Generalitat President Ximo Puig, after talks with the leaders of the Frankfurt Fair, signaled a new avenue for collaboration with the organiser of the Heimtextil competition. He highlighted that the Valencian Community serves as a reference point for international textiles at Feria Valencia every September.
Puig visited Heimtextil, a winter show that sets the standard in home textiles and related products across Europe and worldwide. There he met with Detlef Braun, managing director of Messe Frankfurt, alongside representatives from the Valencian Community Textile Entrepreneurs Association; Olaf Schmidt, head of the Textile and Textile Technologies division, and Elena Echaniz, manager for Messe Frankfurt Spain.
Puig stressed that the meeting paved the way for a closer partnership with the German fair organisation. As part of the Generalitat’s new fair vision, the winter edition of Heimtextil complements the Valencia event in September, reinforcing Valencia as an international textile showcase at another time of year. The industry supports more than 22,000 direct jobs and generates an annual turnover exceeding 2.2 billion euros.
The Executive Director of Valencia reaffirmed the Consell’s support. With energy costs rising, the sector may seek assistance from the Spanish Government to cope with higher production expenses. In this context, she noted that the Generalitat has already allocated 10 million euros to the textile sector to ease the current pressures.
The Consell emphasized the sector’s strength and resilience, arguing that Valencian textiles can compete in markets that demand quality and sustainability. This positioning is seen as a solid base to secure the industry’s future.
Tourism and attractiveness of overseas sales increase textile turnover by up to 13%
According to data from the Textile and Clothing Information Center, the textile sector reached a turnover of 2.275 billion euros in 2022, marking a 13% rise from the previous year. Exports climbed by 6%, totaling 1.103 billion euros, underscoring the growing international demand for Valencian textiles.
Puig highlighted that more than half of all Spanish participants at Heimtextil originated from the Valencian Community, praising Ateval for its exceptional work in fostering collaboration across the sector.
The Frankfurt textile fair convenes more than 2,200 international exhibitors from 50 countries, with Spain contributing 102 exhibitors in the 2023 edition, placing it among the leading nations in participation. Economy Minister Rafael Climent and Alcoy Mayor Toni Frances were also present at the event.