Drawing attention to achievements in research, materials and product development and new technology, the Techtextil and Avantex trade fairs, to be held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in June, are now calling for entries for this year’s innovation prizes.

Anyone who has completed an exemplary development since January 1, 2006, is invited to enter for the prizes, which will be awarded for achievements in research, materials and product development and new technology. The closing date for entries is March 30.

The Techtextil Innovation Prize is held for the Research New developments, products, means of production, manufacturing and finishing methods, new materials and applications in the fields of 'Buildtech' (building and architecture), 'Medtech' (medicine and hygiene) and 'Mobiltech' (motor-vehicle manufacturing).

The Avantex Innovation Prize is awarded in the fields of new developments in connection with materials, technology, finishing and processing, e.g., new fibres and yarns, new coatings, nanotechnology, electronics in apparel, fashionable aspects in connection with new technologies and new functions, medical applications through apparel, the combination of comfort and function in sports, and workwear innovations for safety and protection in the working world.

The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony on June 11 and the winning projects will be exhibited during the two fairs (International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens and International Forum for Innovative Apparel Textiles on June 12-14.