At the TIE-ITET Textile Innovation Expo 2026, Bangladesh will make the case to the world that its textile and apparel industry is not only cost-competitive but also innovation-driven. The three-day Expo opens on 12 November at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka, where around 40 factories will exhibit innovations developed on their own production floors and seek recognition for that work.
Organised by Textile Innovation Exchange (TIE) in collaboration with the Institution of Textile Engineers and Technologists, Bangladesh (ITET), the Expo runs until 14 November in Expo Village (Hall 8) at ICCB. The opening ceremony will be held on 12 November from 1:30 pm in Hall 5. At the centre of the exhibition are the Factory Innovation Pavilions, where the evidence of Bangladesh’s innovation capacity comes directly from the factories themselves. Alongside them, around 100 technology solution providers, service providers and other participants will present innovations aimed at strengthening the industry.
For four decades, cost-effective production has defined how the world sees Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry. That advantage remains real, but it no longer describes the whole industry. Inside the country’s factories, innovation is becoming a core competence, yet that work seldom travels beyond the factory gate.
The organisers argue that these factories, and the industry as a whole, deserve recognition for their innovation. The Expo is designed to close that gap by putting Bangladesh’s innovation capacity in front of an international audience.
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The case rests on long, practical work. TIE, a platform for innovation in Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry, was formally launched in 2026, but the work behind it spans more than seven years. TIE chose to act as a catalyst for a straightforward reason: innovation was happening on factory floors, but it was rarely documented, connected to outside expertise or shared beyond the company.
To change that, TIE worked directly with factory teams, from the shop floor to middle management, and documented their innovations. It formed innovation and research circles that bring academia, researchers, industry experts, technology solution providers, technology companies and brands to the same table as the factories, so that research meets real production challenges. It also built a community of trainers, trainees and industry experts to carry the work forward, and it continues to draw more experts into factory projects. Together, these efforts have resulted in more than 250 innovation-driven projects with factories.
For that reason, the organisers reject the idea that the Expo is an ordinary trade fair, a one-off event or a buy-and-sell marketplace. They describe it as the outcome of a long-term master plan built year after year. The aim, they say, is for the world to see Bangladesh in three ways at once: as a cost-effective production base, as an established industry with a long manufacturing record, and as an innovation-driven industry.
The seminar programme carries the same message from another direction. Eight seminars in Hall 5, including the Textile Innovation Forum 2026, will bring together 64 speakers from international brands, technology companies, policymaking bodies and other parts of the sector. They will discuss innovation in the industry and present specific examples.
Recognition is built into the Expo itself. Exhibiting factories are nominated for consideration in the Textile Innovation Award 2026, which recognises innovations rather than companies. Factories that are not exhibiting but have an established record of innovation in the industry will also be nominated, so that the award reflects the wider industry, not only the exhibition floor. The award will be presented on the evening of 13 November, the Expo’s second day.
Industry stakeholders, trade bodies, policymakers and brands are joining the Expo to take its message to the world. Textile Innovation Center is the Co-Organiser and Textile Today Innovation Hub the Implementation Partner, with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBA) as In Association Partners.