemic situation worldwide two kinds of the webinar: general webinar managed by science communicator and training webinar managed by professional who are granting to the participants a certificate of participation giving more value to the event.
Let us know about the service that you offer to the textile and fashion sector in AICTC?
We are changing trying to adapt our organization to the new needs coming from industry and schools. We are offering training on demand to the people who are interested to know more into details textile, dyestuffs and chemistry. We are supporting schools hosting students during our congress and webinar as free of charge a salso we are giving to the students in fashion sector the opportunity to explore textile under a different light through school challenge and specific live event during school time. Thank the link with SMI – Sistema Moda Italia we had the opportunity to be seated to the training table dedicated to students.
How many members you have?
We have 700 people joining our organization; their activities are wide and are covering different stages of textile production, chemical supplier, students, textile mills. Our members are representing all kind of textiles activities in Italy and they are producing a wide range of textile products.
It’s important to underline that we are a people community and network, not a community of industry it’s a different approach to the knowledge and services offered to the market. We are focused on the single entity offering to each member the opportunity to become an active part of textile supporting our action a salso the opportunity to learn from other members.
How do you evaluate Textile chemicals and auxiliary industry in Italy?
Italy despite the shrinkage of the market started years ago is an interesting market for dyestuff, dyeing auxiliaries and chemicals used in textile; many local Italian companies have a worldwide presence in countries who have a textile tradition.
 The Middle East and Africa is an important destination for textile chemicals products, how do you evaluate the textile and fashion industry in this region.Â
There are chemical companies who have established in other countries their production setting new plants outside Italy offering to different market including Africa (Mediterranean area), Turkey, South America. Some companies are well known outside of Italy and Europe.
COVID 19 shows us we should rely more on sustainability and green products, how we can improve sustainability in textile chemicals industry?
Despite Covid19 sustainability is the main driver in textile since years: we have to stay focused on that topic making the right choice in terms of chemicals production: daily we are learning that some chemical producer are offering to the market products coming from non-conventional raw materials or chemicals produced using different synthesis methods or new application methods.
It’s a challenge to become more and more sustainable and a big effort is now requested to the chemical producer to develop green products who can guarantee compliance to the law requirements, consumers needs and environmental needs. New solutions are already on the market who are more sustainable compared to the best available technology in dyestuff and chemicals and researcher are looking to new solutions, it takes times but itìll be the solution to the sustainability needs.
As Association we continue to put our effort for growing knowledge in textile, regulatory and sustainability giving to our members new update about the market; weìll support students ensuring them our support to become more conscious about textile, chemistry and sustainability.
We are all volunteer passionated by textile, we want to stay active in textile knowledge putting our effort to textile knowledge. We need support to maintain our activities if a reader has the same passion we have we are here waiting for you.
