The Innovate: Digital Manufacturing conference will be hosted virtually, on 10-11 June 2025. Keep checking the agenda as we announce more sessions and speakers.
Tuesday, 10 June
Keynote presentation: The current state of digitalisation in the textile & apparel industry
Speaker:
Dr Thomas Fischer, DITF
Digitalisation turned out to be a game changer for the development, production and sales processes of textiles and clothing industry in micro-factories. This keynote will explore how the digital twins of material and objects or bodies – for example, in the form of avatars or scanatars – foster virtual fitting procedures and the creation of individualised products in lot-size 1, and their production is enabled by digitally networked production technology such as printing and cutting and sorting. It will also explore how current research activities comprise algorithms for automatic made-to-measure processes, automatisation in material handling and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) along the whole design and production process.
Panel: Streamlining production: Digitalisation 101
Speakers:
Kevin Smith, Made Smarter
Florian Pohlmeyer, RWTH Aachen University
Marcus Ott, Halo GmbH
This panel session will explore how digitalisation is enhancing process efficiencies in textile & apparel manufacturing. We will discuss real-world examples of how these technologies are being implemented in textile & apparel manufacturing, showcasing tangible benefits such as reduced production times and energy use, minimised waste, enhanced product quality, increased overall operational efficiency and consequently, improved profit margins. It will also assess the latest technologies and machinery enhancing textile production such as real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance and machine2machine communication.
Panel: Digital traceability: demystifying the supply chain
Speaker:
Prakash Menakel Philip, Cotton Connect
This session will explore the critical role of digital traceability and transparency in modern textile manufacturing. It will delve into how digital labelling can demystify textile & apparel supply chains, providing end-to-end visibility and full traceability of raw materials, production processes, and product journeys, from farm to consumer. It will also look at how facilitating the identification and verification of practices can enhance ethical sourcing and sustainability, as well as ensuring fair labour conditions and combat counterfeiting.
Wednesday, 11 June
Digitising Textile Development Using AI
Speaker:
Zhanna Naymankhanova, Senstile
Senstile goes beyond traditional material analysis – the company says it has mastered Digital Material Fingerprints, creating a unique Material DNA for each textile. Its technology doesn’t measure; it digitises, capturing touch, structure, texture, colour, fibre and chemical attributes into a multidimensional AI-ready vector. This allows AI to understand textiles in their full complexity, rather than relying on predefined measurements. A common misconception is that feeding lab tests and manufacturing data into AI is enough to drive innovation. This old, statistical approach limits AI to working with fixed data points. True breakthroughs require Generative AI, but for that, AI needs deep, structured material intelligence—not just numbers. By integrating lab results, production data, and external sources on top of our textile fingerprints, Senstile will discuss how it unlocks AI-driven material optimisation, advances in Digital Product Passport, generative design, and new industry collaborations.
AI: Powering the fashion renaissance
Speaker:
Adriana Pereira, The Fabricant
In this presentation, you’ll discover how AI-driven tools are reshaping design, reducing waste and increasing profitability. Through real-world use cases, the session will explore how brands can harness AI to drive efficiency and speed to market without compromising creativity.
How brands can empower manufacturing partners to build efficient and resilient supply chains
Speaker:
Ajay Kumar Pandey, Agilitas
In today’s evolving apparel retail landscape – where solving consumer problems at the core is critical – agility, efficiency and resilience are essential from concept to consumer. For any brand aiming to grow meaningfully, the performance of its manufacturing partners is foundational. This session explores how brands can move beyond internal transformation to actively enable their suppliers through automation, real-time visibility, knowledge sharing, and digital collaboration.
Ajay Pandey shares practical strategies to elevate manufacturing excellence, strengthen supplier capabilities, and drive ecosystem-wide improvements in quality, speed, and reliability. Grounded in the belief that great brands are built by solving real consumer needs through operational excellence, the session draws on Agilitas’ vision to power movement and build connected ecosystems. It highlights how human expertise, and technology can work together to deliver consistent product integrity, sustainable performance, and long-term value through shared ownership and execution excellence.
Panel: Exploring, integrating and benefiting from automation
Speakers:
Michael Mayr, Silana
Kat Thiel, Robotics Living Lab
This panel session will explore the impact of automation in textile & apparel manufacturing. It will assess the latest technologies and machinery enhancing textile production but will also assess the effects of robotics and automation on the industry, its workforce and business models. What’s more, the panel will explore the state-of-the-art automation solutions in various textile processes, including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing.
