Bangladesh's garment industry is strategically pivoting towards technical textiles, a high-value sector deemed "essential for the continued success" of the country’s manufacturing future.
This information was revealed in a press conference held at a hotel in Dhaka, on Thursday, ahead of ‘Techtextil and Texprocess’ scheduled to be held in April 2026. Ms Afroza, head of operation, Messe Frankfurt SP Bangladesh highlights the issues in the presentation.
This focus was highlighted in a presentation promoting the upcoming Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs in Frankfurt, Germany.
Technical textiles, defined as materials manufactured primarily for their technical performance and functional properties rather than aesthetics, represent a large and growing global sector.
Frankfurt Fairs Showcase Entire Textile Chain: The twin trade fairs, Techtextil (the leading trade fair for technical textiles) and Texprocess (the top international trade fair for garment and textile machinery), will be held in parallel from April 21 to 24, 2026, in Frankfurt, Germany.
Holding both events together allows visitors to observe the entire value chain, from raw fibers and production to innovative fabrics, their end use, and recycling.
The 2024 edition attracted 1,699 exhibitors from over 50 countries and a total of 35,180 trade visitors. Germany, Italy, and China were the top exhibiting nations at Techtextil 2024.
Technology Focus:Texprocess highlights new technologies focused on boosting efficiency, optimizing resource use, and includes solutions like robot-assisted sewing units and AI-based real-time quality control.
Strategic Importance for Bangladesh: Industry experts view the technical textiles sector as a critical growth area, with increasing demand across diverse fields such as healthcare, automotive, construction, and sports.
Techtextil brings together these various application areas, from car manufacturers to medical engineers. The exhibition itself covers 12 key application areas, including Medtech, Protech, and Sporttech.
Bangladesh’s importance as a strategic sourcing destination for technology and material is underscored by its recognition as one of the five most important countries for visitors to Texprocess, alongside Italy, Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia.
At the 2024 edition, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) organized a dedicated pavilion. Five Bangladeshi companies participated to showcase their potential in the technical textile segment, including Akij Jute Mills, Team Manufacturing Company, Smee Apparels, M & A Sourcing Bangladesh, and NexGen Apparel.
The push into functional textiles marks a major step in the country's efforts to move beyond basic apparel manufacturing toward higher value-added products.