Positioned at the intersection of this global transformation, HIGHTEX 2026 – International Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Exhibition will bring together industry professionals at the TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center between June 9–13, 2026. HIGHTEX 2026 serves as a strategic platform that presents innovative products, advanced technologies, and production solutions for all areas of technical textiles, particularly transportation textiles, under one roof. Turkey’s production strength, Europe’s sustainability vision, and the innovative technologies of the global market will come together on the same ground at this exhibition, creating strong synergy for new collaborations, export opportunities, and long-term strategic partnerships.

Growth Dynamics of the Global Market

Global market data clearly reveals the scale of the transformation in transportation textiles. While the smart fabrics market for transportation reached a size of USD 2.76 billion in 2024, it is expected to continue its growth with a compound annual growth rate of over 10 percent during the 2025–2035 period and exceed USD 8 billion by 2035. Sensor integration, textile surfaces capable of energy harvesting, thermal comfort solutions, and adaptive surface technologies are among the key factors accelerating this growth. These developments show that transportation textiles have moved beyond being a niche field and have become one of the main industrial segments.

The Impact of Regulation and Sustainability in Europe

The European market is positioned at the center of sustainability-, safety-, and regulation-driven transformation. In line with the European Union’s Green Deal targets, low carbon footprint, recyclable, lightweight, and long-lasting technical textiles are coming to the forefront. Automotive interior textiles, acoustic and thermal insulation solutions, flame-retardant fabrics, and composite-reinforced textiles see strong demand in Europe. The widespread adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles further strengthens the technology-intensive structure of the sector by increasing the need for smart and adaptive textile solutions capable of collecting data.

Türkiye: A Regional Hub with Production Power

Türkiye stands out as a regional production and supply center in transportation textiles with its strong textile manufacturing infrastructure, advanced automotive main and sub-industry ecosystem, flexible production capability, and strategic geographical location. Automotive seat upholstery, roof and interior trim coverings, acoustic and thermal insulation textiles, wear- and fire-resistant fabrics for rail systems, as well as technical and composite-supported textiles for aviation applications are intensively produced both for the domestic market and for export. New-generation products developed with a focus on sustainability, lightweight structures, and functionality are strengthening the position of Turkish manufacturers in the global market day by day.

Textiles Now Generate Data

The transportation textiles market draws attention not only with product diversity but also with the expansion of its application areas. Seats and interior trim surfaces in automotive, seating, flooring, and insulation solutions in rail systems, lightweight and high-performance interior textiles in aviation, and vandal-resistant and hygienic materials in public transportation constitute the main application areas of this segment. Thanks to smart textile integration, these products transform into system components capable of providing temperature regulation, enhancing passenger comfort, generating energy, and collecting real-time data.

From a future perspective, it is clearly seen that the transportation textiles market will evolve toward smart, sustainable, and integrated solutions. Conductive fabrics, surfaces suitable for sensor integration, energy-harvesting textiles, phase-change materials, and recycled fiber-based solutions are among the main growth areas of the coming period. Digitalization and IoT integration are transforming transportation textiles from passive materials into integral and strategic components of the mobility ecosystem.

HIGHTEX 2026 is preparing to become a powerful meeting point where this transformation is showcased, the future of the sector is shaped, and the new parameters of global competition are determined.