Sports & Outdoor

Sportswear and sports shoe giant Nike Inc. has announced the launch of a revolutionary new running shoe which uses state-of-the-art integral knitting techniques to create a one piece upper which is virtually seamless. The Nike Flyknit upper is engineered for precision fit and aims to create the feeling of a second skin for runners.

A year after its launch at Expofil, Filature Miroglio, manufacturer of the Newlife fibre platform presented its Newlife Eco-Innovation Library at last week’s Première Vision in Paris. The Italian company reports great interest and turnout for Newlife and the innovative materials made with its 100% recycled premium fibre.

Oerlikon Barmag will be showcasing its spinning and winding solutions for composites yarns at the forthcoming JEC show. The company will also be demonstrating its competence in the area of pumps for composite materials at the Paris show which is being held from 27-29 March.

The Switzerland based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published its State of Trade Report for the 3rd Quarter of 2011. The organisation reports that global yarn and fabric production were up in Q3 and that estimates for Q4 are also positive.

At the spring trade shows in Paris last week, leading Austrian cellulosic fibre producer Lenzing presented its latest eco fibre, MicroModal Edelweiss, which is made from European beech wood using eco manufacturing processes.

Leading manufacturer of warp knitted seamless (WKS) garments Cifra, which has recently signed a collaboration agreement with circular seamless giant Tefron, exhibited at ISPO in Munich last month for the first time, claiming the show was a resounding success. Cifra says buyers were actually queuing to get on to the company’s booth at the 17 hall, 80,000 visitor sportswear and sports equipment show.

Rapid growth in demand in emerging markets is driving investment in nonwovens, according to new report by business information company Textiles Intelligence. The World Nonwovens Industry: Part 2 - 20 Medium Sized Producers was published in the first quarter of 2012 and is now available for purchase here on Innovation in Textiles.

ACIMIT, the organisation representing the Italian textile machinery manufacturers says that orders for Italian textile machinery sector are now back on the rise.

The $4.2 trillion healthcare market is increasingly eating into the GDPs of nations, as people seemingly get fatter, do less exercise, and as populations become drastically older.

On 9 December 2011, Prof. Stefan Mecheels, Head of the Hohenstein Institute, opened the new test laboratory at the International Textile Testing and Service Centre in Hong Kong. It was an opportunity to tell the approximately 70 invited guests from all around the world about the work of the Hohenstein experts.