In July 2026, news from Bergamo, Italy: EFI's subsidiary EFI Reggiani, together with Danitech Engineering and Solutions (Italy) and Suzhou Danitech Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd (China), signed a multi-year licensing and manufacturing agreement. The core of the deal is to restart production of the full Mezzera and Jaeggli textile finishing machinery lines. This is not a simple OEM arrangement but a deep binding of technology licensing and manufacturing division.
Technology Transfer Path and Landing Point
Mezzera has accumulated over half a century of technical expertise in wet finishing, with its washing, post-dyeing treatment, and chemical finishing machines holding significant installed capacity in European dyeing mills. Jaeggli has specific advantages in stenter setting and drying. The agreement specifies that Danitech will undertake the manufacturing of certain models at its Suzhou plant, while retaining the Italian production line for high-end customization and R&D. This means that finishing equipment previously reliant on European imports now has a localized production option.
For China's printing and dyeing industrial clusters, this is a signal. Dyeing mills in Shaoxing, Shenze, and Nantong have long faced pain points of high equipment renewal costs and long import lead times. If Danitech can achieve local assembly and commissioning of key Mezzera models in China, buyers will gain shorter delivery cycles and more flexible technical support. More importantly, the water consumption and chemical control parameters in wet finishing processes may be adjusted more quickly through localized service teams.
Potential Impact on Equipment Procurement Landscape
Over the past five years, equipment investment in the finishing section by Chinese dyeing mills has been polarized: top players directly purchase European whole machines, while SMEs opt for domestic copies or second-hand refurbished equipment. The landing of the Mezzera line in China may fill the gap in the middle—products with European brand technology endorsement but Chinese manufacturing cost structure. This will directly impact the pricing system of current domestic high-end finishing equipment and force local equipment makers to accelerate technological iteration.
From a category perspective, the agreement covers not just a single model but the entire Mezzera and Jaeggli portfolio. This means full-process equipment from desizing, scouring, bleaching to mercerizing, post-dyeing washing, and softening finishing could enter the local supply chain. For dyeing mills, unifying equipment brands within a production line facilitates process parameter coordination and subsequent maintenance.
Industry Logic Behind the Deal
EFI Reggiani's decision to license finishing equipment manufacturing to a Chinese partner at this time reflects multiple considerations. First, the irreversible shift of global textile capacity to Asia requires equipment suppliers to be close to end markets. Second, EFI's own layout in digital printing has matured, and equipment synergy in finishing can form a "printing + finishing" package to increase customer stickiness. Third, Danitech's smart manufacturing capabilities in Suzhou—including precision machining and control system integration—have reached the level to take over European design drawings.
For Danitech, obtaining the Mezzera brand license means directly entering the high-end finishing equipment track, avoiding the R&D cycle and market trust building from scratch. This is a faster path than independent innovation, but it also demands strong absorption capacity.