Some fabrics sound like they're out of a fairy tale, such as the phase-change materials developed by NASA based on the laws of thermodynamics and millions of microencapsulated paraffin compounds. These melt in the heat and draw warmth in from their surroundings to provide a cooling effect. In the cold, the process is reversed: the liquid hardens and releases heat. The temperature of the melting point can even be precisely adjusted. Unbelievable, but a reality since 1992.

According to the German Education and Research Ministry (BMBF), high-tech textiles already comprise more than 50 percent of German textile production. And they are growing at a rapid pace, over ten percent in some fields. There is almost no branch of industry in which engineering textiles are not present. Automobiles, aeronautics, medicine, environmental technology and architecture - there are many fields where the flexibility, low weight, breathability, weather-resistance and extreme resilience of high-tech textiles are appreciated. And yet their potential for industrial applications is far from exhausted. Germany already holds a pole position in Europe in this field, and the BMBF would like to see it expand, through the use of nano and sensor technologies, for example. The German government is therefore promoting engineering textiles in its "Innovative materials for industry and society" program, known by its acronym, WING.

The Textile Solutions theme stand at HANNOVER MESSE at the Research & Technology flagship show displays the fascinating potential of cutting-edge textiles. Exhibitors use real-life examples to show off the capabilities of high-tech fibers that are a far cry from the colorful shirts and shiny ties of the past.