Koelnmesse, together with partner Beijing Triuni Exhibition Co Ltd, will stage Textile Processing China (TPC) a textile processing trade event, powered by IMB Cologne, Textile Processing China.

The biennial trade fair will be held at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC) from October 19 to 21 this year.

This event is supported by the Munich-based VDMA German Garment and Leather Technology Association, the conceptual sponsor of the leading international fair IMB Cologne World of Textile Processing in Cologne, Germany.

As the world's largest manufacturer of clothing and home textiles, China is becoming an increasingly important manufacturer of many other products made of flexible textiles.

These products are used in a wide variety of industries such as construction.

"Through Textile Processing China, we'll be able to join forces with our customers, the exhibitors of IMB in Cologne, and capitalize on the economic potential of this promising market," said Wolfgang Kranz, executive vice-president of Koelnmesse GmbH.

According to Kranz, Triuni is an ideal local trade fair partner, whose rich customer resources and experience in organizing similar events will dovetail nicely with Koelnmesse's international expertise in the field of technology for processing textiles and flexible materials.

Partnership between these two companies will benefit exhibitors and even China's textile processing industries, Kranz said.

"The Chinese market is ready for a top-class textile processing trade fair focusing on attracting makers involved in garments producing and technical textiles processing, instead of international traders," says Elgar Seite Straub, executive director of the VDMA German Garment and Leather Technology Association.

"TPC targets all textile processors, including not only producers of sports items and upholstered furniture, but also and in particular manufacturers of car seats and airbags," he said.

In recent years, suppliers for the automotive industry have established operations in the vicinity of automobile manufacturers in China, to ensure a short supply chain.

"Now that virtually all of the international car manufacturers run their own manufacturing plants in China, the quality standard here is also high," Straub said.

"This includes, for instance, the ability to document the stitching process used for manufacturing airbags as well as complying to safety requirements in seat production."

Straub adds that productivity, flexibility, high quality and state-of-the-art technology are key competitive factors in every area of textile processing in China today.

At TPC, exhibitors from all over the world will be demonstrating these to their Chinese customers.

The concept behind the new event is based on the product groupings at IMB World of Textile Processing in Cologne.

They include technologies and services for cutting, folding, fusing and finishing products made of textiles and flexible materials, as well as logistics and IT services.

In response to the specific industry requirements in China, technology suppliers and providers of services for the upstream areas of the value chain are also invited to the event.

"China's clothing industry has grown by around 60 per cent since 1997," said Michael Dreyer, managing director of Koelnmesse Pte Ltd in Singapore.

He cited the average annual 21 per cent growth in imports of textile and sewing machinery between 2000 and 2004 as an example to illustrate the strong demand of Chinese textile and clothing manufacturers for highly specific technologies and services.

The main suppliers of high-tech equipment are from Germany, Italy, Turkey, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Dreyer said, "Through TPC, we're offering international manufacturers and service providers an ideal business platform that covers the entire spectrum of textile processing technologies in the world's leading and fastest growing market."