Italy, leader in the production of technical textiles – not only Fashion

Our country proves to be the first European producer in a segment that is growing consistently globally

In analyzing the production of technical textiles in the European Union, we discover that more than one quarter comes from Italy.
The data released recently by a symposium in Milan show an exciting picture: despite the leadership position already achieved, growth potential is enormous.

The technical textile sector in Europe

Not only Fashion – from the technological fiber uniforms used in medicine; to the protective jackets of law enforcement, including space suits and the fireproof clothing of firefighters, to sportswear: technical textiles are truly unique.

This is a market that in the European Union has by now achieved a value of Euro 26 billion. Over a quarter of this, a share of 25.8%, is produced in Italy, with revenues of Euro 6.71 billion in 2021.

These data certifying Italy’s leadership come from “Textile Made in Italy 5.0”, symposium held in Milan last May. The conference shed light on Italy’s excellence, where over 27,000 people operate within 2,800 SMEs in this sector.

A record production, nonetheless, underestimated and with a great potential for growth. Sergio Tamborini, president of SMI (Sistema Moda Italia) in this regard declares: “Italian technical textiles are mostly unknown, even if they are incredibly present in all aspects of our daily life”.

Moreover, we, too, here at Custom had predicted the growing success of these materials already over two years ago. In one of our articles on the phenomenon of Athleisure, we had, in fact, dedicated a paragraph to the interest that Fashion brands had started to show in the most innovative technical fibers.

The golden age of sportswear
On more than one occasion, on our blog, we have given space to new trends in sportswear and technology: re-read the article dedicated to the success of sportswear! Read the article

The global context: China’s clear dominance

If Italy can boast the distinction of being first in Europe, clearly dominating on a global level is China, with a market share of 60% of the total.

Aldo Tempesti, director of the Technical Textiles division of SMI-TexClubTec explains: “technical textile (…) is booming. China, the world’s principal producer, has seen its volumes increase by 110% in the last 5 years. The former Celestial Empire exports as much as Europe, but in terms of unit value, Europe makes double than China for each product, because its pieces have a decidedly higher added value”.

What emerges from this analysis, in any case, is the fact that we are talking about a segment that is expanding rapidly.

Luca Sburlati, Managing Director of Pattern (leading company in the design and production of men’s and women’s runway pieces for the most important international brands) concludes by inviting Italian companies to unite: “the production of Italian technical textile has grown from 3 to 4% in 2022. With the potential that exists, we should aim for a growth of at least 15 to 20%”.

A fashion world that tests these technologies on a production level cannot naturally do without innovations also on a software level.

For this reason, Bizeta has supported industry businesses for 40 years, offering them the most advanced solutions.