At ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Behnam Ghasemi, Editor-in-Chief of Kohan Textile Journal, interviewed Thomas Michalski, Sales Manager at Thies Textile Machinery to discuss the company’s latest dyeing technologies, the current investment climate in the global textile industry, and why Africa represents one of the most promising growth markets for textile machinery manufacturers.
Thies Discusses Sustainable Dyeing Innovation and Emerging African Markets
Could you introduce Thies Textile Machinery and its expertise?
Thomas Michalski: Thies is a German manufacturer specializing in textile dyeing and finishing machinery. We have been supplying innovative dyeing solutions to the global textile industry for many decades and have participated in ITM exhibitions since their early years. I believe this is around our 26th participation, which reflects our long-standing commitment to the Turkish market.
Türkiye has traditionally been one of our strongest and most important markets. Over the years, we have installed many machines across the country and built strong relationships with local textile manufacturers.
How do you assess the current global textile market?
Thomas Michalski: The global textile industry has been facing a challenging investment environment for the past four years. Many manufacturers are postponing capital investments because of economic uncertainty and geopolitical developments.
This situation is not limited to Türkiye. We see similar market conditions across Asia and many other textile-producing regions. Companies are waiting for greater stability before making significant investment decisions.
What new technologies is Thies presenting at ITM 2026?
Thomas Michalski: Despite the market slowdown, we continue investing heavily in innovation. One of our latest developments is an advanced air-flow dyeing machine that enables reactive dyeing with significantly reduced salt consumption.
Our technology helps textile mills lower water usage, energy consumption, chemical consumption, and dye consumption while producing much cleaner wastewater. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, and our goal is to provide customers with solutions that improve both environmental performance and production efficiency.
Why is reducing salt and water consumption becoming increasingly important?
Thomas Michalski: Environmental regulations are becoming stricter worldwide, and manufacturers are under pressure to reduce wastewater pollution and operating costs.
By minimizing salt usage during reactive dyeing, our technology generates cleaner wastewater while also reducing the amount of fresh water, energy, chemicals, and dyestuff required throughout the process. These improvements contribute directly to lower production costs and a more sustainable textile manufacturing process.
Is Africa becoming a strategic market for Thies?
Thomas Michalski: Yes, Africa is an increasingly important market for us. We believe the continent has significant long-term growth potential as textile manufacturing continues to expand.
Immediately after ITM, I will travel to Kenya to meet customers and better understand market opportunities. We already have customers in Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, and Tanzania, and we are working to strengthen our presence across the region.
Although investment activity is still relatively slow, we believe Africa offers promising opportunities for future growth.
Read more: Africa Textile Market: $49 Billion Opportunity by 2030 — Which Countries Win?
What challenges do you see in developing African textile markets?
Thomas Michalski: The market has tremendous potential, but there are also challenges. Access to water remains an important issue for many textile manufacturers, making resource-efficient technologies increasingly valuable.
Another challenge is the availability of skilled workers. Africa has many talented young people who speak English and are highly educated, but many choose to pursue careers abroad, creating a shortage of experienced personnel for local industries.
Nevertheless, we remain optimistic and believe Africa will become an increasingly important region for the global textile industry over the coming years.
