Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) has been supporting companies in developing marketable innovations for over 30 years. With a clear focus on sustainability, the environment, health and protection, the STFI offers future-oriented research, textile testing for tailor-made solutions and certification of personal protective equipment. At Techtextil 2026, the institute will present ideas for the textile circular economy and showcase solutions for healthy and safe living.
As a European beacon of textile research, we drive innovations that conserve resources, improve processes and protect people. We develop sustainable ecological solutions for practical application on a scientific basis and ensure that textile products and processes are safe.
We take a holistic approach to the textile circular economy. We create sustainable solutions for the entire textile value chain, from raw material selection to production and use to the collection and recycling of materials. The aim is to conserve resources and establish circular alternatives to the linear economy. At Techtextil, we are showcasing a sound booth that demonstrates the performance of acoustically effective nonwovens. What makes it special is that it is made from textile waste materials that were previously thermally recycled.
We strive for peak performance in the name of health. Our vision is to build a sustainable bridge between health, technology and lifestyle. The close integration of functional textile design, medical expertise and resource-saving material concepts results in products that promote health, combine hygiene and comfort, and at the same time foster innovation and environmental awareness. At Techtextil, we are presenting a belt system for postnatal muscle building that incorporates washable electrodes for muscle stimulation and adapts to the decreasing abdominal circumference thanks to its special knitted construction.
We are very familiar with personal protective equipment. Clothing and equipment for personal protection form the last barrier against external influences and hazards. These hazards can be mechanical, chemical, thermal, optical or even acoustic in nature. At Techtextil, we are presenting a textile concept that extends the existing level of protection against stabs and cuts to include impact protection, thus increasing the overall protection of users in practical working environments. Hunters and forestry workers need to fear encounters with wild boar less during their work in the forest.
We see our environment as the key to a healthy life. Our stated goal is to use textile technologies in such a way that they reduce environmental impact, protect natural resources and create liveable spaces for future generations, because it is our future that is at stake. Greening our urban living spaces is essential for a good quality of life and protects buildings from the effects of weather. Textile, drapable systems offer flexible and easy-care greening solutions for this purpose.
Technical textiles are all about pure performance. We research and develop functional technical textiles and nonwovens that are precisely tailored to specific performance requirements and conditions of use, such as filtration. The focus is on the functional and safety-related properties of the materials. Industrial textiles make a decisive contribution to safety, efficiency and sustainability in areas such as construction, transport, mechanical and plant engineering, environmental technology and recycling.
On two evenings during the trade fair, we invite interested parties to two mini-symposia at our stand. On 21 April 2026, learn more about our view of sustainable concepts such as the textile circular economy, knowledge transfer for the textile industry at the STFI Academy, and innovations for healthy living. On 22 April 2026, we will take you on a journey through our facilities: “More Than Machines – Engineering Expertise for Advanced Textile Development” provides insight into the fascinating worlds of auxetics and functionalisation. Starting at 5 p.m. each day at our exhibition stand.
Visit us from 21-24 April 2026 in Frankfurt am Main in Hall 12.1, Stand E57.
Our highlights at Techtextil 2026
Sound booth – an oasis of calm amid the hustle and bustle of the trade fair
Chemical recycling of mixed textile fractions produces textile residues that are currently not used as raw materials but are thermally recycled or disposed of. To enable further recycling, STFI is working with Refresh Global to investigate efficient treatment and processing methods for reusing these textile residues. These can be used in sound-absorbing design products, such as acoustic walls or furniture. Nonwoven forming processes are particularly suitable for processing these textile residues. At STFI, the recyclates are mechanically processed on pilot plants on a laboratory or semi-industrial scale before being laid into a non-woven fabric and consolidated. Through appropriate finishing, a visually matching top layer can also be integrated directly onto the nonwoven fabric. The finished nonwoven fabrics are processed into sound-absorbing design products by the project’s industrial partner. At Techtextil, we are exhibiting a sound booth that demonstrates the performance of these acoustically effective nonwoven fabrics.
Die Soundkabine demonstriert die Leistungsfähigkeit von akustisch wirksamen Vliesstoffen, die aus Reststoffen des chemischen Recyclings hergestellt wurden: absolute Stille mitten im Messetrubel. | The sound booth demonstrates the performance capabilities of acoustically effective nonwovens made from chemical recycling residues: absolute silence amid the hustle and bustle of the trade fair. Copyright: STFI
Sports belt based on modulated medium frequencies for mobile applications for postnatal muscle building of the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles
A team of companies and research institutions has developed a novel smart textile for stimulating and strengthening the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles using modulated medium frequencies (EMA), specifically for mobile use during and after childbirth. To this end, a textile belt was designed using knitting technology that covers the abdomen, thighs and buttocks and integrates electrodes at the relevant muscle zones. The electrodes are washable and fixed in the belt system, and the belt adapts to the user’s decreasing body circumference thanks to its textile construction. The miniaturised, battery-powered control unit is attached to the belt and can be operated via a removable remote control. The system is easy to put on, comfortable, intuitive to use and does not restrict freedom of movement. This makes it particularly suitable for home use and everyday postnatal recovery.
Gestrickter Sportgurt für den postnatalen Aufbau der tiefen Bauch- und Beckenbodenmuskulatur | Knitted sports belt for postnatal strengthening of the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles Copyright: STFI/Weißensee KHB
Complete protection against wild boar: protective trousers protect against stab and cut injuries and attacks by wild boar
In forestry and hunting in particular, workers are exposed to high risks of impact injuries resulting from attacks by wild boar. Conventional protective clothing often only offers protection against stab or cut injuries. The STFI has therefore developed a textile concept that adds impact protection to the existing level of protection, thus increasing the overall protection of users in practical working environments. In tests, the impact of a blow was reduced by up to 20 per cent. We present an example of trousers in which the special impact protection fabric has been incorporated. Depending on requirements, the impact protection elements can also be designed to be recyclable. Specially woven hinges also increase the comfort of the work trousers.
Gestrickter Sportgurt für den postnatalen Aufbau der tiefen Bauch- und Beckenbodenmuskulatur | Knitted sports belt for postnatal strengthening of the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles Copyright: STFI/Weißensee KHB
MC4 – Optimising recycling cycles for carbon and glass fibre composites
High-performance fibre materials made of carbon and glass have a significant ecological footprint, and not just because of their energy-intensive production. High waste volumes in the manufacturing process and the reuse of raw materials at the end of the product life cycle offer enormous recycling potential for the future. MC4 (Multi-level Circular Process Chain for Carbon and Glass Fibre Composites) is a European project to promote circular approaches for carbon and glass fibre composites. These materials are indispensable in many technical applications due to their light weight and high mechanical properties. The project consortium is working until March 2025 to make the European value chains for carbon and glass fibres more ecologically and economically efficient and will present the development work carried out at the STFI stand as well as at its own stand and show what is technically feasible using selected demonstrators.
Prototyp eines Stuhls, dessen Rückseite aus recycelten Carbonfasern hergestellt ist, die am STFI zu Vliesstoffen verarbeitet wurden. Hersteller: AMURA (ES) | Prototype of a chair with a rear part made from recycled carbon fibres, which were processed into nonwoven fabrics at STFI. Manufacturer: AMURA (ES) Copyright: STFI
Contact:
Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) Annaberger Str. 240 09125 Chemnitz
Kareen Pfab | Public Relations
+49 371 5274-197
kareen.pfab@stfi.de
www.stfi.de
