ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University

What ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University does

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University is a publicly funded research institute operating within RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Germany. It conducts interdisciplinary research across nine key focus areas — mobility, building & living, health, energy & environment, information & communication, protection, production, materials, and qualification — covering fiber science, textile manufacturing, nonwovens, technical textiles, and textile testing. The institute serves industrial partners, students, doctoral researchers, and public funding bodies, and is led by Director Thomas Gries and Academic Director Dieter Veit, with approximately 100+ scientific staff and 50+ service/administration personnel.

The institute generates revenue through three primary streams: public research funding from government and EU sources, industry research partnerships delivered through Industry Research Groups, and training/continuing education services offered via the ITA Academy GmbH subsidiary (including "Sustainable Textiles" workshops and "Basics of textile technology" courses). The institute operates a group structure — the ITA Group International Centre for Sustainable Textiles — that includes wholly-owned subsidiaries ITA GmbH (technology transfer and contract research), ITA Academy GmbH (training), ITA Augsburg (regional nonwoven/paper focus), and ITA Medical (medical textiles). Go-to-market is sales-led and partnership-driven, leveraging academic credibility and the RWTH Aachen brand to attract industry collaborators rather than commercial buyers.

ITA holds multiple granted patents (glass fiber manufacturing processes, InDry sizing-foam application, ClamCoat biobased coupling agents) and maintains a broad partnership ecosystem including BIOTEXFUTURE, the Competence Centre WIRKsam (AI work design), the Freundes- und Förderkreis des ITA e.V. (founded November 1989), and the ITA Alumni Network. Distribution is direct through academic channels, industry partnerships, and training programmes, with social media presence on LinkedIn, XING, YouTube, and Instagram. The institute's value proposition centers on combining academic rigor with practical industry application through an integrated research-training-technology-transfer network.

Name

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University

Legal name

Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University

Website

https://ita.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik is a publicly funded university research institute at RWTH Aachen University that conducts textile technology research, trains students, and partners with industry through its ITA Group network of subsidiaries across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Textile Technology Research & Education

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutes of Technology (IoT / Technical Universities) (EDAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Textile technology research
• Technical textiles development
• Fiber science research
• Nonwovens engineering
• Textile testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Government-funded research projects forming the primary revenue stream for the institute
2. Industry Research Partnerships: Collaboration with industry partners on research and development projects
3. Training and Education Services: Continuing education courses offered through ITA Academy GmbH including 'Sustainable Textiles' workshops and 'Basics of textile technology' training

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ITA is a university research institute at RWTH Aachen University conducting publicly funded textile technology research across fiber science, textile manufacturing, nonwovens, and technical textiles. It collaborates with industry partners on R&D projects, delivers academic degree programs (BSc/MSc in Textile Technology), and provides continuing professional training through its ITA Academy GmbH subsidiary.

Product overview

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University is a university research institute specializing in textile technology research and education. The institute operates under the ITA Group International Centre for Sustainable Textiles umbrella, which includes commercial subsidiaries ITA GmbH (industrial research services), ITA Academy GmbH (professional training courses), ITA Augsburg (regional nonwoven/paper focus), and ITA Medical (medical textiles). The institute offers academic degree programs (BSc/MSc in Textile Technology, MSc Textile Engineering) and conducts publicly funded research in key areas including mobility, building & living, health, energy & environment, information & communication, protection, production, materials, and qualification. The Competence Centre WIRKsam focuses on AI-driven work design, while the Industry Research Groups address natural fibres and polymer recycling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ITA Group International Centre for Sustainable Textiles: International centre for sustainable textile research and development
• Competence Centre WIRKsam
• BIOTEXFUTURE
• Industry Research Group (IRG)
• ITA Academy
• ITA Alumni Network

Products and services

• Academic Degree Programs
• Industrial Research Collaboration Services
• ITA Academy Continuing Education Courses

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Freundes- und Förderkreis des ITA e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Friends and Supporters Circle founded in November 1989 with purpose of promoting science and research in textile technology for ITA
• ITA GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off company of ITA focused on industrial applications and technology transfer from research to commercial products
• ITA Academy GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and education subsidiary offering professional courses in textile technology including 'Sustainable Textiles' and 'Basics of textile technology' programs
• ITA AugsburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional location extending ITA's research and training capabilities to the Augsburg area
• ITA MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized subsidiary focused on medical textile applications and healthcare technology
• Industry Research Group (IRG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research groups including Endemic Natural Fibres and Polymer Recycling focusing on specific textile technology domains
• BIOTEXFUTUREmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation platform for biotechnology and sustainable textile solutions
• Competence Centre WIRKsammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetence Centre focused on Work Design with Artificial Intelligence (AI), closing event scheduled for September 2026
• ITA Alumni NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive alumni network providing intimate contact between current staff and graduates, offering advantages in joint research and development projects
• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent university institution providing institutional framework and access to broader academic resources and faculties

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hohenstein Institute: German textile research and testing organization offering applied R&D, textile testing, and industry services. Comparable as a textile-focused R&D and services entity serving industry.
• DWI Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien: RWTH Aachen-affiliated Leibniz research institute conducting materials science R&D. Comparable as a sister institute at RWTH Aachen with deep textile-adjacent material science research.
• Manchester Metropolitan University - Manchester Fashion & Textile Institute: UK university with textile research and education heritage. Comparable as an academic textile research entity with industry partnership programs.
• Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut (STFI): German textile research institute conducting applied research across technical textiles, nonwovens, and textile testing. Directly comparable as a publicly funded, industry-collaborative textile R&D center.
• CETI (Centre Européen des Textiles Innovants): European textile innovation center providing R&D, prototyping, and industry services. Comparable as a textile R&D platform with industry collaboration and technology transfer focus.
• Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden (IPF): German polymer research institute with strong textile/fiber material science focus. Comparable as a publicly funded research center operating in textile-relevant materials and processing.
• North Carolina State University - Wilson College of Textiles: Major US university textile research and education program comparable to ITA's academic-research-training mission. Closely aligned in textile engineering education and applied research.
• TITK (Thüringisches Institut für Textil- und Kunststoff-Forschung): German applied research institute for textiles and plastics conducting industry-relevant R&D. Comparable as a publicly funded textile research center with industry collaboration focus.
• Institut für Textil- und Verfahrenstechnik (ITV) Denkendorf: German textile research institute with a comparable profile of textile technology R&D, applied research, and industry collaboration. Operates a similar publicly funded model focused on textile process engineering and material development.

Broad incumbents

• RWTH Aachen University - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Parent faculty within which ITA operates. Comparable as the broader institutional context that provides academic framework, public funding access, and cross-disciplinary collaboration opportunities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/institutfurtextiltechnikderrwthaachen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/textiltechnikaachen
• Instagraminstagram.com/ita_rwth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University