Press releases
CAITME 2026 BRINGS TOGETHER TOP MANUFACTURERS AND INNOVATIVE GLOBAL TEXTILE TECHNOLOGIES
The 17th Central Asian International Textile Machinery Exhibition – CAITME 2026 took place on 8-10 September and occupied all exhibition areas at Uzexpocentre NEC in Tashkent bringing together many leading machinery manufacturers, technology companies, textile and garment industry professionals from Uzbekistan and abroad.
Over the years, CAITME has become an event unlike any other in Central Asia and the CIS establishing itself as Uzbekistan’s national brand for textile industry exhibitions. Today, it is one of the region’s leading industry events, where local manufacturers discover innovations from around the world and the latest technologies for textile and garment production.
Many of the technologies showcased at CAITME go on to be successfully adopted by textile manufacturers in Uzbekistan and other countries across Central Asia and the CIS. Over the years, the exhibition has established itself as an effective bridge between global technology providers and textile manufacturers throughout the region.
CAITME 2026 has brought together 262 companies and brands from 19 countries, including: Austria, Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Turkiye, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Uzbekistan.
Also, CAITME has maintained its strong international presence this year despite quite challenging environment in the global textile industry. International participants accounted for 83% of the total. The top five countries by number of participants were China, Turkiye, Germany, Italy and India. For many leading textile machinery manufacturers, the exhibition remains to be an effective platform for entering new markets and connecting with potential customers. For textile businesses in Uzbekistan and across the wider region, it provides an opportunity to discover technologies and equipment that can help diversify and modernise production for strengthening their competitiveness in the international markets.
Germany – one of the world’s leading textile machinery manufacturing nations – returned this year with its National Pavilion.
More than 60% of the participants demonstrated machinery and equipment in operation on their stands, thus allowing industry professionals to assess its technical capabilities and discover global trends and innovations without leaving the country. Like the world’s largest exhibitions in this sector, CAITME 2026 showcased the latest developments in energy, water and resource efficiency, production automation and digitalisation, multifunctional equipment and, of course, solutions for sustainable and circular production, including recycling.
Throughout the three-day exhibition, CAITME welcomed 3,477 unique visitors, out of a total 4,694 visits. This strong interest from industry professionals confirmed CAITME’s practical value as a place to discover the latest machinery and technologies, exchange expertise and find solutions for production development.
The exhibition’s importance to the industry was underlined by visits from representatives of the agencies officially supporting CAITME and leading bodies in the country’s textile sector: the Agency for the Development of Light Industry under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association, Uzbekipaksanoat Association, Uzcharmsanoat Association, and OSIYO RAMZI Association of Designers of Uzbekistan.
The Business Programme at CAITME 2026 was particularly extensive and addressed important industry issues: it included a round of B2G meetings between representatives of the Agency for the Development of Light Industry under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan and exhibition participants, who discussed ways to develop textile production, capacity development, upgrades and opportunities for further cooperation.
An innovative feature was a series of pre-arranged B2B meetings at the TextileExpo Uzbekistan Sourcing Hub, held on 9 September. The event brought professional international buyers, importers, distributors, retail chain representatives, owners of fashion brands and e-commerce businesses together with regional manufacturers. The buyers included companies such as O’STIN, Wildberries, Fix Price, Korzinka.uz and other major market players. A total of 155 meaningful meetings took place, of which 138 were successful, that is both parties confirmed their interest in further cooperation, giving an overall success rate of 89%.
As a result, CAITME served as a venue to showcase technology, make direct business contacts, find partners and enter new markets. Here, the participants and visitors themselves share their results and impressions.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Alisher Shaykhov, Adviser to the Chairman:
“Reaching its 17th edition is a tremendous achievement for the textile industry: the exhibition has grown from a small event into a globally recognised brand. Every edition is another step forward for the textile industry that helps businesses enter international markets and adopt new technologies and innovations. The arrival of companies offering Artificial Intelligence and digital solutions creates opportunities for new partnerships, new businesses and further international expansion. We see the textile industry go on to follow the trends showcased here”.
Picanol, Tony Decock, Weaving Machinery Sales Manager (Belgium):
“Over 15 years of participation, the exhibition has generated substantial profits for us in Uzbekistan and beyond. We return year after year because CAITME brings so many customers together in one place and offers considerable business potential: Uzbekistan has the raw materials to manufacture finished products with greater added value. We are 100% convinced that Uzbekistan is very well placed to compete in the global market, it has its own raw materials, relatively low energy costs and a large skilled workforce. Direct dialogue with the government bodies responsible for the industry is equally important to us. We had a very productive B2G meeting with the Agency for the Development of Light Industry”.
Staubli, Mohamed Barradi, Regional Sales Manager (Germany):
“We have been participating in CAITME since its inception, and it has opened up many opportunities for us to grow our business in Uzbekistan. Staubli has been active in the country since the early 2000s. Over that time, we have sold more than 1,000 machines here, which our customers now use for weaving, weaving preparation and other applications. By now we have already met four of our customers to discuss new projects and market trends, and we expect many more meetings in the coming days”.
Epson, Francesco Nozza, Sales Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Italy):
“This is Epson’s first official participation in CAITME, and it is a good opportunity to showcase our products to the market. Uzbekistan remains one of the largest and most historically significant textile markets. We are here to support the transition from traditional to digital printing by presenting our digital product range and solutions for reactive, pigment and acid dye printing. The exhibition allows us to meet many customers from Uzbekistan and beyond. This year, we have met representatives from Egypt and Turkiye”.
All events took place as part of Uzbekistan Textile Week – Global Textile Days. The topics discussed attracted considerable interest both in Uzbekistan and internationally: the events were covered by 73 institutions and information sources, including 35 local and international media outlets. The coverage comprised 139 articles and TV and radio reports in 16 countries. In addition to Uzbekistan, CAITME was covered in Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom. On social media, the content about the exhibition generated more than 2.5 million views in total. Embassies, chambers of commerce and industry, trade associations, companies and professional organisations extended their international reach. The participants’ own active PR campaigns also helped attracting industry professionals and other target audiences to the exhibition.
CAITME 2026 has clearly demonstrated that even amid a global crisis and a cautious outlook across the world’s textile industry, the exhibition brings optimism, renewed business activity and fresh opportunities to the market. Here, industry trends translate into tangible projects, partnerships, equipment purchases and investment decisions. For companies that see Central Asia as a promising market for growth, participation in CAITME 2028 offers a chance to establish a strong position early, present their technologies to an industry audience and become part of the next phase of modernisation in the region’s textile industry.
Organisers: Iteca Exhibitions International Exhibition Company in partnership with ICA Eurasia Group.
Registration is now open for CAITME 2028, taking place from 6 to 8 September.
Exhibition Director: Gullola Nadirkhanova Phone: + (998 71) 205 18 18
