International Federation of Knitting Technologists

Since 1956

The purpose of the IFWS / IFKT is to provide professional information and further education for technicians, engineers, product developers, economists and all other professionals in the industry. The technical experts are able to establish cross-border connections in order to promote the common interest of the warp knitting / knitting industry, to further their personal professional training, to exchange experiences with competent technical experts and to find new ways into the future.
Today, not only professional and technological competence is required, but also creativity to develop new products. This makes it all the more important to provide employees with the maximum amount of information. Much of the state of the art can be found on the Internet, but the more important background information can only be obtained through personal contact with specialist colleagues, for example at a conference, where new business relationships can also be initiated. You have to gain a head start, often a specific technical discussion is enough.
The range of topics at our conferences covers all areas that are important for the production of knitwear, such as fibres, yarns, knitted and crocheted fabrics, finishing, ready-made garments, quality control and quality assurance, clothing physiology, new developments in machines and products, the broad field of technical textiles, research results and trends in technology and fashion. Special emphasis is placed on visiting several companies or research institutions during these special events.

The International Federation of Knitting and Knitwear Professionals was founded in 1956 and, from the outset, did not see itself as a professional association for a specific group of people. Instead, according to Article 3 of its 1960 statutes, its purpose was ‘to bring together managers, technicians and specialists in the knitting and hosiery industry from different nations through friendly ties in order to jointly promote the general interests of the knitting and hosiery industry and to serve its professional development’.

This membership structure, as intended by the founders, is still valid today, with female members having been included from the outset. Anyone involved in knitting technology or knitwear can become a member.

The annual conferences, which have been international congresses since 1958, began in 1956. Due to the large number of members from the textile machinery industry, international congresses are no longer held in the years when international textile machinery exhibitions take place.

Today, not only technical and technological expertise is required, but also creativity in order to develop new products. This makes it all the more important to provide employees responsible for further development and production with as much information as possible. Although the state of the art in some areas can be found on the Internet, the more important background information is obtained through personal contacts with colleagues at conferences, where new business relationships can also be established.

It is precisely these employees in the companies who are responsible for optimising collection products, which are often manufactured manually in individual production, for series production in terms of quality, production costs and availability in order to market the product successfully and thus also achieve economic success. Since many companies are relocating part of their production abroad, but the management is initially taken over by the home company, attending a specialist conference offers the opportunity to get to know foreign companies not only in terms of their technology, but also their employees and the ethical environment. Without knowledge of the local customs, it is difficult to motivate employees to produce high-quality work.

Anyone who feels connected to the craft is invited to become a member of the International Federation of Knitting and Knitting Professionals.