100 years of ITM: Dresden Textile Technology celebrates its big anniversary!

100 years of ITM: Dresden Textile Technology celebrates its big anniversary!

On June 10, 2025, the Institute for Textile Machinery and Textile High Performance Materials Technology (ITM) at the Technical University of Dresden (TUD) celebrated a remarkable anniversary: ​​one hundred years of cutting-edge textile research. The celebrations included a festive colloquium in the lecture hall center and a festive evening event in Dresden's Albertinum, which was accompanied by music. Over 400 guests, including scientists, representatives from industry, politics and society, took part in this special event. TUD proudly looks back on 175 years of teaching and research in the field of textile technology and has established itself as an international center for high-performance textile technologies.

The ITM has contributed to the development of future-oriented solutions through extensive collaboration with partners from science, business and politics. In this context, new research fields such as medical implants, construction and lightweight construction technologies as well as textile energy storage and smart materials were also discussed. As part of the festive colloquium, the beginnings of the institute were discussed, while current research fields were the focus of the discussions.

The AUTEX 2025 World Textile Conference

Another highlight of the anniversary celebration was the organization of the AUTEX 2025 World Textile Conference, which is considered an important forum for scientific exchange in the field of textile research and development. Around 300 participants from over 40 countries came together to present more than 200 lectures and poster contributions on topics such as bio-based fibers, sustainability, smart textiles, textile sensors, medical technology as well as applications in construction, mobility, aviation and fashion. On this occasion it was also explained that all authors must submit a short abstract for the conference proceedings, which will be published by Springer Verlag. This publication is submitted to Scopus for indexing to ensure scientific quality.

To ensure the quality of the conference proceedings, the submitted papers must include complete papers with significant scientific content. A paper should ideally be 11+ pages in length to meet indexing requirements and is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Planned revisions are necessary for manuscripts to reach status of acceptance for publication.

Innovations in fiber development

In the larger context of textile research, competencies in the area of ​​fiber development have developed significantly. The Institute for Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University carries out basic research and works on innovative technologies for the production of high-performance fibers. Areas of application range from clothing textiles, technical textiles, high-performance textiles, composites for lightweight construction to smart filaments in medical applications.

Specific developments include both melt-spinning and wet-spinning technologies used to produce high-performance fibers such as aramid and carbon. These technologies include the entire process chain, from material preparation to filament production and yarn finishing. Thanks to modern systems and measuring devices, the ITA is able not only to conduct basic research, but also to implement industrial applications. The Center for High Performance Fiber Materials is working on the development of new fibers, including recycled fibers, which make a significant contribution to sustainability.

By combining research and industrial application, the ITM contributes significantly to the further development of textile technologies and thus sets an important focus in global textile research. The most recent event and the large number of presentations reflect the dynamism and innovative spirit that decisively shapes the textile industry.