From 9 to 14 November 2025, Saxony's Minister for Economic Affairs Dirk Panter travelled to India with a delegation from industry and research to strengthen economic ties in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The STFI accompanied the 20-strong delegation.

For two decades, innovative developments, collaborative partnerships and a common goal – the sustainable use of valuable resources – have shaped our research work. We would like to celebrate the start of our anniversary year in 2026 with you and take a look back at the past as well as forward to the future.

You can look forward to exciting specialist presentations from industry, insights into technological milestones and a discussion with the initiators of the department, as well as opportunities to network with experts.

Together, we want to look back, provide impetus and develop perspectives for the next 20 years.

On 24 and 25 September 2025, the Textile International Forum and Exhibition took place in Taipei, Taiwan. The conference focused on the collection, linking and evaluation of data as well as design requirements for the successful transformation to a circular economy. The STFI was there to discuss ways of cooperating with international partners.

The aim of the project was a further development of a textile technology for flat semi-finished products made of staple fibres with a topological material distribution appropriate to the load. The successful implementation of the project objective has created a further bonding technology for nonwovens as well as the possibility of producing textile, load-optimised semi-finished products that generate a significant reduction in mass and precise mass distribution.

In 2025, A+A in Düsseldorf will focus in particular on the topics of sustainability, digitalisation and new work under the motto "People matter". At its own stand, STFI will be providing advice on its portfolio for testing and certification of PPE, in particular on heat and flame protection as well as welder and laser protection.

The 17th BAUTEX Symposium will take place at the Hotel Chemnitzer Hof on 28 and 29 January 2026. The STFI event brings together experts from industry, engineering firms and research to present and discuss textile developments, technologies and trends for geosynthetics.

The increasing demand for sustainable materials and the critical view of traditional plastics are leading to growing interest in bio-based and biodegradable plastics. The project focused on the extent to which textile finishes used for functionalisation influence the biodegradability of textiles or are themselves biodegradable.

The manufacturing processes for PVC-based artificial leather are energy-intensive and costly. In addition, plasticisers and solvents that are harmful to health are used. Coatings with thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) offer an alternative. In this research project, various thermoplastic polyurethanes were successfully applied to different textiles using direct and transfer processes involving roller application and wide slot die coating.

In forestry and hunting in particular, workers are exposed to high risks from impact injuries. Conventional protective clothing often offers inadequate or one-sided protection. The aim of the project was therefore to develop a textile concept that adds impact protection to the existing level of protection (stab or cut protection) and thus increases the overall protection of users in the practical working environment.

Recultivation of salinised farmland in Central Asia with adapted raw material plants (apocynum ssp./kendyr) and textile value creation as an alternative to cotton

Etablierte nasschemische Textilveredlungsprozesse erfordern Trocknungsenergie, chemische Substanzen, Wasser und Maßnahmen zu deren Aufbereitung. Die laserbasierte Trockenvorbehandlung bietet eine energie- und ressourcensparende Alternative, ist jedoch noch nicht industrieweise etabliert und findet bislang keine Berücksichtigung in der textilen Ausbildung. Angesichts der Vorteile dieser Technologie zielte dieses Projekt darauf ab, die Integration der laserbasierten Trockenvorbehandlung in die Textilveredlung voranzutreiben. Um die Bedienung der Anlage zu erleichtern und das Prozessverständnis zu fördern, wurde ein Assistenzsystem entwickelt.

Unter dem Motto „Geobaustoffe – Nachhaltig und effizient auf höchstem Qualitätsniveau“ veranstaltet das Sächsische Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) zusammen mit seinen Mitveranstaltern am 28. und 29. Januar 2026 das 17. Bautextilien-Symposium BAUTEX „Bauen mit Textilien“ in Chemnitz. Vortragsvorschläge nehmen wir ab sofort entgegen.

The European Capital of Culture 2025, Chemnitz, opened its doors to textile designers, textile artists and experts from the fields of fashion, art and textiles: the Tour de LOOP on 26 and 27 May 2025 took participants on an exclusive professional tour of one of Europe's most traditional and innovative textile regions. 19 visitors from Europe explored Chemnitz and its textile region. They came from the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Germany.

Under the motto ‘Shaping the future now’, the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) is presenting two pioneering textile developments at this year's Innovation Day for SMEs organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The event will take place as an open-air trade fair on the outdoor grounds of AiF Projekt GmbH in Berlin-Pankow and offers small and medium-sized companies a platform to present their innovative projects and results, which have been supported by the BMWE's open-topic innovation funding programme.

The research objective of the project was to develop an insole that grows with the child to recognise changes in the fit of the child's shoe.

The aim of the research project was the development of a multi-axial mat structure made of highly sensitive filaments, along with the manufacturing technology required for its production.

On April 3, 2025, the STFI hosted its third Akademie Breakfast. In addition to donuts, bagels and coffee, the topic of employee motivation was on the table, bringing together companies from Saxony's textile industry as well as representatives from Chemnitz University of Technology, the Federal Employment Agency and the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

As part of the research project, a technology for the production of high-performance mesh structures with diagonal weft threads was developed. The focus was on the development of the necessary machine technology and the production of new mesh structures.

On 11 and 12 March, the 17th Symposium TEXTILE FILTER took place in Chemnitz, Germany. Every two years, experts from science and industry come together to discuss the latest developments in the field of textile filter media. This year's event focused on sustainability, bio-based materials and digital simulations to optimise filtration processes. The symposium was accompanied by an exhibition and an excursion to the host, the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V.

In the new edition, we focus on the important issue of skilled workers. We highlight the opportunities in the industry and show how our STFI Akademie provides targeted support for qualification and development.

The Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) uses a highly sophisticated diagonal laying technique for the production of multi-axial mats made from glass or carbon fibres. This allows the fibres to be processed in the correct mesh without puncturing or damaging them. The aim of the project was the optimisation and further development of the diagonal laying technique in order to be able to process even sensitive thread materials gently and without damaging them.

JEC World will take place from 4 to 6 March 2025 under the motto ‘Pushing the Limits’. With its groundbreaking solutions, unique manufacturing and business opportunities, the leading trade fair for lightweight construction is a networking centre for creativity, vision and action. It shows how composite materials are pushing the boundaries of projects and ambitions.

The aim of the ReCarboSize project was the development of a concept for the resizing of recycled carbon fibres (rCF) and the adaptation of the sizings themselves for the selected thermoset (epoxy resin, polyurethane) and thermoplastic (polyamide, polyphenylene sulphide) resin systems.

The focus of this research project was set on the targeted and digital dyeing of textile surfaces through exposure to UV laser radiation. For this purpose, a pre-treated textile was provided with a light-sensitive layer, which was previously applied manually and exposed on a small scale.

The aim of the research project was the development of machines and processes for 3D printing on pre-stretched textiles with subsequent moulding effects.

The aim of the project was the development of an adaptive tracking and tracing assistance system based on technologies from the fields of Industrial Internet-of-Things, mobile computing, wireless communication and graphical low-code programming.

Textile finishing producers should be enabled to use mobile systems and matrix production strategies through a versatile shopfloor framework. Matrix production combines the advantages of make-to-order production (flexibility) and classic flow production (productivity) through adaptive and agile process chains. The project also integrates employees into this production strategy and creates the manufacturer-independent basis for cooperative matrix production.