Mr Elgar Straub, President of the VDMA (German Technical Association for Textile Fibre and Leather Processing).
The global sewing machine industry is currently facing challenges and transformations, whereby digitalization, intelligent innovation, and sustainable production are no longer fashionable buzzwords, but a reality and an irreversible trend for the years to come. This is a topic that I have been following and studying for 25 years.
Fortunately, our industry, from equipment to garments to fabrics, is in global demand for sustainability. But there are always challenges, firstly the challenge of epidemics, and then the labor shortage common to the global sewing machinery industry, all forcing the industry to intelligently transform and collaborate in a timely manner on the equipment side, the garment manufacturing side, and the consumer side. That is a greater focus on environmentally friendly and sustainable production, through improved production processes and technologies, the use of environmentally friendly raw materials, social responsibility, the use of natural resources, and the reduction of waste and waste generation. Once we leapfrog the challenges and transform and innovate successfully, a sea of opportunities will greet us, including client industries in the automotive and healthcare sectors.
We also need to collaborate with educational organizations to train professionals so that new ideas can be embedded in the mindsets of future practitioners.CISMA 2023 was a great success, and we witnessed CISMA's contributions and achievements to the industry over the years, especially this year's show, where a wide range of smart, digital, and sustainable solutions shone brightly, giving us confidence and hope for a brighter future. It also inspired us to think about the need for greater collaboration among industry colleagues, and between trade shows and industry associations in all countries and regions, so that we can better meet the challenges and seek common development.
