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20.06.2022

Techtextil 2022: Innovation Awards for Automotive, Medicine & Apparel

After a Corona-related break of three years, the leading trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess are once again presenting the renowned Innovation Awards. The award-winning new developments from areas such as New Products, Sustainability and Automation demonstrate: Textile innovations and technologies provide impulses for many branches of the industry and promise market and sales success far beyond their own sector. 13 winners from seven categories will be honored at a public awards ceremony at Techtextil and Texprocess on 21 June, 2022.
 

After a Corona-related break of three years, the leading trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess are once again presenting the renowned Innovation Awards. The award-winning new developments from areas such as New Products, Sustainability and Automation demonstrate: Textile innovations and technologies provide impulses for many branches of the industry and promise market and sales success far beyond their own sector. 13 winners from seven categories will be honored at a public awards ceremony at Techtextil and Texprocess on 21 June, 2022.
 
As is the case for many other industries, times are challenging for the textile industry: the consequences of Corona, the Ukraine war, strained supply chains, sustainability issues, rising energy prices and recruitment problems - the industry is under pressure from many sides. But more than almost any other industry, it is also very adept at meeting these challenges with new ideas, developments and business models. This year's Innovation Awards at the leading trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess are another example of this. With their new products, materials, solutions and processes, the 13 award winners are demonstrating in an exemplary manner that textile innovations are the ideal way to create market opportunities and boost future business revenues, out of the challenges of the present.

Techtextil Innovation Award and Texprocess Innovation Award
The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards will be presented on 21 June, 2022 in Hall 9.0. Textile innovations selected by international expert juries will be awarded prizes and presented publicly on the four days of the trade fair in Hall 9.1 (Techtextil) and 9.0 (Texprocess), in some cases for the first time.

World's first: first woven heart valve without postfabrication
In the "New Product" category, the Techtextil Innovation Award goes to the Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM) at the Technische Universität Dresden. Together with medical product manufacturers and heart surgeons from the Cardiovascular Center Würzburg and the Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, textile researchers from the ITM have succeeded in developing the world's first woven heart valve that does not require a single seam or other joining technique. "Our new development should also help children with heart valve defects in the future by growing with the heart of the young patients - avoiding repeated surgical interventions," says Dr.-Ing. Dilbar Aibibu, research group leader for biotextiles and medical textiles at ITM. Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death; several million people die from them every year. When patients receive heart valve replacements, artificial mechanical or biobased solutions are usually used. If ITM has its way, the woven valve, which won the Techtextil Innovation Award, should become a beneficial alternative in the future.

Reuse of waste from a natural source
In the "New Material" category, RBX Créations (France) receives the Innovation Award for a novel cellulose fiber made from hemp waste. The material, named Iroony®, was developed with regard to the following question: Hemp is now grown either to make fiber or to produce hemp oil - but could not the two be combined? RBX Créations has now succeeded in developing a process for extracting cellulose from the waste of oilseed hemp. Spun into textile fibers, it can be used to produce sustainable textiles, packaging and other "green" products. The award is given to RBX Créations for its continuous and successful efforts to convert waste from a renewable source into a valuable cellulose fiber that meets the highest sustainability standards.

Fiber shielding technology for hospitals, electric cars and server farms
The Techtextil Innovation Award in the "New Technology" category goes to Aachen-based FibreCoat GmbH and Deutsche Basalt Faser GmbH from Sangerhausen (Saxony-Anhalt) for the joint development of an aluminum-coated basalt fiber. It combines the strength of basalt with the electrical conductivity of aluminum. According to FibreCoat, electromagnetic shielding as wallpaper in buildings in hospitals or server farms, among other places, should be up to 20 times cheaper than with conventional aluminum foil thanks to the new development. Another attractive and particularly fast-growing market is shielding solutions for electric cars. Robert Brüll, CEO of FibreCoat: "For a young company like ours, winning the Techtextil Innovation Award is an important milestone. We are honored to receive this prestigious award from the independent jury of experts. In particular, the confidence of our customers and visibility gained as a result are crucial for a start-up like FibreCoat on the road to market success."
 
More sustainable hygiene products such as diapers
Kelheim Fibres GmbH from Kelheim in Bavaria and the Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) in Chemnitz receive the Techtextil Innovation Award in the "New Concept" category for the development of novel, thermally bonded nonwovens based on cellulose for the production of reusable products with high absorbency. Consumers should no longer have to choose between high-performance or environmentally friendly products. Nature and performance of hygiene products go hand in hand thanks to the innovation of Kelheim, STFI and the Berlin-based start-up SUMO. Dr. Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Director New Business Development at Kelheim Fibres: "It is a great honor and pleasure for us to receive the Techtextil Innovation Award together with our partners. We see the award not only as a distinction for the project presented, but also as recognition of our innovation strategy. After all, in dialogue with partners we can react more quickly to current trends, develop in a more targeted manner and accelerate the commercialization of innovative solutions."

Waste from the automotive industry as a resource
Another Techtextil Innovation Award in the category "New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy" honors a process that uses natural leather waste from the automotive industry to produce innovative textile coatings. It was developed by CITEVE, the Technology Center for Textile and Clothing in Portugal, and partners ERT Têxtil Portugal, CeNTI and CTIC (all Portugal). After CITEVE researchers discovered that cutting operations in the automotive industry generate a large amount of natural leather classified as waste, they sought a solution to reuse it. The expert jury recognizes the development as a successful industrial symbiosis: "Waste from one industrial sector is used here as a resource in another. The work of the CITEVE researchers thus supports an important trend toward a resource-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable textile industry."

Compostable textile coating
The Techtextil Innovation Award in the category "New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy" goes to the textile research institute Centexbel (Belgium) for a bio-based and compostable dispersion for textile coatings and printing inks. The new development does not require solvents and brings a completely new type of polymer for coatings and printing inks to the market. According to the expert jury, the innovation is an important step for the textile coating industry towards more products based on renewable resources.

Fashion from pineapple peel
The Italian company Vérabuccia is honored in the "Performance Fashion Award" category for an innovative production process for the fashion and design sector. The patented process is designed to transform fruit waste into fashion highlights. A first material is the so-called "Ananasse". According to Vérabuccia, the special feature of this is that unlike other plant leathers, which tend to imitate real animal leather, it retains the original appearance of a pineapple skin; this emphasizes the origin of the raw material. With the Techtextil Innovation Award, the jury honored the unconventional thinking of the young Italian label, whose originality proves that innovative and appealing fashion can be developed from surprising materials.
 
100 percent compostable binder for nonwovens
In the "New Technology" category, the company OrganoClick (Sweden) receives the Techtextil Innovation Award for the development of a 100 percent bio-based binder for nonwovens applications that is made from waste components and is therefore said to be fully compostable. The innovation is designed to replace plastic-based binders. Because nonwovens are often made from non-degradable plastics, the Swedish company specializes in developing compostable material alternatives from wheat bran, fruit or crab shells, among others. This convinced the jury of the Techtextil Innovation Awards: "OrganoClick receives the award for its efforts to find bio-based raw material alternatives to replace oil-based materials."

Formaldehyde-free & bio-based coating system
The third award in the category "New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy" goes to Deutschen Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf (DITF) from Baden-Württemberg and the company TotalEnergies - Cray Valley (France). Together, they have developed a novel, formaldehyde-free coating system. It is based on non-toxic hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) derived from biomass waste. These HMF-based dip formulations are capable of replacing formaldehyde-based adhesion promoters on a one-to-one basis. For background: in tires, conveyor belts or V-belts, rubber materials are reinforced by cord. The quality of such cord composite systems with high-strength fibers such as polyester, aramid or polyamide and rubber is determined by the adhesion properties of the fibers to the matrix. In the established manufacturing process, adhesion promoters made of resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL) are used. However, formaldehyde has been classified by the EU as a proven carcinogen and mutagen since 2014. The jury therefore welcomes the health and environmentally friendly new development. It contributes to a more sustainable textile industry and the reduction of harmful chemicals.

Source:

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

(c) Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
07.06.2022

Techtextil and Texprocess 2022: Highlights for international visitors

Techtextil and Texprocess 2022 are planning a strong re-start with future-oriented trade fair formats and over 1,300 exhibitors from 51 countries. Highlights, such as the Denim Future Lab, the Performance Textiles in Fashion special show and the Techtextil respectively Texprocess Forum will present the high degree of innovation in the industry and offer a platform for exchange and further development.

Techtextil and Texprocess 2022 are planning a strong re-start with future-oriented trade fair formats and over 1,300 exhibitors from 51 countries. Highlights, such as the Denim Future Lab, the Performance Textiles in Fashion special show and the Techtextil respectively Texprocess Forum will present the high degree of innovation in the industry and offer a platform for exchange and further development.

The first edition of the leading international trade fairs since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic has reached a booking level of over 1,300 exhibiting companies from 51 countries, twelve international country pavilions and numerous joint stand participants. In addition to German exhibitors, companies from Italy, France, Turkey and Spain are most frequently represented. In exhibition halls 8, 9, 11 and 12, diverse and innovative products and processes will be presented to the global trade audience in June. With different formats and special shows, Techtextil and Texprocess offer an ideal setting for face-to-face meetings, encourage discussions and promote further development of the industry.

"We are delighted that Techtextil and Texprocess are finally making it possible for international decision-makers to exchange ideas again. The current situation is characterized by economic and social challenges, from pandemic-related influences to supply bottlenecks and raw material shortages. This makes it all the more important for the industry to come together in one place and find solutions together. We are pleased to be able to offer a platform for new and further developments, for example with the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards," reports Michael Jänecke, Director Brand Management Technical Textiles & Textile Processing.

Denim Future Lab: The denim production of the future
In hall 8.0, the future of the denim industry will be spotlighted. The Denim Future Lab highlights the industry's innovative approaches and presents advancements along many stages of the denim processing chain. How will denim be produced and processed sustainably? How can luxury denim be customized in the future? Innovative and progressive companies such as Jeanologia, Ugolini, Wiser Tech, Brongo and IEN Industrie S.p.A. will present trends such as eco-bleaching, eco-dyeing, upcycling solutions or individual design and finishing of luxury denim. The Speakers Corner of the Denim Future Lab offers the opportunity to exchange experiences with experts and invites to discussions. With the support of the Transformer Foundation and the exhibitors, topics such as greenwashing, chemicals in the production process as well as cotton and other fibers will be discussed in the Speakers Corner free of charge.

Performance Textiles in Fashion: Experiencing textile end products
At Techtextil, countless innovative textiles for a wide range of industries will be presented. To demonstrate the properties or possible applications, most exhibitors also show end products from the many areas of application, including apparel. The special show "Performance Textiles in Fashion" in hall 9.1 brings functional textiles and fashion to life for visitors. The special show will feature extraordinary and innovative garments.

Techtextil Forum and Texprocess Forum: What moves the industry
On all four days of the fair, the Techtextil Forum in hall 9.1 will offer exciting expert lectures and discussions on a wide range of topics relating to technical textiles and nonwovens. These include talks such as "Circular Economy in the Textile Industry - a Positioning", "Development of 3D-printed composite elements for personal stab protective clothing" or "Transforming Textiles to Testimonies - recycled solutions for architectural membranes". The patron of the Techtextil Forum is once again EURATEX - The European Apparel and Textile Confederation.
 
In the Texprocess Forum in hall 9.0, everything will revolve around current industry topics in the processing of textile and flexible materials. Expert presentations on topics such as Impact 4.0 / Future of Industry 4.0, Quality Management of the Future, Supply Chain Management, Digital Product Development and Sustainability Management are among the topics planned. As in 2019, the Texprocess Forum program will be organized by DTB - Dialog Textil-Bekleidung e.V. and VDMA TFL.

Both forums are free of charge. The presentations will be simultaneously translated DE/EN or EN/DE. Following the Techtextil Forum and Texprocess Forum, the presentations will also be made available "on demand" on the Techtextil and Texprocess Digital Extension platform.

Techtextil Innovation Award and Texprocess Innovation Award
A special highlight is the public presentation of the Techtextil or Texprocess Innovation Awards on 21 June 2022 in hall 9.0. Progressive approaches as well as new and further developments in the field of technical textiles and textile processing will be the focus. Textile innovations selected by an international jury of experts will be awarded and presented on all four days of the trade fair in hall 9.1 (Techtextil) or 9.0 (Texprocess). This is where the future of the textile industry comes together with promising and pioneering innovations.

Sustainability in focus
With Sustainability@Techtextil and Sustainability@Texprocess, visitors can recognize companies with sustainable products and approaches at first glance. Exhibitors who have successfully passed a review by an international independent jury are thus identified at the trade fairs. Techtextil and Texprocess thereby support the sustainable development of the textile industry. Innovative and sustainable fibers, yarns and fabrics as well as progressive processes, new cutting technologies, water-saving dyeing processes and other future-oriented processing technologies are thus highlighted.

Digital Extension: Experience Techtextil and Texprocess on site and digitally
For the first time, visitors can discover Techtextil and Texprocess virtually and benefit from new formats and exchange opportunities. Digital exhibitor profiles, matchmaking offers, 1-to-1 video calls or web sessions complement the on-site visit. Messe Frankfurt formats such as conferences or panel discussions are also digitally extended and can be accessed on demand afterwards. The Digital Extension of Techtextil and Texprocess is available to visitors free of charge from 13 June to 8 July.

The event Techtextil & Texprocess will be held from 21 to 24 June 2022.