Performance Days: More halls, bio-based fibres and new market demands

With three exhibition halls for the first time and more than 590 exhibitors, Performance Days in Munich reached a new scale on October 13 and 14, 2026, continuing its success story. As always, the focus was on innovative material concepts and, this time, particularly on bio-based fibres.

Spanning around 27,500 square metres and three exhibition halls, the trade fair for functional textiles at the Munich exhibition centre was larger than ever before. The expansion reflected the high demand from the international textile industry. The available exhibition space was almost fully booked months before the trade fair began, explained trade fair director Marco Weichert. The high demand was also reflected in the international exhibitor structure. For instance, W. L. Gore & Associates exhibited at the trade fair for the first time ever, and the membrane manufacturer Niber Technologies from Singapore celebrated the global launch of its new ingredient brand Nuspun in Munich.

The additional exhibition space also created room for new themed areas and event formats. The goal is to more closely link material innovations, apparel technologies and technical developments along the entire textile value chain. The trade fair is thus increasingly positioning itself as both a sourcing platform and a knowledge and innovation hub for the industry.

Breathability as a development area for performance materials

One theme that ran through numerous material developments was how to further advance breathability, weather protection and wearing comfort. The focus is no longer primarily on the highest possible waterproofness or maximum thermal performance, but on materials that can react to changing stresses and different conditions of use. Efficient moisture management is becoming particularly important for sporting activities where intensity changes rapidly.

Niber Technologies provided an example with the global launch of its first ingredient brand, Nuspun. The Singapore-based company uses electrospinning, a process in which extremely fine nanofibres are bonded into a membrane using high voltage. According to the company, this is thinner and more vapour-permeable than conventional membranes.

The properties can be specifically adapted by adjusting the number of membrane layers. More layers increase waterproofness, while fewer layers enhance breathability. Three membrane classes cover different requirements for waterproofness, wind protection and moisture management. The PFAS-free technology can be fully customised.

Nuspun's focus is particularly on breathable solutions for activities such as running, cycling, trekking and ski touring. “We want to create a new category with this, Active Comfort,” explained Jochen Lagemann, chief commercial officer at Niber Technologies since August 2026. He is observing a shift in the demands for functional apparel: “Athletes today are no longer out in the mountains for several days. Everything is shorter and faster now. For most, rainwear is just a backup in their rucksack. Breathability is much more important today.”

Insulation: a balance of warmth and breathability

Developments from Polartec and PrimaLoft showed that regulating body climate is also important for insulation materials. Both companies are working on solutions that rebalance thermal performance, moisture management and weight.

Polartec had already introduced AirCore in November 2025, a performance material designed to create a dry microclimate through targeted air circulation while protecting against wind and weather. At the recent trade fair, the further development of Polartec Alpha was among the highlights. The open-construction active insulation combines thermal performance with air circulation, allowing excess heat and moisture to be wicked away more effectively during changing levels of exertion.

Originally developed for military applications, the concept has long since established itself in the outdoor, endurance and lifestyle sectors. The new generation combines the properties of active insulation with an advanced construction that increases durability and opens up additional design possibilities. For the first time, Polartec Alpha can be combined with wool, for example. Compared to previous versions, the new construction is also said to reduce microfibre release by 30 to 40 percent, explained Ramesh Kesh, senior vice president for innovation at Milliken & Company and business manager at Polartec.

This is also based on a changed understanding of insulation. Warmth should not be stored statically but regulated depending on activity and ambient conditions. More than 11 brands are already developing products based on the new technology, Kesh added.

PrimaLoft is also working on higher thermal performance with the lowest possible weight. The company has developed an insulation with even finer fibres, designed to trap more heat without requiring more material. The first products are planned for autumn/winter 2027. The current fibre base consists of 100 percent recycled polyester from plastic bottles. From autumn/winter 2027, PrimaLoft also plans to offer an insulation made from textile-to-textile recycling for the first time.

Dynamic regulation of body climate is also gaining importance in insulation materials. Polartec and PrimaLoft are working on solutions that optimise thermal performance, moisture management and weight.

Polartec had already presented a performance material called AirCore the previous November, which combines air circulation with wind and weather protection. The further development of Polartec Alpha was now one of the highlights at the trade fair. “The future lies in regulating warmth dynamically, according to changing activity and ambient conditions. We are not changing the basic principle of Polartec Alpha. We are using new technical solutions to further expand its possibilities,” explained Ramesh Kesh, senior vice president for innovation at Milliken & Company and business manager at Polartec.

The new generation is said to be more durable and offer additional design options. For the first time, Polartec Alpha™ can also be combined with wool. A new construction is also intended to reduce the release of microfibres by 30 to 40 percent compared to previous versions.

PrimaLoft, meanwhile, is focusing on even finer fibres that are intended to trap more heat without increasing the material's weight. The first products have been announced for autumn/winter 2027. The current fibre base consists of 100 percent recycled polyester from plastic bottles. From autumn/winter 2027, the company also plans an insulation from textile-to-textile recycling.

Bio-based materials: how can petroleum-based fibres be replaced?

With the focus topic “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric,” Performance Days addressed a central question for the sportswear industry: How can petroleum-based materials be replaced by bio-based alternatives? In various panels, experts discussed the potential of new raw materials, as well as the challenges in their scaling, certification and market launch.

While the industry has so far focused heavily on recycling petroleum-based fibres to reduce its carbon footprint, bio-based materials offer further opportunities. “Companies are looking for solutions to reduce their carbon footprint, and this is very possible with bio-based materials,” explained Hao Ding of TotalEnergies Corbion. The company has developed Luminy, a recyclable and bio-compostable PLA polymer made from sugar cane. According to the company, it can have a carbon footprint up to 85 percent lower than conventional plastics.

UPM Biochemicals is pursuing another approach, having launched the first fleece made from wood-based polyester in 2023 together with Vaude. By absorbing CO₂ during plant growth, its life cycle assessment can be improved accordingly.

“The inclusion of this reduction in the calculation of the footprint is currently being discussed in the EU,” said René Bethmann, innovation manager at Vaude. “It will not be possible to reduce the footprint to zero with recycling alone.”

For bio-based materials to realise their potential, the panellists believe that political and economic incentives are also needed. A quota system, as is being called for for recycled fibres, could create investment incentives, increase production volumes and reduce costs in the long term. This is because bio-based alternatives are often still more expensive than established materials.

UPM Biochemicals is also convinced that biopolymers will become more important in the future. “These materials will increasingly become solutions for the beginning of a product's life phase, with recycling then being the solution for the end phase,” explained Holger John of UPM. Rising oil prices could further accelerate the switch to bio-based alternatives.

Another challenge is communication. Bio-based plastics are complex and cannot simply be equated with terms like biodegradable or compostable. Not every bio-based material is compostable, and vice versa. This makes traceable information and clear standards all the more important. There is also a need for action in certification, for example with regard to the possibility of having bio-based fibres certified according to the GOTS standard.

The fact that bio-based solutions are already arriving in concrete material developments was demonstrated by Südwolle with a fabric made of 70 percent wool with 30 percent algae, or PLNTmatter, which uses Lyocell made from 100 percent certified fast-growing bamboo, whose manufacturing process does not use any toxic or harmful chemicals. The Portuguese company LMA presented an innovative laminate made of 48 percent cotton, 42 percent wool and a compostable membrane that makes up ten percent of the material.

The topic of recycling also played an important role at the trade fair. For example, the Chinese recycling company Reo-Eco, together with the Chinese textile and material developer Flytec, presented a new solution for the chemical recycling of mixed fibres. Instead of relying on the fashion industry to increasingly switch to mono-materials, Reo-Eco has developed an enzymatic recycling technology that allows mixed fibres to be processed as purely as possible. The aim is to return the individual components to the cycle as pure materials at the end of the process.

According to the company, the current recycling capacity of 10,000 tonnes is already completely sold out. As a next step, Reo-Eco plans to expand to 100,000 tonnes. Flytec supports the company in the distribution of the fabrics by developing products from them and proactively offering them to its customers.

The recently concluded October edition focused on bio-based fibres and new material developments. At the upcoming trade fair in March 2027 (March 17 and 18, 2027), the topic of bio-based fibres will enter its second round, focusing on dyeing, finishing, additives and processing technologies.