From the Sector

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement today commending the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) for passing the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains a provision that could boost domestic textile industry sales to the U.S. military. 

The House NDAA bill, which authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military, includes a provision that would eliminate a statutory exemption under the Berry Amendment that acts as a loophole allowing the U.S. military to buy textiles abroad instead of from American textile manufacturers as long as the purchase is at or below a small purchase threshold of $150,000.

The NDAA also includes language from the Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, a bill that NCTO has pushed for as part of a broader coalition. The provision requires the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations within two years that prohibit any member of the Armed Forces from wearing optional combat boots as part of a required uniform unless those boots are made in the United States with American-made components, with a few exceptions.

“We applaud the HASC for passing the FY 2026 NDAA and including provisions that would help boost domestic manufacturing, strengthen American economic competitiveness, and meet the mission-critical needs of our Armed Forces,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“We are sincerely appreciative of the leadership of Congressman Don Davis (D-NC) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC), who led efforts to close the Berry Amendment loophole and co-sponsored the amendment to the NDAA.

“The Berry Amendment requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to purchase 100% U.S.-made textiles and clothing. But the small-purchase exemption in the statute has led to U.S. military purchases of foreign-made textile articles largely at the expense of American textile manufacturers who have potentially lost several million dollars per year in U.S. government sales.

“Eliminating this exemption will lead to the military procurement of more American-made military textile products as well as oversight of Berry Amendment compliance.  

“Lastly, we also applaud the inclusion of the BOOTS Act in the NDAA, which will support domestic military footwear production. 

“This is a win for the American textile and apparel industry, a key strategic contributor to our national defense that supplies over 8,000 products a year to our men and women in uniform. The industry provides high-tech, functional components for the U.S. government, including more than $1.8 billion worth of vital uniforms and equipment for our armed forces annually.

“It is vital to America’s national security that the U.S. military maintain the ability to source high-quality, innovative textile materials, apparel, and personal equipment from a vibrant American textile industrial base. After passage of the FY 2026 NDAA by the full House, we look forward to working with the Senate and House to ensure this provision is included in the final NDAA conference report.”

PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:PCT), a U.S.-based company revolutionizing plastic recycling, announced a partnership with Emerald Carpets, a leader in trade show carpets. This collaboration aims to transform the trade show carpet industry by creating closed-loop circularity in carpet production.

As part of the partnership, Emerald Carpets signed an commercial supply agreement with PureCycle for approximately 5 million pounds annually of PureFive™ resin. PureFive Choice™ resin will be blended into Emerald Carpets' existing fiber production, enabling them to immediately exceed the current policy-mandated recycled content requirement in California. PureCycle and Emerald Carpets qualified the resin for numerous applications and are currently testing additional applications to expand the portfolio offering.

The partnership includes PureCycle recycling used trade show carpets from Emerald
Carpets, designed to transform the material into purified fiber-grade recycled polypropylene (rPP) pellets. Successful recycling of the materials would allow Emerald Carpets to then manufacture new carpets out of the rPP, creating a sustainable carpet-to-carpet solution. This should allow Emerald Carpets to meet California's carpet-to-carpet (closed loop) recycled content requirements that go into effect in 2028.

Throughout 2025-2026, Emerald Carpets and PureCycle plan to work together at their respective production facilities in Dalton, Georgia, and Ironton, Ohio, to develop, test and ultimately scale the process, anticipating the use of more than 5 million pounds annually, with the goal of delivering circular trade show carpets to the marketplace.

The partnership has experienced successful trials by Emerald Carpets using purposeformulated PureFive Choice™ resin, including Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material. The trial demonstrated the potential of high-performance carpets made with PCR rPP content to meet the demands of trade show environments. Traditionally, sourcing drop-in PCR rPP for carpet production has been a challenge due to the complex nature of carpet fiber manufacturing and the limitations of mechanically recycled rPP material.

Currently, polypropylene represents a significant part of carpet fibers, as alternatives have been scarce. PureCycle's innovative, dissolution recycling technology enables carpet manufacturers to reduce their reliance on virgin materials in the production of high-quality carpets, paving the way for a more sustainable carpet and events industry.

The third edition of the SMCCREATE conference, organised by AVK and the European Alli-ance for SMC BMC, will take place again in Prague (Vienna House Diplomat Prague), Czech Republic, on November 04th – 05th, 2025. The event brings together international experts to discuss the latest developments and applications in the field of SMC/BMC.

SMC and BMC – Innovative materials for modern designs
SMC (sheet moulding compound) and BMC (bulk moulding compound) are high-performance fibre composites that are particularly suitable for the manufacture of light-weight, complex-shaped components – they combine structural properties with a smooth surface. For this reason, SMC and BMC are increasingly being used in a wide range of end applications and markets.

Application-oriented content for the areas of design and development
SMCCREATE will once again offer a compact and high-quality program in 2025:
Over the course of one and a half days, leading companies and research institutions such as AOC, Owens Corning, Menzolit and TU Delft will present the latest findings, best prac-tices and innovative solutions relating to the use of SMC and BMC in modern construction processes.
Participants can look forward to a total of 15 presentations on the topics of market & trends, sustainability and design.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has selected the REGEN project as one of three groundbreaking initiatives to integrate circularity into the defence sector. Uplift360, a pioneer in advanced material recycling technologies, will play a critical role in this effort, leveraging its specialist expertise in the recycling and regeneration of aramid fibres to advance sustainable material solutions for high-performance defence applications.

Uplift360 is a cleantech innovator specializing in the recycling of advanced materials, including carbon fibre and aramid. With a focus on circular economy solutions, Uplift360 provides technologies that reduce waste, lower emissions, and support a more sustainable future.

Driving Circularity in Defence
As part of the REGEN project, Uplift360 will focus on the recovery and reuse of continuous aramid fibres, a critical component in defence applications. This effort includes overcoming the complex challenge of PFAS coating removal, a significant barrier to scaling up advanced material recycling. By developing innovative technologies to increase the quality and characteristics of recycled spun aramids, Uplift360 aims to directly engage with material users for ongoing product evolution and development.

The REGEN project brings together a powerful consortium, including FECSA and AITEX from Spain, Uplift360 and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). This collaboration aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy within the defence sector by fostering knowledge sharing, technical innovation, and sustainable resource management.
 
Uplift360’s Role in REGEN
•    Advanced Fibre Recovery: Expertise in recycling and regeneration of aramid fibres.
•    PFAS Coatings Removal Technology: Developing solutions to overcome this critical scaling challenge.
•    Direct Industry Collaboration: Engaging with material users to refine and evolve product performance.
•    Circular Economy Leadership: Contributing to the long-term sustainability of defence materials.
•    Techno-economic analysis (TEA): To optimise the process accordingly.
 
Partners’ Roles in REGEN
•    FECSA: Coordinator of the REGEN project, FECSA leads the consortium and communication strategy, contributing its expertise in advanced protective textiles and sustainable innovation for the defence sector.
•    AITEX: As a partner in the REGEN project consortium, AITEX is leading the development of the fabric and characterisation testing. It is also supporting Uplift360 by contributing its expertise in optimising the wet-spinning process.
•    LIST: As a partner in the REGEN project consortium, LIST is responsible for the life cycle assessment (LCA).

Suominen Corporation’s Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Charles Héaulmé, current Chair of the Board, as the company’s new President and CEO. Mr. Héaulmé will start at the latest August 11, 2025.  

Mr. Héaulmé brings with him decades of executive leadership experience across various industries. His strategic insight and proven track record in driving performance and transformation have earned the full confidence of the Board to lead Suominen into its next phase of financial improvement and sustainable growth.   

Mr. Héaulmé will continue to serve as Chair of the Board until the next Annual General Meeting of Suominen 2026. He will step down from his position as a Chair and member of the Personnel and Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors as of today.  

The Board of Directors of Suominen Corporation and Mr. Tommi Björnman, have mutually agreed that Mr. Björnman will step down from his position as the President and CEO. Mr. Janne Silonsaari, currently Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed as interim President & CEO, effective June 30, 2025. 
“We thank Mr. Björnman for his dedication and leadership during his tenure,” says Andreas Ahlström, Deputy Chair of the Board of Suominen. “Under his guidance, Suominen has continued to focus on its vision to be the frontrunner for nonwovens innovation and sustainability.”  

“The past two years at Suominen have been both challenging and rewarding. I am proud to see that we have elevated commercial excellence, sustainability, and innovation to the next level,” says Tommi Björnman.  

“I am honored to step into the CEO role at a pivotal time for Suominen. I look forward to working closely with our talented team to build on the company’s strong foundations, drive sustainable growth, and deliver long-term value to our shareholders, customers, and communities,” says Charles Héaulmé.

Carbitex – a leader in flexible carbon fiber composites focused on performance footwear, travel, and accessories – announces the appointment of Jen Hanna to the newly created role of Vice President of Sales for the U.S. market. 

Hanna brings over twelve years of experience in advanced materials and textile innovation, most recently as the Director of Innegra Sales at Quantum Materials, LLC, and previously as President at Innegra Technologies. Her unique path into materials innovation began with her background in sports—as a former LPGA professional golfer and NCAA Division I golf coach—combined with her degree in health and exercise science from Furman University. This athletic foundation sparked her curiosity about product development and performance optimization through materials innovation.

“Jen has the rare firsthand experience in successfully bringing new advanced materials to market,” says Junus Khan, President and Founder of Carbitex. "It's a challenge that demands curiosity, deep understanding, and drive. Moreover, her background as a former professional athlete and D1 coach adds a unique level of depth that’s truly exceptional. I’m honored and excited to have her join Carbitex as we continue accelerating our growth.”

Based in Greer, South Carolina, Hanna will lead U.S. sales and brand partner relations, joining Global Vice President of Sales Filippo Sarto to drive Carbitex’s continued expansion. 

Hanna’s commitment to excellence extends across all her ventures, reflecting the same drive and dedication that defined her professional athletic career and continues to fuel her success in advanced materials. In her entrepreneurial pursuits outside of materials innovation, Hanna owns two locations of luxury dog boarding facilities and founded a nonprofit dog rescue organization that trains therapy dogs. 

EDANA announced that preparations are well underway for OUTLOOK™ 2025. So far, hundreds of participants from more than 50 companies have signed up, confirming strong interest in this year’s edition. The exhibition area is filling up quickly: 12 booths are already sold, with just eight remaining.

The comprehensive three-day programme will explore the latest trends in AHPs, compliance and competitiveness, and dedicated sessions on wipes and start-ups, with renowned speakers and interactive formats designed to spark dialogue and collaboration. 

This year’s keynote speakers are: Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. At OUTLOOK™, he’ll explore how shifting global alliances are reshaping international trade and what this means for business. Drawing on decades of diplomatic experience, he’ll offer strategic insights into navigating today’s evolving geopolitical and economic landscape. 

Networking will take centre stage with two special evening cocktails planned. The first, a thematic cocktail, will take place in the exhibition area on Day 1, encouraging relaxed exchanges among participants. On Day 2, attendees will enjoy a memorable external cocktail held at one of Budapest’s most iconic venues, offering a unique cultural touch to the event experience. 

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for companies looking to stand out and boost their brand visibility throughout the event! These options provide exclusive exposure before and during the event, both online and onsite. 

Fashion for Good announces today a strategic partnership with Altmat, a pioneering materials science company transforming agricultural waste into high-value materials, to advance its innovative Fibre Club initiative. Altag® Fibre Club is designed to fast-track the commercial adoption of next-generation fibres from agri-residue at scale, supporting the industry's transition toward circular materials.

The fashion industry faces a critical materials challenge: accounting for 91% of the industry’s total emissions and 30% of a product’s cost of goods sold (COGS), materials are pivotal to achieving climate goals and long-term competitiveness. Yet, the path to replacing conventional fibres with next-generation alternatives is riddled with systemic barriers.

For brands, integrating next-generation materials presents significant operational hurdles, from limited production capacity to premium pricing and complex sourcing logistics. Meanwhile, material innovators struggle with the capital-intensive scaling process, difficulty securing consistent offtake commitments, and navigating a fragmented manufacturing infrastructure ill-equipped for novel inputs.

These mutual challenges create a systemic deadlock: despite significant innovation in alternative materials, widespread commercial adoption remains elusive. Without structured collaboration frameworks that distribute risk and align incentives, the disconnect between promising innovations and commercial implementation continues to impede the industry's transition toward innovation.

To address the scaling challenges that have historically hindered material innovation adoption, Fashion for Good has partnered with AltMat through a collaborative framework that enables brands to pool resources and commit to minimum order quantities, thereby reducing financial risk for both innovators and manufacturers. The Altag® Fibre Club brings together a consortium of forward-thinking value supply chain partners — including Adalberto, Alok, Arvind, Bhaskar Denim, Jindal Textiles, Maharaja Shree Umaid Mills, Ltd, Positive Materials, Sambandam Spinning Mills Limited, Shahi Exports, Sutlej Textiles, Sweaters India and Industries Limited, and Vrijesh Natural Fibre & Fabrics (India) Pvt. Ltd. — to integrate AltMat's fibres into mainstream production processes. This collaborative model, which builds on Fashion for Good's successful first Fibre Club with textile-to-textile recycler Circ in 2024, in collaboration with Canopy, aims to overcome key barriers to adoption such as scalability, processing compatibility, and cost competitiveness.

Altag® Fibre Club will be launching at the Future Fabric Expo in London on 24-25 June 2025.

EDANA’s Innovation Forum 2025, held on 11–12 June in Station F, Paris, brought together a vibrant cross-section of industry leaders, researchers, startups and innovation experts to explore the dynamic evolution of the nonwovens sector. With a rich two-day agenda that combined high-level keynote addresses, thematic sessions, research showcases and networking events, the Forum served as a hub for ideation, collaboration and inspiration around the sector’s most urgent challenges and exciting opportunities. 
 
“Innovation is a key factor to stay competitive — but more than that, it’s the foundation for resilience and long-term relevance. By embedding sustainability, digitalization and collaboration into the core of our innovation culture, we’re not just keeping pace with change — we’re shaping the future of our industry.” said EDANA General Manager Murat Dogru in his opening address. 
 
Speakers explored how textile waste can become high-value products, how fibrelevel modelling replaces costly prototyping, and how AI enables more autonomous and sustainable manufacturing. “Nonwovens are robust and can tolerate stress. This gives an opportunity in the recycling textile to tackle the textile tsunami.” - Maria Ström, CEO of The Loop Factory. 
 
The Forum also welcomed nature-powered innovations set to transform the fibre landscape. “What if we made fibres from agricultural waste? Natural fibres are extraordinary, and we wouldn’t even have to use the leaves that are grown, but the ones already on the ground and that are now considered waste.” - Dr. Carmen Hijosa, Founder & Creative Director of Ananas Anam. 
 
The afternoon turned its spotlight on research institutes from across Europe, examining how their strategic priorities align with industry needs. “It is crucial that people in the nonwovens industry understand what’s going on on the other side of the fence and to understand what R&D people are doing”, said Matthew Tipper, CEO of Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute (NIRI). “We need collaboration between the real needs of the industry and research institutes.” 
 
Towards the end of the first day, the EDANA Innovation Forum featured a workshop on capturing serendipity. “Not all progress is planned”, said Dieter Eichinger, CEO & Founder of Eichinger. “Some of the most transformative ideas are born from surprises, and we need to make space for it to imagine the imaginable”. 
 
The first day ended with a cocktail dinner aboard the Excellence, gliding through the heart of Paris on the River Seine, admiring the beauty of the City of Light and its stunning views of the Eiffel Tower. 
 
Day two began with a provocative and practical keynote on AI as a creative partner in product development. “AI doesn’t replace creativity,” said Oliver Breucker, CoCEO & AI Consultant at Roover Consulting. “It amplifies it. It clears space for us to think bigger, iterate faster, and design better — with the customer always at the centre.” 
 
Moreover, sustainable innovation is no longer confined to early-stage R&D. From fibre-based packaging to carbon-zero superabsorbents, speakers showcased products ready to hit the market, each with compelling environmental and commercial benefits. “It’s not about choosing between performance and sustainability anymore,” said Alexandros Skouras, Director of Hygiene Sector at Paptic. “The next generation of materials offers both.” 
 
The forum also invited Walter Johnsen, Venture Science Associate at Marble Studio, who offered a strategic lens on how deep-tech entrepreneurship can fast-track climate progress. In addition, four startups took the stage to showcase how they’re transforming diapers, textiles, fashion and chemical processes. “Innovation is not about making things slightly better,” said Miki Agrawal of Hiro Technologies. “It’s about asking: what if we start completely differently and solve the root problem instead of patching the old one?” 
 
To end the second day, Maxime Guillaud, CEO of INSKIP, mapped out how startups and ecosystems are evolving — and what the nonwovens industry can learn from other sectors. “Innovation doesn’t just come from technology — it comes from how we organise people and capital around ideas,” said Maxime. “That’s where ecosystems matter.” The event concluded with a guided visit to Station F, the world’s largest startup campus, reinforcing the importance of ecosystems in scaling transformative ideas. 
 
EDANA extended its heartfelt thanks to all speakers, moderators, partners and participants whose energy and insight made the Forum such a success. The connections made in Paris will continue to drive meaningful progress in the months and years ahead! 

Carbitex, a leader in flexible carbon fiber composites, collaborates with Hypetex Coloured Advanced Materials to introduce a new generation of colored Carbitex materials, now available for production products. 

Debuting with Carbitex OmniFlex carbon fiber textile technology, the lightweight and extremely durable material will be in a range of eight distinctive colors: Enzo Twill, Oak Twill, Malabar Twill, Bolt Twill, Spa Twill, Tendulkar Twill, Zidane Twill, and Titanium Twill. This collaboration represents the first time Carbitex technology will be available in colors beyond traditional black, opening new design opportunities across multiple industries.

The colored OmniFlex maintains all the breakthrough performance characteristics that define this advanced technology: zero-stretch construction that delivers the power transfer of a rigid material while preserving the flexibility of a soft material. This creates an unmatched high-performance strength-to-weight ratio that, combined with Hypetex CAM's vibrant color engineering, provides designers and manufacturers with both superior performance and unprecedented aesthetic possibilities.

“While we’ve explored colorization in the past, our core expertise lies in engineering flexibility. By working with Hypetex CAM, we get the best in color while focusing on continuing to evolve our technology. The request for color is a regular occurrence, but we wanted to wait until we knew we had a solution that met our quality expectations—Hypetex does that,” says Junus Khan, founder and president of Carbitex. “OmniFlex with Hypetex colored carbon is striking and beautiful. This collaboration will expand our material offerings into compelling new product ranges.”

The Hypetex colored OmniFlex materials are available now and will integrate into products in sport and lifestyle segments. The first products will debut in the travel and accessory categories in the coming season.