With 69 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 once again highlights a strong presence of VDMA companies. In total, 82 German companies will be exhibiting at the event, covering about 3,500 square meters of exhibition space—making Germany the third largest exhibitor group after China and Italy. VDMA has also organized a German Pavilion featuring two group stands, one dedicated to spinning in Hall 4 and another to finishing in Hall 7, bringing together a total of 30 exhibitors.
At a VDMA press conference held during ITMA ASIA + CITME, Dr. Janpeter Horn, Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and Managing Director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik, stated: “The geopolitical and economic conditions are currently difficult. This makes the strong presence of VDMA member companies at ITMA ASIA + CITME, which is being held in Singapore for the first time in twenty years, all the more gratifying. The show offers VDMA members a key opportunity to showcase their latest technologies and connect with the ASEAN markets as well as other markets in Asia.”
Dr. Harald Weber, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, added: “It is no surprise that most visitors to the ITMA ASIA + CITME shows in Shanghai came from the People’s Republic. My expectations of the trade fair in Singapore are that the audience will be broader. I hope we will see numerous visitors from the ASEAN region, from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and from the Central Asian countries, just to mention a few.”
The VDMA members exhibiting in Singapore represent nearly every segment of textile machinery, including spinning, man-made fibers, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting and warp knitting, finishing and dyeing, and technologies for textile recycling and processing of recycled materials. The companies remain committed to innovation and sustainability, focusing on solutions that reduce production costs while maintaining the high-quality standards associated with European machinery. Their joint presence in Singapore reflects the industry’s motto, “Experience Leading Technology.”
Key themes at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 include automation, sustainability, and circular economy. Automation solutions are being showcased to address challenges faced by labor-limited textile operations, such as systems for automated sliver transport in spinning. Recycling is another major focus area, driven by government regulations promoting circularity. Among the innovations presented is a system capable of automatically sorting garments by composition and color, preparing them for recycling into fibers used in spinning, nonwovens, and composites. Sustainable dyeing technologies are also on display, designed to minimize water, energy, and chemical use while ensuring high product quality and faster production cycles—demonstrating how economic and environmental goals can align.
Asia remains the leading hub for global textile and apparel production and will continue to hold this position in the future. Consequently, Asia represents the most important export market for VDMA member companies. Between January and August 2025, German exports of textile machinery and accessories totaled nearly 1.2 billion euros, a 9.5% decline compared to the previous year. However, the data show a mixed outlook, with exports to China increasing by 25%, Pakistan by 32%, and Uzbekistan by 16%.
A recent VDMA survey conducted in October 2025 revealed that 50% of respondents view their current business situation as satisfactory. About 30% expect the business environment to remain unchanged in 2026, while 60% foresee a downturn in business prospects. For 2025, 60% of textile machinery manufacturers anticipate stagnant sales, and for 2026, 74% still expect stagnation. Nevertheless, 19% of companies predict sales growth of up to 20%.
The survey also indicated optimism for 2026, with members expecting improved sales opportunities in Asia compared to 2025. Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia are viewed particularly favorably. These projections align with IMF forecasts of over 6% GDP growth in India and more than 4% in China and the ASEAN region in 2026.
“The Asian markets are offering great chances that European machinery manufacturers can take with their innovative and sustainable solutions and the high quality of machinery that customers rightly expect. The VDMA members are looking forward to welcoming numerous visitors from various countries to their booths in Singapore,” summarized Dr. Janpeter Horn, Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association.
A complete list of all VDMA member companies exhibiting at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 is available at www.vdma.eu/itma.