German textile machinery manufacturer KARL MAYER is strengthening its ties with the Turkish textile industry through a series of customer-focused engagements ahead of ITM 2026, highlighting Türkiye’s continued importance as one of the company’s most strategic global markets.
The initiative, branded as “Customer Insight Week Türkiye,” brought together KARL MAYER executives, technical specialists and customers in early May to discuss industry trends, technological innovation and future growth opportunities. The move comes as Turkish textile manufacturers seek greater efficiency, flexibility and product differentiation amid challenging global market conditions.
Türkiye has played a pivotal role in KARL MAYER’s history for more than seven decades. The company delivered its first warp knitting machine to Bursa in 1951, with founder Karl Mayer personally overseeing the installation. Since then, the country has grown into one of the company’s most significant markets for warp knitting and textile machinery.
“For us, Türkiye is much more than just a market – it is a central part of our future, which we would like to build together with you,” said Lutz Wolf, chief executive officer of KARL MAYER. He noted that customer success remains the company’s benchmark and emphasized the firm’s focus on innovation, application-driven solutions and speed-to-market.
During the week-long engagement, senior management representatives and experts from Germany and Türkiye, together with regional partner Erko, visited customers across the country and hosted technical events and management meetings at KARL MAYER’s facility in Bursa.
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A key highlight was the “Let’s Talk Warp Knit” event, which attracted around 40 customers from across the textile sector. Participants attended technical presentations, hands-on workshops and focused training sessions covering the latest developments in warp knitting technology. The program also provided a preview of innovations set to be showcased at ITM 2026.
The discussions centered on new tricot machine developments, textile solutions tailored to Turkish manufacturers and service offerings designed to enhance operational performance. KARL MAYER also introduced opportunities available through its new Textile Innovation Center in Obertshausen, Germany, where customers can collaborate on product development and explore new textile applications.
According to the company, direct interaction with customers generated valuable insights into changing market demands. One of the strongest trends identified was growing interest in design-oriented fabrics for fashion and apparel applications. Manufacturers are increasingly seeking flexible jacquard pattern capabilities and lace production technologies to create differentiated products for competitive export markets.
Demand for fabrics featuring crepe-like textured surfaces also remains strong, reflecting ongoing consumer preferences in apparel and fashion segments. These findings are expected to influence the company’s product development strategy and future machine innovations.
The customer feedback gathered during the initiative will also help KARL MAYER refine its technology roadmap and strengthen its support for Turkish textile producers, who continue to play a critical role in global textile and apparel supply chains.
Looking ahead, KARL MAYER will use ITM 2026 in Istanbul as a platform to showcase its latest developments. The company will exhibit the HKS 4-M EL ECO, a high-efficiency warp knitting machine designed to deliver flexibility, productivity and cost-effective production for modern fashion markets.
The machine is expected to demonstrate the production of textured fabrics with crepe-on-crepe effects, aligning with current market trends identified during the customer engagement program.
ITM 2026 will be held from June 9 to 13 at the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul, where KARL MAYER will present a range of innovations for apparel, home textiles and technical textile applications.
The company said the intensive dialogue with customers reinforces its belief that close collaboration and market-driven innovation are essential for creating value and maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic textile industry.
