Prato Textile Summit 2025

On November 13th, The LYCRA Company and its partner and distributor Fulgar will host one of the key events in the Italian textile sector at the Prato Textile Museum. The Prato Textile Summit will transform the historic venue for one day into a stage dedicated to innovation, new technologies, and the future of one of the most representative industries of Made in Italy. 

The choice of Prato is no coincidence: a production ecosystem where manufacturing tradition meets digital transition, local roots meet global openness, giving life to products recognized worldwide.

A strong focus on the uniqueness of the Italian supply chain and a systemic approach define this initiative. These same principles inspire The LYCRA Company’s positioning, “ALL IN”: a continuous commitment that goes beyond any single project. A vision that reaffirms the company’s will to create value together with partners and local communities, through innovation, collaboration, and shared growth. This is also the vision embraced by Fulgar, which has made innovation and sustainability the core of its industrial strategy — strengthening the link between research, the territory, and a circular textile supply chain.

Ettore Manfrotto, Brand & Retail Account Manager at The LYCRA Company, states: “We chose Prato because it represents the heart of Italian textile excellence. Presenting our innovations here, such as the renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber, means engaging with those who set the industry’s standards and can transform technologies into products. The new fiber requires no changes to existing processes and reduces CO₂ emissions by 44%, while maintaining the performance that has made LYCRA® a global benchmark.”

Daniela Antunes, Marketing Manager at Fulgar, adds: “The Prato district is a key partner for Fulgar. Here, expertise, tradition, and a strong capacity for innovation come together, enabling the transformation of sustainable yarn research into concrete, high-value applications. Collaborating with this ecosystem means taking part in a virtuous process that combines technical excellence and responsible vision, generating solutions that strengthen the entire Italian textile chain and its international competitiveness.”

The event will open with a presentation by Ettore Manfrotto, who will provide an in-depth look at the renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber — The LYCRA Company’s flagship innovation and a tangible step toward creating high-performance apparel through a more sustainable textile supply chain. This initiative demonstrates how sustainability and technological research are now key drivers in transforming the textile industry, with the Prato district poised to become a model of reference in these areas. Daniela Antunes will illustrate Fulgar’s concrete commitment to promoting increasingly responsible production of yarns that combine innovation and quality, resulting in a portfolio of high-performance and sustainable products.

Antonio Sodano, Sustainability Expert at Quantis – a leading environmental sustainability consultancy – will focus on the challenges facing the industry: from measuring the environmental footprint across product life cycles to the new European regulations, and the crucial role of the Prato district in transitioning toward more competitive and responsible business models.

Emanuela Rossi, Weaving Technician, and Giovanni Parini, Knitting Technician at The LYCRA Company, will present solutions and technologies designed to meet the evolving needs of the textile market. Their presence on stage is significant, as they embody The LYCRA Company’s customer service culture: through their expertise and close collaboration with partners’ technical and R&D teams, they provide high-level technical support and tailored services in prototyping, testing, and co-creation. The Prato Textile Summit celebrates the district’s unique ability to merge craftsmanship, technological innovation, and sustainable vision; a strength that The LYCRA Company and Fulgar both recognize and actively support by promoting more localized and traceable production that values local know-how.

The presence of The LYCRA Company’s Maydown (Northern Ireland) plant and the technical support provided by LYCRA® LAB Italy are tangible examples of this commitment. 

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