Textilwirtschaft

Textilwirtschaft refers to the textile economy, comprising the production, processing, and trade of fibers, yarns, fabrics, and finished textile goods, as well as the related machinery, services, and value chains. It includes traditional textiles, apparel, technical textiles, and smart textiles used in industry, medicine, transport, and construction.

In the value chain, raw materials and fiber production influence costs; spinning, weaving, knitting, or nonwoven production create fabrics; finishing, dyeing, coating, and printing add value; and distribution spans wholesale and retail. Technical textiles and smart textiles form a fast-growing segment with applications in geotextiles, filtration, medical textiles, and composites.

Germany and other Western economies remain important hubs for textile machinery, engineering, and textile research. Domestic production of apparel and consumer fabrics has declined since the late 20th century, while emphasis has shifted toward product design, branding, automation, high-value materials, and sustainable production. Global competition from Asia and Eastern Europe influences location decisions, with many final garments manufactured abroad while Europe exports machinery, chemicals, and specialized fabrics.

Recent trends include digitalization and Industry 4.0 in production, automation, sustainable materials and processes, circular economy concepts, recycled fibers, water and energy efficiency, and transparency across supply chains. Textilwirtschaft thus denotes both the economic sector and, in media usage, the coverage of market developments within textiles, clothing, and related technologies.