Knitting specialists convened in Zagreb on 1 October for the 52nd International Conference of the International Federation of Knitting Technologists (IFKT), running technical presentations and poster sessions on knitting technology, materials and textile engineering through 2 October 2026.

The federation, founded in 1956, marks its 70th anniversary during this meeting at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology and the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum. The Croatian IFKT section organised the event with the University of Zagreb as academic partner.

What did the opening day address?

The conference timetable started 30 September at the Faculty of Textile Technology with the IFKT Central Board meeting and the General Assembly. The technical programme moved to the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum on 1 October, where Zlatko Vrljičak delivered the introductory lecture, Employment in the Croatian Textile and Clothing Industry: With Special Emphasis on the Knitwear Industry.

Marcus O. Weber chaired the first oral session on technology, materials and characterisation. Marc Küperkoch opened that session with Cotton Grass Fibers – Textile Technological Approach, presenting textile-process research on a cellulose alternative fibre.

What does the machine component research cover?

Thomas Mutschler and Marc Küperkoch present joint research on component optimisation for high-speed yarn guiding elements designed for processing highly abrasive yarns at high speeds. Their investigation covers ceramic materials and high-frequency vibration behaviour under production-line conditions.

The work targets a recurring cost driver in circular and flatbed knitting: abrasive yarn handling contributes directly to downtime and yarn break rates, shaping knitting-line efficiency and finished-fabric quality.

Who is running the programme?

The Croatian section of IFKT coordinated the conference logistics, with the University of Zagreb serving as academic host. The event continues IFKT's 1956 mandate to connect knitting technologists across borders and to promote technical and scientific knowledge exchange between industry, education and research.

Croatia's textile and clothing industry is the geographic anchor of this edition. Vrljičak's opening lecture supplied the regional employment context, framing the materials and engineering presentations that followed.

Which sessions remain on the agenda?

The conference programme continues through 2 October, with additional sessions on knitting technology, textile engineering and associated research streams. Poster sessions and discussion slots are running alongside the oral presentations.

Why does the 70th anniversary matter for the softgoods supply chain?

IFKT's continued industry-academia pipeline signals sustained R&D investment in knitting-process optimisation at a moment when European knitwear production is recalibrating around shorter lead times and higher-mix flexibility. The fibre and component studies on the Zagreb programme feed directly into mill productivity decisions and fibre-sourcing diversification strategies for textile buyers.

The 70-year-old federation plans further events under its industry-education-research cooperation remit. www.ifkt.net