INDEX™26, billed as a global nonwovens exhibition, has been announced for 2026, with Textile World carrying the news to the industry. The show returns as the principal gathering point for converters, raw-material suppliers, and downstream brand buyers in the nonwovens value chain.

What does the announcement confirm?

The title, INDEX™26, signals the next edition of the long-running INDEX exhibition, organized by EDANA, the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association. INDEX traditionally runs every three years at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, alternating with North America's IDEA show. Past editions have drawn several hundred exhibitors and more than 12,000 trade visitors from across the hygiene, medical, filtration, automotive, and construction segments.

For the supply chain, the three-year cadence matters. Converters align capital expenditure on new meltblown, spunbond, spunlace, and airlaid lines to the cycle that INDEX sets. Polymer suppliers — including polypropylene, polyester, and viscose feedstock producers — use the show floor to negotiate multi-year volume commitments with European roll-goods converters.

Who attends and why it matters

INDEX draws attendance from the following tiers of the nonwovens stack:

• Roll-goods converters serving hygiene, wipes, and medical end-markets
• Polymer and fibre suppliers (PP, PET, viscose, lyocell)
• Machinery and converting-equipment manufacturers
• Hygiene brand procurement teams (diapers, femcare, adult incontinence)
• Filtration, automotive, and construction tier suppliers
• Testing laboratories and certification bodies

The Geneva venue places the show within reach of European regulatory bodies governing REACH chemical registration, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and the Single-Use Plastics Directive — all of which reshape demand for flushable, biodegradable, and recycled-content nonwovens.

What should sourcing teams track?

Three categories of decision will surface at INDEX™26:

• Capacity declarations. Past editions have drawn extrusion-line commitments from European and Gulf-based producers targeting hygiene and medical-textile end-markets. INDEX™26 will likely carry similar announcements.
• Resin pricing signals. Spot and contract prices for polypropylene and polyester nonwovens track crude oil and petrochemical feedstock cycles. INDEX has historically been where multi-year polymer supply agreements are previewed.
• Compliance roadmaps. EU PPWR requirements on compostable and recyclable nonwoven packaging, plus extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees in member states, will drive exhibitor messaging on recycled-content substrates and fibre traceability.

What now for buyers?

Procurement teams in absorbent hygiene, medical textiles, and filtration should plan visit windows around INDEX™26 once EDANA confirms exact dates and opens registration. Brands evaluating flushability claims under EDANA/INDA GD4 and fourth-edition flushability guidance will need to verify supplier certifications before specifying SKUs.

For converters, the strategic decision the announcement forces is whether to commit floor space and demonstration capital now or wait for the organiser's exhibitor prospectus. Early commitments typically secure prime hall positions and pre-scheduled buyer meetings, which materially affect the volume of new business written during the three-day run.

Textile World's reporting positions INDEX™26 as a continuation of the European cycle rather than a relaunch. Buyers and suppliers preparing for the 2026 edition should treat the announcement as the start of a 12-month planning window, not a stand-alone event.