Industry experts meet in one of the centuries-old centers of the Austrian textile industry every September for discussing the latest developments on the outset of the textile supply chain. The event is not to be missed, as it reveals many a secret bound in fibers.

The fiber conference in Dornbirn, officially known as the Global Fiber Congress (GFC), is one of the most important events in the textile industry. It always takes place in September, this year marking its 63rd anniversary. The date from 10 to 12 September 2025 has long been set and the pretty little hotel has been booked for months due to the high attendance at GDC - last year the organizers counted over 500 guests. Unfortunately, some time later, the invitation to the 50th DTV Annual Conference of the German Textile Care Association arrived, which is taking place during exactly the same period. Now, two important events have a clash of dates.
But even if Berlin beckons, my trip will go to the tranquil, time-honored textile city in Austria. The program makes up for the missed DTV event. This year's program includes protective fabrics for industry and handcrafts as well as for the defence sector. The focus on the circular economy and recycling of fibers as well as carbon stewardship should be most exciting, too. The Austrian Fiber Institute, host of the conference, is thus addressing a megatrend in the industry: companies are working hard to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. This trend can be traced back to the pricing of the climate gas, as can be seen in the short report no. 66 of the German Economic Institute from September 2023: "Emissions trading for greenhouse gases, introduced in 2005, is the central European climate protection instrument for the energy sector and industry (...), but the permissible emission quantities within this trading system are continuing to decline. (...) Due to the shortage of emission allowances and the demand for emission certificates, which is influenced by the economy and crises, prices are subject to significant fluctuations. In the first few years, the price was still low at less than 10 euros per tonne of CO2 equivalent, but since the beginning of the year (2023), an emission allowance has cost between just under 80 and, at its peak, over 100 euros per tonne." Against this backdrop, the “Carbon Stewardship” session at the GDC will be particularly interesting.
It goes without saying that the organizers are also devoting a lot of space to fibre innovations. They have also added new formats to the event. These include Micro-Force, which will focus on the fight against microplastics, and a post-start-up session in which young textile entrepreneurs will report on their experiences after founding a company. With a program comprising 100 presentations, the 63rd GDC promises to be interesting again!