Textile Innovation Expo kicks off at ICCB

The Textile Innovation Expo 2026 opened on Thursday at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital, bringing together textile manufacturers, technology providers, industry leaders, engineers, researchers and international stakeholders to showcase innovations in Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry.
The three-day expo, running until 14 November, aims to strengthen the industry’s global competitiveness through engineering excellence, automation, resource efficiency and sustainable manufacturing, according to the organisers.
The expo is presented by Textile Innovation Exchange (TIE) with the Institution of Textile Engineers and Technologists (ITET), co-organised by Textile Innovation Center and implemented by Textile Today Innovation Hub. BKMEA and BGBA are supporting associations.
TIE Chairman Engr Ehsanul Karim Kaiser chaired the opening ceremony, where he said the industry needed a platform to turn practical innovation, engineering expertise and technological solutions into drivers of industrial development.
Enamul Hafiz Latifee, strategic and reporting lead at TIE, anchored the session.
Guests unveiled the Innovation Storybook, featuring innovations from 85 factories and suppliers, before formally opening the exhibition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and visiting the stalls.
The expo features four concurrent exhibitions: Dyeing and Printing, Textile Materials, Green and Sustainability, and Garments and Automation.
Its main attraction is the Factory Innovation Pavilion, where around 50 textile and apparel factories are showcasing solutions developed at their own production facilities. Around 200 technology, machinery and solution providers are also displaying machinery, textile materials, automation systems and chemical processing technologies.
An Open Innovation Area allows researchers, universities, students and innovators to present applied research, prototypes and emerging technologies.
The event is expected to draw around 5,000 visitors, including representatives of 100 brands and buyers, and more than 200 international delegates from over 30 countries.
A technical seminar held on the opening day focused on sustainability, with sector experts stressing the need for Bangladesh’s textile and garment industry to combine environmental compliance with innovation, optimise resource use and improve chemical management to remain competitive.
Titled “Technical Seminar on Advancing Innovation and Sustainability Management”, the session brought together industry experts, policymakers and sustainability representatives to discuss strategies for meeting stringent environmental requirements in international markets.
Speakers said the global fashion industry accounts for around 8 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions and 20 per cent of wastewater. They noted that the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and mandatory Digital Product Passport are prompting global brands to demand concrete evidence of responsible resource use across their supply chains.
Bangladesh has more than 290 LEED-certified green factories, while wet processing alone consumes around 1,500 billion litres of water annually, despite the country earning $39.34 billion from merchandise exports, they said. Efficient resource use and chemical management are therefore crucial to maintaining the industry’s long-term competitiveness.
A.B.M. Fakhrul Alam, sustainability lead at Urmi Group, and S M Raihan Hossain, Bangladesh country manager of the ZDHC Foundation, presented the keynote papers. Md Abdul Muhit, manager (sustainability) at Amin & Jahan Corporation Limited, moderated the panel discussion.
The panellists were Dr Ummul Khayer Fatema, professor and head of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX); Mashuk Mujib Chowdhury, senior manager (sustainability) at DBL Group; Mohammad Al Tawhidul Islam, additional general manager (sustainability) at Envoy Textiles Limited; and Mehedi Hasan Rubel, country relationship manager at Bluesign Technologies AG.
An award ceremony will be held on 13 November at ICCB Hall 5, recognising achievements in eight categories covering manufacturing, technology, product and market development, sustainability and organisational innovation.