KARL MAYER is opening its new Textile Innovation Centre (TIC), signaling its continued investment in advancing textile innovation and expanding opportunities for the industry. The facility brings together the latest developments in warp knitting, technical textiles and warp preparation, the company’s core areas of expertise. KARL MAYER is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of warp knitting machines and textile production technologies.
CEO Lutz Wolf said, “With our Textile Innovation Centre, we are strongly focusing on textiles as the heart of our industry and the growth engine for our customers,” said Lutz Wolf, CEO of KARL MAYER. “The TIC marks a key milestone in KARL MAYER’s strategic direction. We are investing in innovation, quality and partnership-based development so that our customers not only remain competitive but also gain access to textiles that open new business opportunities.”
Located at KARL MAYER’s headquarters in Obertshausen, the TIC is designed as a collaborative hub for creativity, technical development and market-driven solutions. The company aims to create a destination for the international textile industry where customers can exchange knowledge, develop ideas, produce innovative fabrics and build strategic relationships.
In parallel with Techtextil Frankfurt, KARL MAYER will host a grand opening week at the facility from April 21-24, featuring guided innovation tours, expert presentations, networking opportunities and demonstrations of new textile applications.
Centre of textile excellence
Spanning nearly 5,000 square meters, the Textile Innovation Centre is positioned as a global hub for textile expertise.
“The size and equipment of our new Textile Innovation Centre are unrivalled worldwide,” said Karl Josef Mayer, representative of the Mayer family and patron of the TIC. “We are pursuing what could be described as a Medici effect, essentially a renaissance for the textile industry, focused on preserving and expanding textile know-how while developing innovative solutions.”
The facility will offer:
- Inspiration at a glance: A spacious showroom and open sample archive showcasing current developments and emerging trends, designed to encourage new thinking around materials, structures and applications.
- Direct access to experts: Customers will collaborate closely with KARL MAYER specialists, gaining support across materials, processes, machinery and application development. From idea to market-ready solution: The TIC will support fibre manufacturers, brands and customers throughout the development process from concept to near-market prototype using the latest machinery. This includes work on new textile products, launches and sustainable solutions.
- Platform for exchange and networking: As an open meeting space, the centre will connect stakeholders across the textile value chain under the theme “Connected Textile Innovation,” spanning fibre through finished product.
- Professional training: The KARL MAYER Academy will relocate to the TIC, offering technical training for customer technicians, brand representatives, service personnel and textile students.
Showroom
KARL MAYER said it looks forward to welcoming customers, partners and international trade media during the opening week.
Opening week: April 21-24, 2026
Location: Obertshausen, Germany (held in parallel with Techtextil Frankfurt)
