The global fiber industry is set to converge in Austria for Dornbirn GFC 2026, taking place from September 16–18, 2026. Celebrating its 65th anniversary, the conference will bring together more than 600 experts from industry and academia representing over 30 countries to discuss emerging technologies, sustainable materials, textile circularity and the future of fiber innovation.
With around 100 presentations, a 2.5-day programme and three parallel presentation rooms, Dornbirn GFC will provide an international platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and technology development across the fiber and textile value chain.
Five New Sessions Expand the 2026 Programme
To mark its 65th anniversary, Dornbirn GFC has expanded its established programme with five thematic presentation sessions covering cross-industry innovation, natural fibers, textile circularity, protective workwear and industry-academia collaboration.
The sessions will focus on:
- Cross-Industry Innovation – “Fiber & Textiles Meet Pulp & Paper”
- Natural Fibers: Innovative Materials Combining Sustainability and High Performance
- ReHubs: Industry Partners in Dialogue on the Future of Textile Circularity
- ReHubs: Protective Workwear
- RWTH Aachen Meets Industry
Together, these sessions highlight the industry’s growing focus on sustainable raw materials, recycling, advanced processing technologies and collaboration across traditional industry boundaries.
Fiber and Textile Technologies Meet Pulp and Paper
The cross-industry session will explore opportunities for transferring knowledge and technologies between the fiber, textile, pulp and paper industries.
Companies including ANDRITZ AG, CETI, Gessner GmbH and Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG, along with academic institutions such as TU Dresden, RWTH Aachen University and Graz University of Technology, will contribute to the session.
ANDRITZ’s Michael Waupotitsch will present “Utilization of cotton fibers from textile waste for packaging grade papers!” The presentation will examine how recycled cotton fibers can be processed for packaging paper applications and how cross-industry solutions can help close material loops.
CETI will present research on converting textile waste into sustainable paper through mechanical reprocessing. It will also discuss sustainable man-made cellulosic fibers produced from Portuguese eucalyptus pulp through the be@t project, which brings together 58 partners to develop scalable solutions for a circular and climate-resilient fiber industry.
Natural Fibers and High-Performance Materials Take Centre Stage
Another session will focus on combining natural, bio-based and synthetic fibers to create materials that deliver both sustainability and high performance.
Topics will span wool-based composites, bio-based polymers, functionalised natural fibers and advanced synthetic fibers, including polyester, polyamide, aramid and specialty fibers.
Elke Hortmeyer of the Bremen Cotton Exchange will moderate the session and will also deliver a keynote during the opening morning titled “The Power of Methodology: How the Green Deal and PEF Are Shaping the Future of the Textile Industry.”
Other presentations will address plant-fiber traceability, natural-fiber nonwovens, raw-material quality and processing potential, as well as the role of traceability in ensuring sustainability.
ReHubs to Examine the Future of Textile Circularity
Textile-to-textile recycling will be another major focus at Dornbirn GFC 2026, with ReHubs bringing together stakeholders from across the European textile value chain.
ReHubs is working to support the development of a circular textile ecosystem by connecting collectors, recyclers, fiber producers, brands, technology providers, investors and policymakers.
The organisation highlights the need to overcome the supply-demand bottleneck that continues to restrict textile recycling from moving beyond pilot projects toward industrial-scale implementation.
At Dornbirn GFC, ReHubs members will discuss mechanical and chemical recycling technologies, new business models and the conditions required to establish economically competitive circular textile value chains in Europe.
Workwear Emerges as a Strong Circularity Opportunity
A dedicated ReHubs session will examine protective workwear as a promising application for industrial-scale textile-to-textile recycling.
Workwear offers several advantages for circular systems. Unlike many consumer garments, it can generate relatively predictable and homogeneous material streams. Fibre composition and specifications are generally known, while closed B2B management systems can provide greater traceability.
Regular garment replacement cycles also create opportunities to establish closed material loops from collection and sorting through recycling and the production of new workwear.
Presentations from Norsk Tekstilgjenvinning, NTG, Klopman International and PurFi Belgium will explore mechanical textile recycling, material quality, recycling capacity and new approaches to end-of-life workwear.
RWTH Aachen and Industry Collaboration
For the third time, Dornbirn GFC will host a dedicated RWTH Aachen Meets Industry session, demonstrating how collaboration between academic researchers and industrial partners can accelerate technology development.
The Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University and its industry partners will present research covering several areas of fiber and textile innovation.
Topics include sugar-based raw materials for textile applications, energy efficiency in false-twist texturing, recycled polyester yarns made from old textiles and recyclable elastic yarns produced through melt spinning.
Companies contributing to the session include Pfeifer & Langen, Barmag, Technofibres and Envalior.
Circularity and Innovation at the Heart of Dornbirn GFC 2026
The expanded programme reflects some of the most significant priorities facing the global fiber industry: resource efficiency, sustainable materials, textile-to-textile recycling, natural fibers, advanced polymers and stronger collaboration between research and industry.
With more than 600 participants expected, Dornbirn GFC 2026 will provide a platform for international stakeholders to exchange knowledge and explore technologies that could shape the next generation of fiber production and textile manufacturing.
The conference’s 65th anniversary programme reinforces Dornbirn GFC’s position as an important meeting point for the global fiber industry, while placing circularity and cross-industry innovation firmly at the centre of discussions.