Speech by MOS Alvin Tan at ITMA Asia and CITME Singapore 2025

Mr Alex Zucchi, President, CEMATEX

Mr Sun Ruizhe 孙瑞哲, President, China National Textile and Apparel Council

Mr Gu Ping 顾平, President, China Textile Machinery Association

Mr Charles Beauduin, Chairman, ITMA Services

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction – Looking Back to 2005

1.      I am very delighted to welcome ITMA ASIA back to Singapore for the first time in 20 years. The first edition in 2001 and the last edition in 2005 were held here at Singapore Expo. This morning, let us look at what is in the past; what is in the present and what is in the future.

2.      Back then, George W. Bush was US President, Hu Jintao was President of China, and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had just stepped into his first full year as Prime Minister of Singapore.

3.      The hottest gadgets were the iPod Nano and Motorola Razr flip phone. MySpace and Friendster were the go-to social networks.

4.      The popular movies then were Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. On television, reality shows like The Apprentice—with Mr Donald Trump in his boardroom— and twenty years later, you still see President Donald Trump on TV today.

5.      Looking at textiles and clothing, what were the popular clothing brands then? In the US, it was Abercrombie and Fitch and Juicy Couture; and in Asia, Giordano, Bossini, and Baleno were common casualwear brands. Uniqlo was already rising fast in Japan and starting to expand internationally.

6.      Much like the pop culture and technology of that time, the textile industry of 2005 was driven by different forces. They were focused on cost and scale rather than innovation or sustainability.

7.      Just as music, movies, and technology have evolved dramatically in the last 20 years, so too has our industry. Today, the focus is on technology, digitalisation, and sustainability. And that is what makes ITMA ASIA and CITME’s return to Singapore so significant.

A Homecoming for the Textile Industry

8.      It is really a homecoming of sorts for the textile industry. The event has grown immensely with 800 exhibitors from 30 countries, spread across all ten halls of Singapore Expo. We expect over 30,000 attendees to visit this 70,000 sqm space, experiencing the latest technologies across the textile and garment value chain.

9.      The scale of this event reflects both the growth of the region’s textile industry and Singapore’s position as a leading MICE destination in Asia.

Growth of the Regional Textile Industry

10.  Today, Asia-Pacific accounts for more than 60% of global textile production and consumption. As businesses diversify supply chains beyond traditional centres, Southeast Asia has become a critical hub for manufacturing and innovation-led, technology-driven production.

11.  Across our region, companies are deploying smart manufacturing, automation, recycling technologies, circular design, and zero-waste production. These mirror broader Industry 4.0 transformations and reflect the demands of a world that increasingly values sustainability.

12.  As a trusted regional hub, Singapore continues to play a vital role. We may be small, but we have some qualities, like our strengths as a financial centre, technology gateway, and logistics hub. These qualities allow global textile companies to access the APAC markets through Singapore, while building strong, resilient, and sustainable supply chains.

Singapore as a MICE Destination

13.  This event also affirms Singapore’s role as a premier MICE destination.

14.  Many of you tell us that we are a trusted partner when it comes to shows like this, because of our world-class infrastructure, seamless global connectivity, and track record in hosting major international events.

a.      Our goal is to triple our MICE tourism receipts from about S$1.4 billion in 2019 to S$4.5 billion in 2040. That is our Tourism 2040 strategy, and we are building better infrastructure to do so.

b.      We are going to build Changi Airport Terminal Five, and that's the size of Terminals One, Two, Three and Four combined.

c.       We have enhanced and we are going to build new and upgraded MICE venues. We will also enhance precincts such as Orchard Road, Sentosa, and Terminal Five in Changi Airport.

d.      Thank you for choosing Singapore as the place to convene, collaborate, and do business.

Singapore’s Textile Innovation Ecosystem

15.  Beyond serving as a meeting point, Singapore also plays a very important role in digital transformation and sustainability within the textile ecosystem.

16.  Homegrown manufacturers like Ghim Li Global have rolled out virtual showrooms, cutting product selection lead times significantly.

17.  Startups like Browzwear are pioneering with 3D apparel development software, streamlining design and production for fashion brands.

a.      Browzwear recently acquired Lalaland AI, a platform that creates customisable AI models to generate e-commerce-ready visuals, reducing costly photoshoots.

18.  Singapore companies are equally driving sustainability:

a.      Teo Garments uses water-cooling systems instead of traditional air-conditioning in overseas factories, lowering energy use, while also installing solar PV systems and recycling knitted fabric wastewater.

b.      NextEvo transforms pineapple leaf fibre into ready-to-spin fibre, converting agricultural waste into eco-friendly textiles at scale.

c.       Xinterra has developed COzTERRA, a material capable of removing CO₂ from the atmosphere—where a single treated T-shirt can capture 16 to 41 grams of CO₂ in its lifetime.

19.  These examples show how Singapore’s industry is innovating at the frontier, where textile innovation meets climate action.

Conclusion – Looking Back, Moving Forward

20.  Ladies and gentlemen, this event is more than just an exhibition. ITMA ASIA and CITME Singapore 2025 is a homecoming. A place where partnerships, technologies, and innovations come together to shape the future of textiles and the textile industry.

21.  Just as the world has changed since 2005, from Razr flip phones and iPods to today’s AI-powered platforms and carbon-capturing textiles, from Mr Donald Trump in The Apprentice to President Donald Trump, still on TV! And Mariah Carey on our playlists to green innovation on our production floors—our industry too has been reshaped by technology and sustainability.

22.  Our industry too has been shaped by technology and sustainability, so let's make this homecoming not just nostalgic, but also transformative and set the stage for the next twenty years of innovation, sustainability and growth in textile.

23.  Thank you, and I wish ITMA ASIA and CITME Singapore 2025 a successful and fruitful event.