At ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Kohan Textile Journal met with Andreas Rass, CEO of Zimmer Austria, to discuss the company’s latest innovations in digital printing, coating technologies, and technical textiles. During the interview, Rass explained why Türkiye remains one of Zimmer Austria’s most strategic markets, particularly in digital carpet printing, and shared how the company is supporting manufacturers across home textiles, fashion, technical textiles, and defense applications with advanced production technologies.
Mr. Rass, thank you for joining Kohan Textile Journal. How has ITM 2026 been for Zimmer Austria, and what are you presenting this year?
Andreas Rass: Thank you, Behnam, for being with us today.
We are very excited to be back in Istanbul, which I would describe as one of the key hubs for the global textile industry. It is an important meeting point for discovering new trends in home textiles, fashion textiles, and carpet manufacturing.
At ITM 2026, we are presenting our latest machinery and solutions across these different product segments. On the digital printing side, Türkiye continues to be one of our most important markets, particularly for carpet printing. With several recent machine installations in Gaziantep, we are pleased to demonstrate what our customers have already achieved using Zimmer Austria technology and to show visitors from Türkiye and neighboring regions what is possible with our latest digital printing solutions.
In coating technology, we are showcasing a wide range of coated materials and demonstrating the versatility of our Magna Roll coating system. These solutions provide manufacturers in technical textiles and many other coating applications with outstanding flexibility and production capabilities.
Finally, technical textiles have become an increasingly important area for Zimmer Austria—not only in Türkiye but across Europe and other international markets. We are seeing strong demand in military textile applications, where we offer advanced digital printing solutions through our Colaris platform, as well as proven technologies including flat screen printing, rotary screen printing, and specialized coating equipment.
Our goal is to help textile manufacturers increase flexibility, product quality, and competitiveness by providing innovative technologies across multiple textile sectors.
Read More: ZIMMER AUSTRIA to Showcase Advanced Textile and Carpet Technologies at ITM 2026 Istanbul
Türkiye Continues to Lead in Digital Carpet Printing
One of the key messages from Zimmer Austria at ITM 2026 is the continued importance of the Turkish market. With numerous digital carpet printing installations, particularly in Gaziantep, Türkiye remains one of the world’s leading centers for carpet production and a strategic market for advanced digital printing technologies.
Zimmer Austria also highlighted growing opportunities in technical textiles and military applications, where digital printing and specialized coating technologies are becoming increasingly important for manufacturers seeking higher performance and greater production flexibility.
Kohan Textile Journal’s View
Zimmer Austria continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading providers of digital textile printing and coating technologies. As demand grows for flexible manufacturing, customized production, and high-performance technical textiles, the company’s continued investment in digital innovation positions it well to support manufacturers across both traditional textile markets and emerging industrial applications. ITM 2026 once again demonstrated Türkiye’s strategic role in driving these technological advancements throughout the global textile industry.
