From the Sector

First edition of JEC Summit Sports & Health – Connect, an online event platform devoted to medical and sports equipment manufacturers using composites, ended last week going above and beyond its set goals. JEC Summit Sports & Health – Connect brought together professionals from the whole composites value chain and allows decision-makers to evolve and inspire through a subsequent event program. This summit was the first in a long line of events devoted to composites in the Sports and Health industry that are to come within the next two years.

The three-day event was conceived as a forum to gather composites professionals, affiliates, and high-profile speakers to share their expertise in composites materials involved in creating state-of-the-art medical devices and sports equipment.

“Following the enforced postponement of many trade shows, we took the step of becoming the first organizer to stage an online event dedicated to composites in the sports and health industry. We put together a high-level conference agenda and speaker roster, and devised some great ideas for virtual networking, said Christian Strassburger, Event Director at JEC Group. “I could not be prouder of what we achieved with many delegates from Europe and Americas tuning in, including representatives from more than 36 countries. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and partners. Their trust, support, and input were a crucial part of both the quality and success of the summit.”

The event attracted an audience of more than 1,100 professionals from the composites industry, from 36 countries, and helped organize 216 pre-arranged one to one meetings between buyers and sellers via our dedicated online meeting rooms, this without mentioning informal networking between participants. It reached these numbers, as participants logged on in considerable numbers to learn from the insights and ideas of the unparalleled line-up of high-level speakers who took part in the summit’s twenty-track conference.

The agenda for the JEC Summit Sports & Health – Connect featured tracks on current trends and Innovations in sports & health composite applications, with keynotes delivered by Dominic LeBlanc Senior Concept Engineer, at Callaway Golf, Christophe Lecomte, Director of Biomechanical Solutions R&D, at Össur, Fleur Jong, Professional Sprinter, and Co-founder of the Para Athletics Foundation and Damiano Salvatori, Materials Research Engineer, at the Straumann Group.

The panel of high-profile experts from Europe and America offered perspectives and inspiration for the next generation of medical and sports devices made of composites materials. The line-up included Bjorn Ivar Austrem, Technical Director, at Madshus, Laurine Calistri, Research Engineer, at Proteor, Anatole Gilliot, CEO of Suprem, Julien Duplay, Composites Methods Engineer, at Decathlon, Eric Jackson, President of Apex Watercraft, Stéphan Vérin, General Secretary, at EuraMaterials, Maximilian Segl, Principal Expert Composites, and Johannes Wölper, Development Engineer, both from Ottobock, and Matthew Dickinson, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, at University of Central Lancashire. Christos Karatzias, at Mitsui Chemicals Europe and Anthony Bert, at Helicoid Industries.

And one cannot omit the international startups that pitched all through the three-day event: ProsFit (Bulgaria), Alchemy (Greece), moi composites (Italy), Mercuris (Germany), Arevo/Superstrata (USA), Checkerspot/WNDR Alpine (USA), Ambrocio (Finland) Nairoby (Argentina). All gave inspiring and promising perspectives in the sector and what to look for in the near future.

• Looking to the future – Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself with a consistently sustainable agenda and propelling the transformation of a modern, resource-efficient fashion industry.

The Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC), working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), will be the presenting partner and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a prerequisite for all exhibitors by 2023. And the Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit by CFC is set to become the leading international conference for sustainability in the fashion world. The future of fashion has begun – and its key players will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021.
 
Frankfurt am Main, 2 December 2020. Joining forces to improve the fashion industry: Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as the host of the future of fashion and actively driving forward the transformation towards a future-oriented, more sustainable fashion and textile industry. All decision-makers looking to instigate this change will be coming together in Frankfurt am Main from 5-9 July 2021. The initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week – Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group – have achieved a real coup: Conscious Fashion Campaign, working in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be the presenting partner. Messe Frankfurt will build on its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and establish Frankfurt Fashion week as the platform on which to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and help guide the fashion industry into the 'Decade of Action'.
 
“Frankfurt will play host to the whole world. We are seeing a very positive response indeed,” confirmed Peter Feldmann, Senior Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, at today’s digital press conference, before going on to say: “The fact that the initiators are able to rethink the concept of a Fashion Week in such a way is extremely impressive and proves that the fashion industry is correctly interpreting the signs of the present and future. The time has come for value creation and values to be reconciled. Consistent alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals is an important step in this direction.”
 
“Frankfurt Fashion Week aims to play a crucial role in finding solutions for macrosocial challenges and supporting the goals of international politics such as the European Green Deal. The fashion and textile industries are also expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. If we want to achieve this, we all need to pull together. Frankfurt Fashion Week is inviting all initiators and supporters of sustainable concepts and congresses or shows dedicated to sustainability to meet in Frankfurt, partake in discussions and make tangible decisions for the greater good. We will connect the most relevant players and pave the way for a future-proof fashion and textile industry,” says Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
 
“Given its global reach, the fashion industry is uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular on climate action and responsible production and consumption,” said Annemarie Hou, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships. “Frankfurt Fashion Week and the Summit will serve as an important platform for education and engagement of the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action,” emphasised Ms Hou.
 
The aim of Frankfurt Fashion Week is for all exhibitors, participants and partners to align with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2023. The SDGs will also be incorporated into all formats of Frankfurt Fashion Week. This will help to make the UN’s sustainability goals visible and tangible for the Fashion Week audience, therefore bringing its claim, goals and specific proposals for implementation to an international opinion-forming fashion and lifestyle community. During a one-day Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit presented by Conscious Fashion Campaign, topics like gender equality, clean water, climate protection, social justice and their significance for a forward-looking fashion industry will be examined in greater depth. Another point on the sustainability agenda: Frankfurt Fashion Week is launching a Sustainability Award for outstanding, innovative, sustainable design, alongside other categories with a global appeal for the fashion and textile industry.
 
"We are committed to setting the wheels of transformation in motion. Not only does the overall mindset have to fundamentally change; the entire industry also needs to have the courage to be transparent and honest. It’s important to see values and value creation as opportunities rather than contentious. We are doing what we do best: connecting the relevant players at all levels. With its ecosystem, Frankfurt Fashion Week will become the enabler. We are creating a platform that will orchestrate industry-wide change. With this as our inspiration, we are also developing our tradeshow formats from a ‘marketplace of products’ to a ‘marketplace of purpose and ideas’,” explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group.
 
A new start in Frankfurt: In summer 2021 the entire fashion industry will be coming to the metropolis on the Main river to inform themselves, be inspired, discuss, negotiate and celebrate. “There’s a huge need to finally meet in person again, to exchange ideas and be inspired. At the same time, digital tools and formats have become an integral part of the fashion industry,” says Markus Frank, Head of the City of Frankfurt’s Department of Economic Affairs and therefore also responsible for its creative industry. “To implement such a future-oriented, all-encompassing overall concept, Frankfurt’s business and creative scenes offer an almost unique concentration of different expertise with its internationally networked agencies, universities and museums. The city’s multifaceted, high-end club, bar and restaurant scene, diverse hotel industry and internationally renowned retail landscape will become the stage for this. This network will be a key factor in the successful implementation of Frankfurt Fashion Week and the way in which it will expand into the public space as a cultural and social happening.”
 
A number of major publishing houses are also showing their commitment to the new Fashion Week in Frankfurt with conferences, events and awards: Textilwirtschaft, the leading professional fashion journal by the Deutscher Fachverlag publishing house, is moving its traditional meeting of the industry’s top decision-makers – the TW Forum, the presentation of the renowned Forum Award, as well as its subsequent conference – from Heidelberg to Frankfurt’s Palmengarten botanical gardens, and will therefore be kicking off Frankfurt Fashion Week on Sunday evening and Monday morning. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will be hosting its traditional fashion party for the first time in Frankfurt and publishing a special edition of its FAZ Magazin on Frankfurt Fashion Week. And the ZEIT publishing group is holding its ‘UNLOCK Style by ZEITmagazin’ conference, which was established in 2014, and the ZEITmagazin Fashion Week party in Frankfurt for the first time and will dedicate the whole new issue of ZEITmagazin Frankfurt to Frankfurt Fashion Week. Condé Nast will also be involved in next summer’s Frankfurt Fashion Week with an exclusive event by GQ. And the Burda publishing house will also be represented with various event formats from its lifestyle and fashion brands.There will also be talks with SHINE  Conventions, the organiser of GLOW, about what a mutual collaboration could look like.
 
Frankfurt Fashion Week is also delighted to have the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) on board.  The FCG is theinstitution when it comes to German fashion design. It promotes designers, is committed to gaining more political relevance and strengthens the international visibility and awareness of German fashion. At Frankfurt Fashion Week, the FCG will contribute selected formats, such as its already established Fireside Chat, and a future-oriented accelerator format to support German designers.
 
“What really impresses me about Fashion Week is the whole networking aspect: the creative industries will meet the financial world and sustainability is the common denominator. The Green Finance Cluster is another project that we could link with Frankfurt Fashion Week in the future. This will provide new inspiration in the fashion industry, which will certainly extend way beyond its own horizon of Frankfurt and Hesse. After a very difficult year for the trade fair industry, the concept is an encouraging breath of fresh air,” sums up Tarek Al-Wazir, Hesse’s Minister of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development and Deputy Minister-President of the state of Hessen.

• Lenzing AG has successfully issued a hybrid bond – a subordinated, unsecured bond – with a total volume of EUR 500 mn and a coupon of 5.75 percent.

The bond was multiple times oversubscribed, has a perpetual tenor and achieves 100 percent IFRS equity accounting due to its structural features. It has successfully been issued following a two-day roadshow with international investors. The denomination of the hybrid bond is EUR 100,000. It is Lenzing’s first hybrid bond on the capital market and will further strengthen the company’s capital structure.

“The success of our hybrid issuance underlines the creditworthiness of Lenzing and the confidence of the capital market in our company. The completion of the transaction strengthens our balance sheet and is a further step in diversifying our financing structure”, said Thomas Obendrauf, Chief Financial Officer of Lenzing AG.

BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley acted as joint global coordinators and structuring advisors and BNP Paribas, Morgan Stanley and UniCredit as joint bookrunners.

The global automobile production has been recovering faster than expected since summer. If this positive trend continues through the full second half of the year, Group revenue in local currencies in the second semester is likely to be just around –5% below the level of the prior year period. For the full year 2020 it is anticipated that revenue in local currencies will decline by around –20% compared to 2019.

Based on this development of revenue, the extensive cost reduction measures taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the on-schedule progress of the turnaround in North America, an EBIT margin of 4-5% is expected for the second half of the year and a slightly positive EBIT margin for 2020 as a whole. Supported by the strict management of working capital and investments, the free cash flow is likely to be in the higher double-digit million range, which should enable a slight reduction in debt.

The outlook for 2021 and especially the first half-year remains uncertain and depends strongly on how the pandemic will develop. According to forecasts, global vehicle production in 2021 will still not reach the level of 2019.

Cooperation and business development with AMAC
As of November 1st, 2020, AMAC is pleased to announce its cooperation with company FibreCoat for the market introduction of their products and global business development. FibreCoat is a young, award-winning start-up and spin-off of the RWTH Aachen University in Germany and develops multi-filament coated yarns, fabrics and composites based on glass or basalt fibres.

Dr. Michael Effing, CEO AMAC GmbH: „FibreCoat is a very promising newcomer in the electro-magnetic shielding and composites industry and their innovations are very cost-efficient for new technologies such as e-mobility or telecommunications. I am very pleased to introduce them to relevant key players in the industry and accompany them in their growth strategy.“

Product Launch
FibreCoat develops metal-coated fibres like bi-component multi-filament yarns with basalt core and aluminum coating which can be used for EMI-shielding and heat sinks in battery casings, electric diverters in filters, reinforcement of cast aluminum parts o ras conductive yarns in smart textiles.

FibreCoat launches ALUCOAT™, an aluminum-coated glass or basalt fibre which is suitable as electro-magnetic shielding material in automotive applications such as radar, antennas or for autonomous driving as well as for mobile phones and applications in buildings. Due to its extraordinary thermal conductivity and better heat transfer compared to traditional composite material, it can be used for the manufacturing of automotive battery trays or industrial applications such as fine particulate air filters.

ALUCOAT™ is available as of January 1st 2021 as a yarn, fabric or non-woven with a wide range of possible titers and areal weight. The material will offer an electrical conductivity of 100 Ωm and a working temperature of at least 400 °C. Furthermore, it can be used for the shielding of low to high frequencies with an effectiveness of 80 to 120 dB.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the worldwide demand for protective masks and apparel has resulted in a record number of new orders in the high double-digit millions of euros at Oerlikon Nonwoven. The meltblown technology from Neumünster is recognized by the market as being one of the technically most efficient methods for producing highly-separating filter media made from plastic fibers.

Protective equipment demands high-end nonwoven products
The rising demand for protective masks and other medical protective equipment since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated global ramping up of production capacities has also resulted in an increase in the demand for nonwovens for the production thereof. Initially, this resulted in bottlenecks in the provision of meltblown filter nonwovens. To this end, there had until this point be very few producers of medical filter nonwovens outside China. Meanwhile, the demand for spunbond systems is also rising. “Due to the structure of our group, we are in the fortunate position to swiftly reallocate and free up our production capacities. This means that we are able to relatively quickly deliver not only meltblown systems, but also spunbond equipment”, explains Dr. Ingo Mählmann, Head of Sales & Marketing at Oerlikon Nonwoven, talking about the positive situation at the company.

The capacities for respiratory masks available in Europe to date are predominantly manufactured on Oerlikon Nonwoven systems. “Our machines and systems for manufacturing manmade fiber and nonwovens solutions enjoy an outstanding reputation throughout the world. Ever more manufacturers in the most diverse countries are hoping to become independent of imports”, comments Dr. Mählmann. The Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown systems are being delivered to Germany, China, Turkey, United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy, France, North America and – for the very first time – to Australia until well into 2021.

Quality and efficiency in demand
Depending on the purpose of the application, medical PPE (personal protection equipment) should be breathable and comfortable to wear, protect medical staff against viruses, bacteria and other harmful substances and form a barrier against liquids. For these reasons, they are often made of either pure spunbond or of spunbond-meltblown combinations. Here, the meltblown nonwoven core assumes the barrier or filter task, while the spunbond has to retain its shape, while being tear-resistant, abrasion-proof, absorbent, particularly flame-resistant and nevertheless extremely soft on the skin.

All masks are not created equal – thanks to the ecuTEC+
Protection against infections such as coronavirus can only be guaranteed with the right quality.

The nonwovens can be electrostatically-charged in order to further improve the filter performance without additionally increasing breathing resistance. Here, Oerlikon Nonwovenʼs patented ecuTEC+ electro-charging unit excels in terms of its extreme flexibility. Nonwovens manufacturers can freely choose between numerous variation options and set the optimal charging method and intensity for their specific applications. In this way, even the smallest particles are still attracted and reliable separated by a relatively open-pored nonwoven. Nevertheless, mask wearers are still able to easily breathe in and out due to the comparatively loose formation of the fibers. To this end, it comes as no surprise that all meltblown systems currently destined for the production of mask nonwovens are equipped with the ecuTEC+ unit.

• ECOSENSOR™ 100% recycled polyamide fabric
• New fabric collection imbued with the brand’s sustainable story-making, at the Digital Edition of Performance Days

ECOSENSOR™’s new references combine high-performance and innovation to empower people with the possibility to live life naturally both for mind and body. The new range is woven from certified ingredients, a completely traceable production process and highly certified suppliers

“A New Eco high-tech force of Nature”, a bold claim, a daring attitude and true facts. ECOSENSOR™ by Asahi Kasei has concentrated all its key values into a Nature-driven and high-tech fabric collection that respects the environment and human being. Sustainability, active climate control, exquisite touch and extreme performance co-habit the textiles: the collection is made of wovens and knits where the main technology is represented by GRS - Global Recycled Standard certified polyamide and polyesters, sometime combined with ROICA™ recycled stretch yarns and dyed and finished with Oekotex Standard 100 certified processes and/or by BlueSign® partners’ companies.

But there is much more than it meets the eye. Behind the new collection is a great story of sustainability.

“Our international team strives to innovate with a human-based approach to research and develop solutions that meet high-performance standards as well as the transparency and traceability of both the ingredients and the supply chain”, says Mr. Hashimoto, Senior Managing Director of Asahi Kasei Advance, the global materials innovator and manufacturer. Indeed, the company has set the high bar all its suppliers and partners must match. Such criteria include: thoroughly transparency and traceability of both materials and production, corporate responsibility at all levels and a strategic commitment granted by influential certifications such as GRS - Global Recycle Standard for recycled ingredients and processes, as well as Bluesign® and OekoTex Standard 100 certifications, which focus on environmental-friendly impact of the dyeing and finishing processes.

The human, environmentally-friendly and cutting-edge imprint of ECOSENSOR™ ultimate collection reflects a vision for a more responsible way of fabric manufacturing. A new force of nature, because story-telling truly must match the story-making.

• The new company in the Group is dedicated to metal accessories for luxury and haute couture, in the heart of the Tuscan fashion district.

Mendrisio – Another important milestone has been reached at Riri: the incorporation of Cobrax Metal Hub, the new company in the Group which specialises in the design, development and manufacturing of metal components for the luxury and haute couture sector. The company’s headquarters are in the heart of the Tuscan fashion district, combining high quality Made in Italy, decades-long expertise and the care for details which has always characterised Riri.

The new company is a result of the acquisition of 2Frame, a historical Italian brand in the industry, which is now an integral part of the Riri family, under the new name Cobrax Metal Hub. Thanks to this new entry, the Swiss Group has become the first sole supplier of metal accessories for the leatherwear industry, adding to its traditional range of zips and buttons a new line of products which includes all types of fastening, padlocks, snap hooks and buckles. It is an actual strategic hub, to offer the brands a single contact point for any needs and requests concerning metal accessories.

This new acquisition also makes it possible for Riri to respond, in an even faster and more effective way, to the demand for developing new articles and prototypes. By focusing on customer needs, Cobrax Metal Hub is actually able to design and develop customised products, guaranteeing continuous support in all process phases: from the search for materials, to technical and finishing solutions, the prototyping and sampling stage, to the industrialisation and manufacturing stage.

Renato Usoni, CEO at Riri Group adds: “Thanks to Cobrax Metal Hub the Riri Group has become the first sole supplier of accessories for the leatherwear sector. It is a project intended to add value and increase the company’s ability to serve its market, providing increasingly comprehensive and tailor-made answers, bearing witness to a vision whereby investing in the future is the best response to the scenarios, more complex than ever before, with which the whole market is confronted today”.

Kornit Digital announced Vizela, Portugal-based Calvi has implemented the Kornit Avalanche HD6 system for efficient, retail-quality digital decoration on demand.

Founded in 1977, Calvi is a textile manufacturing company that works with national and international partners to deliver sportswear and casual apparel for men, women, and children. Now occupying a 6,600-square-meter facility and employing a team of more than 120 qualified professionals, they are committed to the evolution of textiles with regard to three fundamental values: quality, availability, and efficiency. In addition to their own e-commerce operation, Calvi produces about 100,000 t-shirts per week for brands like Pull & Bear, Zara, and Bershka.

“When we first contacted Kornit, it was very easy to create the partnership we have now,” says Anselmo Pereira, Head of Design at Calvi. “Kornit Avalanche really helped us to move faster, to be more ecological—we basically don’t have minimum quantities to produce.

“This company started with my grandfather, and then my father started running the business by himself,” says Catarina Lopes, Founder and CEO of the brand’s eco-conscious NÜWA division. “I started NÜWA, which has two pillars: Everything is sustainable, and we are inspired by people. We are sustainable; we don’t have to create more water waste or use more resources. Our products are made from recycled cotton, recycled polyester, and organic cotton. We only use digital printing because it’s water inks; we don’t have to use chemicals in our products.”

• New level of transparency in the textile industry
• Building on several successful pilot projects with TextileGenesis™, the digital platform for the traceability across the textile supply chain has now been introduced.

The Lenzing Group, a leading company in the area of wood-based specialty fibers, celebrates another milestone on the way to making the textile and apparel industry more sustainable and transparent. Since 2019, Lenzing has been using the blockchain technology powered by the Hong Kong start-up TextileGenesis™ to ensure the traceability of textiles from fiber to production and distribution. After several successful pilot projects, the digital platform was launched on 5 November for TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers. The platform provides customers and partners as well as consumers with an overview across the entire textile supply chain.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, more changes have been brought to the already transforming fashion and textile industries. To date, supply chain traceability has become a top priority for apparel and home brands. With the blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform powered by TextileGenesis™, Lenzing supports the entire supply chain in meeting the increasing demand for transparency and sustainability.

Phased onboarding and new digital certificates

A follow-up of a 12-month pilot program and field trials with four leading sustainable brands (H&M, ArmedAngels, Mara Hoffman and Chicks) and supply chain players from 10 countries in three regions, the global roll-out of Lenzing’s blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability platform will be conducted in phases. During the first phase, Lenzing’s supply chain partners based in South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) will complete the onboarding process within Q4 2020. An estimated 300+ supply chain partners in China and Turkey will also join the program in Q1 2021. It is estimated that by Q2 2021,  most eligible Lenzing supply chain partners will be onboarded into the platform, ensuring full supply chain traceability.

One of the core components of the platform powered by TextileGenesis™ is integration with the Lenzing EBranding fabric certification system, which allows brands and retailers not only to access the full supply chain traceability for TENCELTM and LENZINGTM ECOVEROTM branded fibers but also to view the results of forensic (physical) verification of fabric samples via the digitally signed Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates. “

Over the past year, during the pilot program and field trials we have been receiving very positive feedback from brands and supply chain partners. Our brand partners have also been encouraging us to accelerate the global roll-out for traceability of Lenzing fibers. With this new system and the integration with Lenzing E-Branding fabric certificates, the entire Lenzing ecosystem will create an unprecedented level of transparency. This will provide consumers with the most sustainable and climate-friendly clothing and home textile products that are made of TENCEL™ or LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers”, says Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer and Member of the Board at Lenzing.

“With increasing compliance and reputational risks, CEOs and Boards of top 100 fashion brands have committed to using 100% sustainable and traceable fibers over the next 5 years, with transparency being a core part of business priorities. Sustainability and traceability are two sides of the same coin, and it’s great to see Lenzing paving the way for the entire fashion industry to follow. Our supply chain traceability platform will create digital accounting for Lenzing’s innovative and sustainable fibers across the entire supply chain using Fibercoins™ traceability technology”, says Amit Gautam, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of TextileGenesis™.

Fibercoin™ technology to ensure traceability across supply chain

Through using the innovative Fibercoin™ technology of the TextileGenesis™ platform, Lenzing and other brand
partners are now able to issue digital tokens (blockchain assets) in direct proportion to the physical shipments of TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded fibers. These digital tokens provide a unique “fingerprint” and authentication mechanism, preventing adulteration, providing a more secure, trustworthy, digital chain-of custody across the entire textile supply chain, and most importantly, ensuring the materials are sustainably produced.