Candiani S.p.A., the winner of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2019, has once again achieved recognition for their groundbreaking project, Candiani Custom, in Milan. The project features a fully integrated micro factory that produces tailor-made jeans on demand. Customers can choose from a range of eco-friendly Candiani Denim fabrics.
FKgroup, an exhibitor at ITMA 2023, nominated Candiani for this prestigious award. FKgroup praised the cutting machine specifically designed for the Candiani Custom project and highlighted the concept of the urban micro factory, which aims to promote sustainable and zero-waste production.
Alberto Candiani, the President of Candiani S.p.A., expressed his delight at winning the award, stating that it acknowledges the significance of research and development, as well as the investments and efforts required to bring about positive change through improved processes and products. Winning the award for the second time reaffirms Candiani’s commitment to continuous and tangible improvements.
The trophy was presented to Mr. Candiani by Mr. Ernesto Maurer, the president of CEMATEX, during a ceremony on the opening day of ITMA 2023. Mr. Maurer highlighted that the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award was established in 2015 to encourage and acknowledge the collaborative efforts of exhibitors and their customers in achieving excellence in the industry. He congratulated both Candiani and FKgroup for their innovative partnership and expressed hope that the award would inspire further innovative endeavors, resulting in business success while benefiting the planet and its inhabitants.
The other two finalists in the Industry Excellence category were Denim Moda S.r.l. and Limonta S.p.A. Denim Moda was nominated by Jeanologia for their establishment of the Denim Moda Urban Factory, equipped with Jeanologia garment finishing technologies and the latest equipment for manufacturing sustainable denim and cotton products. Limonta was recognized for their new Bio-FREED dyeing system, developed in collaboration with ITMA exhibitor Navis TubeTex and protein biochemicals company Modern Meadow. The one-step continuous foam-based dyeing and coating process of the Bio-FREED system significantly reduces water consumption by 90% and energy consumption by 67% by eliminating several process steps found in conventional dyeing methods.
The panel of judges for the Industry Excellence Award included Ms. Amina Razvi, CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC); Mr. Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of The European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX); Mr. Ernesto Maurer, President of CEMATEX; and Mr. John Mowbray, Founder & Director of MCL News & Media.
In addition to the Industry Excellence Award, ITMA 2023 also featured the Research & Innovation Excellence Award. This award aims to encourage academic institutions to conduct research work that contributes to the future of the textile industry. The winner of the ITMA Research & Innovation (R&I) Excellence Award for Master’s students was Mr. Philipp Benjamin Weigel, nominated by TU Dresden, Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM), for his thesis on the numerical simulation of the structural and pull-out behavior of parametrically generated profiled carbon polymer yarns. The first runner up was Ms. Eva Wingerath, nominated by ITA Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, for her thesis on life cycle assessment and evaluation of composite pressure vessel end-of-life recycling. The second runner up was Ms. Maryam Sodagar, also nominated by ITA Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, for her thesis on banana fiber as a sustainable and renewable resource for reinforcement of polylactic acid.
The panel of judges comprised:
* Mr Lutz Walter, Secretary General, European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (ETP),
* Prof Lieva Van Langenhove, General Secretary, Association of Universities for Textiles (AUTEX), and
* Mr Johannes Diebel, Managing Director, Forschungskuratorium Textil e V.
The ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award is a part of the series of activities promoting research and innovation at the exhibition. Other activities include the Innovative Xchange and the Innovation Video Showcase. A new initiative is the Start-Up Valley.
ITMA 2023 is held at Fiera Milano Rho venue, Milan. The exhibition ends on 14 June. For more information, please visit www.itma.com or download the ITMA app.
