Singapore Welcomes the Textile Industry Home After Two Decades, Marking a New Era in Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing
The highly anticipated ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025 officially opened its doors at the Singapore EXPO, bringing together over 840 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions in a milestone event that underscores the textile industry’s accelerating transformation toward technology, sustainability, and regional cooperation.
The opening ceremony featured keynote addresses by Mr. Alex Zucchi, President of CEMATEX; Mr. Gu Ping, President of the China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA); and Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore, each emphasizing the industry’s shared mission to innovate, collaborate, and adapt to a rapidly changing global landscape.
Alex Zucchi: “A Wave of Transformation”
In his inspiring opening address, Mr. Alex Zucchi highlighted how the global textile industry is “riding the wave of transformation” led by advanced automation, artificial intelligence, and circular manufacturing models.
“We need to leverage the latest technology to turn challenges into competitive advantages,” Zucchi noted, emphasizing that innovation is creating entirely new segments of growth across the textile value chain.
He stressed that textile applications are now expanding rapidly beyond apparel — into industrial, transportation, and medical fields — and that the Singapore edition serves as a vital sourcing platform for advanced and recycled textile technologies.
Zucchi also announced the launch of the ITMA Sustainable Forum, organized by CEMATEX, which will help manufacturers navigate the EU’s Sustainable Textiles Strategy and other global regulatory shifts.
CTMA President Gu Ping : “Strength in Collaboration”
Representing CTMA, Mr. Gu Ping celebrated the enduring partnership between China Textile Machinery Association, CCPIT-TEX, and CITME, which has successfully organized nine editions of ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai since 2008.
“Today, we are proud to bring this global platform to Singapore, extending our collaboration to deliver advanced and sustainable technologies to the region’s doorstep,” Gu said.
He described the event as a “dynamic platform for strengthening supply chains and driving innovation”, praising China’s proactive integration of AI and smart technologies to improve efficiency and quality.
Gu also confirmed that the next ITMA ASIA + CITME will be held from 20–24 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, continuing the mission to advance a greener, innovation-driven textile future.
Minister Alvin Tan: “From Flip Phones to Smart Textiles”
Speaking on behalf of the Republic of Singapore, Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, reflected on the significance of hosting ITMA ASIA + CITME in Singapore after 20 years.
“Twenty years ago, this industry was driven by cost and scale. Today, it is powered by technology, digitalization, and sustainability — just as we have evolved from flip phones and iPods to AI-powered platforms and carbon-capturing textiles,” he remarked.
Tan highlighted Singapore’s role as a global hub for industrial innovation and smart manufacturing, welcoming over 800 exhibitors and 30,000 expected visitors across 10 halls of Singapore EXPO.
He noted that Asia now accounts for more than 60% of global textile production and consumption, and urged regional manufacturers to embrace diversified supply chains, smart automation, and circular design to maintain competitiveness.
Singapore’s Innovation Showcase
Minister Tan also spotlighted several homegrown Singaporean innovators demonstrating the country’s leadership in sustainable textile technologies:
- Gimly Global – Virtual showrooms reducing design and selection timelines.
- Browzwear – 3D apparel development software integrating AI visualization through its acquisition of Lalaland AI.
- Tio Garments – Solar PV and water-cooled factories for reduced energy use.
- Nix Evo – Pioneering pineapple leaf fiber for sustainable textiles.
- Sinterra – Introducing Costerra, a fiber capturing up to 41 grams of CO₂ per T-shirt.
“These companies show how textile innovation today also means climate action,” Tan said.
A Platform for the Future
Together, the three leaders painted a unified vision of an industry at the crossroads of innovation, sustainability, and cooperation. The exhibition’s 19 product sectors cover the entire textile and garment manufacturing value chain — with finishing, spinning, knitting, weaving, and printing among the top categories.
As textile-to-textile recycling gains traction — projected to become a US$30 billion industry within five years — ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025 stands as a beacon of forward-thinking collaboration.
Concluding the ceremony, the speakers jointly affirmed that the textile industry’s future lies in technology, circularity, and international partnership.
“This is not just an exhibition — it is a movement,” Zucchi declared. “A movement that will define how we weave sustainability and innovation into the fabric of our shared future.”
