From the Sector

The countdown for submissions has begun. Until 15 December 2025, companies can enter their developments for the Techtextil Innovation Award and the Texprocess Innovation Award. Those selected by the distinguished juries benefit from international visibility as well as from the reputation and reach of the two leading trade fairs. From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil and Texprocess bring together the global industries in Frankfurt. The presentation of the Innovation Awards and the showcasing of the winning ideas is among the most prominent highlights.

The industry is evolving at a rapid pace – from new advances in technical textiles and nonwovens to forward-looking manufacturing and processing technologies. Current developments such as the use of AI, sustainable approaches and new production methods are creating additional opportunities for innovation. Especially in times of recession, tariffs and restrained investment, these impulses take on particular significance. They open up new opportunities in numerous fields, ranging from mobility and medicine to apparel. The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards provide international visibility for the best ideas.

The innovations are driving progress in numerous industries. In 2024, the award winners presented recyclable fibre composites for aviation, self-cooling textiles for façades and measurement methods for body scans based on 4D scanning. Whether in mobility, construction, medicine or apparel – textile and technological innovations are creating new opportunities for progress.

Categories Techtextil Innovation Award 2026

• New Concept
• New Material
• New Application
• New Product
• New Chemicals & Dyes
• New Recycled Materials & Recycling Technologies
• New Production Technology, Digitalisation & AI Solutions

Submit application: https://solutions.techtextil.com/

Categories Texprocess Innovation Award 2026

• Economic quality (cost minimisation, time and process optimisation, automation)
• Ecological quality (climate protection, energy efficiency, sustainability, recycling, circularity)
• Digitalisation + AI
• Innovation for quality improvement

Submit application: https://solutions.texprocess.com/

Information on participation
The submission deadline for all applications for the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards 2026 is 15 December 2025. All companies, institutes, universities, polytechnics and individuals are eligible to apply. Participation is free of charge. Submitted developments must have been on the market for less than two years or be shortly before the market launch. From mid-December 2025, two experienced international expert juries examine all submitted products in detail and evaluate them according to criteria such as degree of innovation, market potential, sustainability, choice of materials and technical quality. The winning companies are formally and prominently presented on the first day of the trade fair, 21 April 2026, in Frankfurt am Main.

On various biological surfaces, oil is adsorbed from water surfaces and transported along the leaf. In her dissertation, ITA Postdoc Dr Leonie Beek transferred this effect to a technical textile using her Bionic Oil Absorber (BOA), which can remove up to 4 litres of diesel per hour from water at technological readiness level 4. For this development, Dr Beek was awarded the Paul Schlack Prize 2025 for her dissertation ‘Bionic textiles for oil-water separation modelled on superhydrophobic biological surfaces’ on 10 September 2025. The award ceremony took place during the opening event of the Dornbirn GFC Global Fiber Congress in Austria.

Oil-water separation without additional energy or toxic substances 
Dr Leonie Beek's dissertation focused on the sustainable separation of oil and water. On various biological surfaces, oil is adsorbed from water surfaces and transported along the leaf. This effect differs from technical solutions in that oil-water separation is achieved without external energy and without toxic substances.

Possible use in harbour basins or in the event of flooding/pollution of inland waters 
Dr Beek integrated the bionic textile into a floating device (Bionic Oil Adsorber – BOA). The BOA demonstrator, which has a technology readiness level of 4, can remove up to 4 litres of diesel per hour. It is intended for use in port areas. Another promising application is in the event of flooding and pollution of inland waters and urban sewage treatment plants.

Ecologically and economically sustainable technology 
The technology is ecologically sustainable, as both the textile and the separated oil can be reused. It is also economically sustainable, as the textile is up to 13 times cheaper than sorption materials with a service life of 21 days.

Overall, Dr Leonie Beek succeeded in her dissertation in transferring the biological principle to a bionic textile and presenting a product for use in the completely new application of oil-water separation. This is the first time that superhydrophobic surfaces have been used outside of friction reduction.

Since 1971, the Paul Schlack Prize has been awarded at the Dornbirn GFC Global Fiber Congress (formerly Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Congress) in Dornbirn (Austria) to promote chemical fibre research at universities and research institutes. Previous ITA winners of the Paul Schlack Prize include Dr Stefan Peterek, Dr Andreas De Palmenaer, Prof. Dr Gunnar Seide, Dr Wilhelm Steinmann, Dr Stephan Walter, Dr Gisa Wortberg, Dr Benjamin Weise, and Dr Markus Beckers.

• Proprietary Borstar® Nextension polyethylene (PE) technology delivers superior performance and processability, enables downgauging and design for recycling – meeting the evolving demands of flexible packaging applications
• Borealis introduces development materials with superior toughness and sealability
• This marks the launch of a dynamic innovation pipeline across industries

Borealis proudly unveils its groundbreaking Borstar® Nextension Polyethylene (PE) technology, representing a significant leap forward in polyolefin innovation. 

Building on the proven performance of Borstar® technology, the new Borstar Nextension PE platform incorporates proprietary single-site catalysts developed by Borealis. This breakthrough technology marks a new era in advanced polyethylene solutions, delivering superior toughness, sealing performance, and enhanced processability for packaging solutions that enable downgauging, improve cost efficiency, and support design for recycling—addressing the critical needs of today’s packaging industry.

Borstar Nextension PE technology sets new standards by enabling mono-material solutions that can replace existing multimaterial products, thus making it easier to sort and recycle at the end of life. Crucially, this supports the packaging industry to meet the recycling and waste reduction targets set out in the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). 

“This technological step change paves the way for more circular, high-performance, and resource-efficient packaging solutions,” says Erik Van Praet, Senior Vice President Innovation & Technology at Borealis. “It underscores our strategic commitment to sustainable innovation, driven by continuous investment in cutting-edge research and development.”

Introducing next-generation development materials
Borealis introduces Borstar Nextension PE technology with two high-performance development materials, tailored to meet evolving market needs:

• A cutting-edge solution that delivers double the toughness of first-generation metallocene PE materials, while maintaining stiffness and excellent processability, including superior bubble stability and throughput. With its unique mechanical performance and strong downgauging potential, this new material enables more sustainable, fully recyclable packaging with excellent performance characteristics. Designed for industrial and food packaging applications, it is ideally suited for Form, Fill & Seal (FFS) and frozen food packaging.
• An advanced solution featuring a breakthrough sealing profile that reduces sealing initiation temperature by over 15% compared to first generation metallocene PE. This, in combination with the material’s outstanding mechanical properties, enables faster packaging speeds, best-in-class hot tack performance – making it perfectly suited for lamination, FFS, and food packaging.

“Borstar Nextension PE technology will expand our portfolio with highly efficient and recyclable solutions,” adds Craig Arnold, Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Base Chemicals. “This is just the beginning of a robust innovation pipeline that will serve customer needs across multiple industries.”

Developed by Stanford researchers, NeuroString is a hair-thin multichannel biosensor and stimulator with promising potential applications in drug delivery, nerve stimulation, smart fabrics, and more.
 

• NeuroString is a small, soft fiber that is made of skin-like material and can host hundreds to thousands of electronic channels.
• The hope is that NeuroString could be implanted in the body to sense chemicals, deliver drugs, stimulate muscles or nerves, and monitor bodily activity.
• Outside the body, this invention could enable new smart fabrics, wearable devices, and soft robotics. It could also enhance study of lab-grown tissues.
• So far, researchers have used NeuroString to monitor the intestines of a pig and to observe individual neurons in the brain of a mouse.

Stanford pediatric surgeon James Dunn specializes in helping children with short gut syndrome, a congenital disease in which children are born with short intestinal tracts. “I’ve been working to grow new intestinal tissue by applying a mechanical force to the intestine – stretching it,” Dunn, who is a professor of surgery in the School of Medicine, explained. “But I didn’t have a way to demonstrate that this new tissue is functioning exactly like normal intestine.”

That is when Dunn reached out to Zhenan Bao, the K.K. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering and director of the Stanford Wearable Electronics Initiative (eWEAR), who has drawn worldwide attention for developing skinlike electrical circuits, like her electronic skin that can sense the weight of a butterfly and the heat of a flame. The result of their collaboration is NeuroString, a multichannel, soft, thread-like implantable biosensor/stimulator.

NeuroString is just a quarter of a millimeter in diameter – about the width of a human hair – and can host hundreds to thousands of independent electronic “channels,” each of which can sense neurochemicals, stimulate muscle or nerve, sense gut movement patterns, or monitor the activity of a single neuron, among many other promising possibilities. 

Unmet needs
“There is great need, in both research and clinical settings, for these minimally invasive sensing and stimulation bioelectronics,” said co-author Xiang Qian, co-director of Stanford’s eWear Initiative and a medical doctor who specializes in neuromodulation to treat severe pain. Currently, clinical tools boil down to rigid and bulky needlelike probes or stiff wires with limited functionality.

“It is a high-density electronic fiber that’s also exceptionally biocompatible due to its softness,” Qian said. “It can stay inside the body for months at a time or longer, and it’s so soft and small that it can be implanted without discomfort or harm to the patient.”

Beyond the thin and soft circuitry, Bao’s team also developed a clever roll-up fabrication technique. They prepared a video of the method that shows a prototype with 20 electronic channels laid out on a thin, transparent skin-like material. The film is then rolled tightly into a spindle so thin it is described as one-dimensional. All 20 electrical connecting wires in the example are spiraled inside the string, like the layers in a Swiss roll, while the 20 sensors are exposed on the surface. Each independent sensor/stimulator is connected by a discrete wire running the length of the NeuroString to deliver valuable data.

Bao said the approach allows exquisite control of the positioning and distribution of the active components, and her team has demonstrated a fiber with a remarkable 1,280 individual channels. “Many more channels can be added if we make longer fibers,” says Muhammad Khatib, a postdoctoral fellow and first author on the paper.

New frontiers
On a practical front, to demonstrate the effectiveness of their new electronic fiber, Bao, Dunn, and team used the implanted NeuroString to monitor the intestines of a pig and to observe individual neurons in the brain of a mouse over four months.

Dunn explained that, in his field, measuring basic things like how the intestine contracts without interrupting normal activities may sound easy, but it has so far been out of reach, not to mention that the intestine also does a lot of things like absorbing nutrients and secreting biochemicals like serotonin that he might want to track.

“To be able to stimulate the muscle and measure all these other things in a specific region will be transformative for my research and, potentially, my medical practice – NeuroString is a platform for us to understand how the intestine works,” Dunn said.
 
The research team anticipates that such devices could have far-reaching impacts in fields ranging from neuroscience to gastroenterology. They envision that it could yield robotic pills that can be swallowed to diagnose medical conditions throughout the gastrointestinal tract or be wrapped around an optical fiber to create an ultra-thin endoscope.

Qian thinks NeuroString could introduce an era of minimally invasive, closed-loop neural stimulation techniques – devices that can both sense nerve dysfunction and intervene in an instant. “You only need to stimulate when you detect this abnormal electric signal to shut it down,” Qian said of his device, which he is currently testing in mice. “It will be ten times smaller than conventional alternatives and much safer with fewer complications. It would be groundbreaking.”

In a tubelike form, Bao says the NeuroString could deliver drugs to precise locations inside the body. Imagine a new form of implantable insulin pump that both senses blood sugar and delivers the life-sustaining hormone on demand, much like the pancreas.

In brain studies, NeuroString could deliver light for optogenetics and sense its effect on local neurons to optimize light intensity. And these potential applications are only the in-body opportunities for NeuroString. In other practical outlets, Bao said, NeuroString might lead to a new era of smart fabrics and textiles, wearable devices, and soft robotics.

Synthetic organs
One area of research that Bao finds particularly intriguing is organoids – lab-grown tissues that function like real tissue for use in research. Her team, together with Xiaoke Chen, associate professor of biology in the School of Humanities and Sciences, initially developed a NeuroString with only one neurochemical sensor seeded by Bio-X seed funding. The team’s initial development of this advanced NeuroString came under the aegis of the Brain Organogenesis Big Ideas in Neuroscience program at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

The Brain Organogenesis program is pursuing new models of human brain circuits to understand how the brain develops and what is happening when things go wrong, as in numerous neurological and psychiatric diseases from depression to Parkinson’s disease. Bao said her NeuroString technology was inspired by the need for soft sensors that can be embedded inside the growing organoids that will allow researchers deeper insights into the function and biochemistry of these lab-grown mini-organlike structures to mimic human tissues.

“We hope to thread these thin electronics inside and throughout organoids, to promote and monitor their growth,” Bao said. “That’s our vision and it’s pretty exciting.”

After three days of facilitating meaningful exchange for numerous applications of technical textiles and nonwovens, Cinte Techtextil China 2025 concluded on 5 September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Feedback across the fairground was highly positive, especially from first-time exhibitors and buyers who valued the platform’s capability to create new opportunities both in China and overseas markets. The fair attracted nearly 20,000 visits from 74 countries and regions – a 17% increase from last year, and, as the most comprehensive edition ever in terms of product categories, visitors had much to explore. Major fringe events, such as the China International Nonwovens Conference (CINC), Econogy Tour, Sustainability Forum, and AI Panel, linked innovation and sustainability with industry demands, maximising reach and business opportunities for participants.

As Asia’s only dedicated show for the full spectrum of technical textiles and nonwovens, Cinte Techtextil China 2025 hosted over 300 global exhibitors, and welcomed a wide range of visitors, including sourcing decision-makers, textile & mechanical engineers, product developers, researchers, and more. The fair saw a significant rise in visitor pre-registrations, with international numbers increasing by over 40% compared to the previous edition. VIP buyers from across the globe attended the fair, as did 14 visitor delegations with over 250 participants. Some of the leading brands included domestic representatives from Kimberly-Clark (China), Li Auto, Li Ning, and L'Oréal (China); and international participants from Lego System (Denmark), Norafin Industries (Germany), Rockline Industries (USA), and Toyoshima & Co. Ltd (Japan).

Among the returning exhibitors, key international players included AUTEFA Solutions, Lindauer DORNIER and Rowa Group from Germany, Fil Man Made Group from Italy, Graf + Cie and Swisstulle from Switzerland, Picanol from Belgium, and more. This edition also welcomed several newcomers, partly due to the incorporation of textile chemicals and dyes into this year's product categories. Key exhibitors making their debuts included: Serel Industrie (Belgium) and Proton Products (UK) in the European Zone; Wetekam Group in the German Zone; Dupre Minerals (UK) and Michelman (USA) in the Textile Chemicals and Dyes Zone; Huamao (Xiamen), BW Advanced Materials, Shanghai Shenda, and Zhejiang Kingsafe Group from China, JCT Industries Group from Malaysia, Vietnam Geotextile from Vietnam, and more.

To support the diverse array of exhibitors and visitors onsite, Cinte Techtextil China identified specific development areas and offered relevant fringe events to facilitate meaningful interaction. The Econogy Tour and Sustainability Forum promoted the industry’s eco-transition, with the latter sparking cross-sector discussions among academia, brands, and other industry players. On the innovation front, the AI Panel and the Innovation Product Award and Presentation provided forward-looking insights from various perspectives, helping the industry reshape its future.

Other events like the CINC, themed ‘Breaking the Deadlock and Reconstruction’, offered in-depth discussions and report presentations for the nonwovens industry to navigate upcoming challenges and opportunities. To harness the promising Mobiltech trend, the fair organised a Technical Innovation Exchange Conference on Automotive Textiles followed by a tour visiting related exhibitors. Interested parties could also enjoy live-streamed tours organised for in-demand sectors such as Medtech, Mobiltech, and Protech.

The next edition of Cinte Techtextil China will be held from 1 – 3 September 2026.

The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA).

The Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG has extended the standing management board mandate of Chief Pulp & Chief Technology Officer Christian Skilich, running until May 2026, by three additional years until May 31, 2029. 
 
Christian Skilich has been a member of the Management Board of Lenzing AG since June 2020. As Chief Pulp 
& Chief Technology Officer, his responsibilities, among others, include Pulp Commercial and Operations, CoProducts & Wood as well as Global HSE, Purchasing, and Innovation. 
 
Patrick Lackenbucher, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG, says: “We are delighted that Christian Skilich will continue to serve as member of Lenzing AG’s Management Board going forward. The pulp business under his leadership is an important and successful profit driver and underpins the company's integrated business model. The innovation portfolio, which falls within his area of responsibility as well, will play a key role in shaping the future of Lenzing AG.” 
 
CFO Nico Reiner will not renew his contract at the end of 2025. Mathias Breuer to become new CFO in 2026 
CFO Nico Reiner has informed the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG that he will not be available to extend his Management Board mandate, which expires on December 31, 2025. The Supervisory Board respects his decision and thanks Nico Reiner for his outstanding achievements on the Management Board of Lenzing AG, which, in addition to significant improvements in earnings, also included the successful completion of major refinancing projects in recent years. 
 
Supervisory Board Chairman Lackenbucher says: “We would like to thank Nico Reiner for his commitment and outstanding achievements as Chief Financial Officer of Lenzing AG. Nico Reiner has made a significant contribution to improving earnings and optimizing the financing structure of Lenzing AG. His prudence and expertise have contributed significantly to the stability and future of the company in a challenging macroeconomic environment.” 
 
Mathias Breuer (42) will become new Chief Financial Officer on January 1, 2026. Breuer has been part of the management team at Lenzing AG since 2023 and has been instrumental for the development and successful implementation of the company-wide performance program. Prior to that, he served as CFO of the packaging group Adapa and as CFO of the Sempermed division of Semperit AG Holding. 
 
Lackenbucher: “With Mathias Breuer, an experienced Lenzing manager and financial expert will join the company's Management Board as CFO in 2026. The fact that we can fill this position internally speaks for the quality of the management team at Lenzing AG. With the appointment of Mathias Breuer, we are ensuring a continued focus on the implementation and further development of the ongoing performance measures, to further strengthen the profitability and competitiveness of Lenzing AG in the global market.” 
 
“I would like to thank Nico Reiner for his commitment during a crucial phase at Lenzing AG. He has further developed our financial organization and thus contributed significantly to the company's success,” adds CEO Rohit Aggarwal. “At the same time, I welcome the decision of the Supervisory Board – with Mathias Breuer, we are gaining an outstanding financial expert who is deeply familiar with our company and industry. He has played a central role in the company’s transformation process so far and is ideally suited to shape the next phase of our financial strategy.”

After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSCCB) has successfully completed the expansion of its production capacities in Stezzano (Bergamo), Italy and Meitingen, Germany. The investments made have increased production capacity by around 50%. This extensive expansion enables BSCCB to meet the growing demand and increasing requirements of their automotive customers, particularly in the premium and luxury segments, where high brake performance is required.

At the SGL Carbon site in Meitingen, two new production halls with a total area of around 8,500 m² were constructed in just 14 months. At the Stezzano (Bergamo) site, the production areas in the existing buildings were expanded by around 4,000 m². At both sites, state-of-the-art production facilities with numerous modern systems were installed in a short period of time, enabling high-performance and efficient production. The entire process chain, from forming and machining to assembly, was expanded and optimized. 

The investments made both contribute to increasing capacity and improve process efficiency and quality. The degree of automation has been further increased, with conscious attention paid to maintaining the necessary flexibility and experience in the manufacturing process. "With the expansion of our production capacities in Stezzano and Meitingen, we are setting a decisive course for the future. We are making our production future-proof, thereby ensuring that we can reliably meet the demands and needs of our customers. The combination of proven technology and targeted innovations strengthens our position in the international market", explain Florian Hofner and Nicola Frambrosi, managing directors of Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes.

Over the years, BSCCB has steadily increased its supply of carbon-ceramic brake discs, becoming a key partner for premium and luxury automotive manufacturers, where high brake performance is essential. Carbon-ceramic technology is a distinctive feature of high-performance vehicles, offering a combination of exceptional braking performance and an exclusive design. Carbon-ceramic brake discs are valued for their lightweight construction, superior heat resistance and long lifespan.
 
Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSCCB) is a 50%:50% Joint Venture of Brembo N.V. and SGL Carbon SE. BSCCB is active in designing, developing, manufacturing braking systems composed by discs made up of carbon ceramic material, installed on very high performance cars. Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes aims to be the worldwide leader in carbon ceramic brake systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Joint Venture has two manufacturing plants, one located in Stezzano (Italy) and one in Meitingen (Germany).

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced the conference program for Hygienix™ 2025, the premier event for absorbent hygiene and personal care markets, taking place November 17–20 at the Omni Orlando ChampionsGate, FL. 

Hygienix™ 2025 will bring together global leaders to explore the forces shaping the absorbent hygiene industry, including sustainability breakthroughs, regulatory updates, and next-generation product innovations.

Program Highlights

Pre-Conference Workshops – Monday, November 17th

• “Fundamentals of Absorption Systems and Opportunities in Adult Incontinence”
  Jim Robinson, Principal, Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC
• “Innovations in Menstrual Care”
  – Heidi Beatty, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Abbey, LLC
• “Baby and Infant Care Market Dynamics”
  Irene Richer, Director of Laboratory Operations, Diaper Testing International, and Jacobo Levin, R&D and Quality Control Manager, Diaper Testing International

Networking opportunities

• Lunch Around with Olivia Ahn, MD, Co-Founder, Planera sharing her start-up journey
• Women in Nonwovens (WiN) Luncheon – fostering mentorship, leadership, and collaboration among women in the industry
• Lightning Talks – energetic 5-minute exhibitor presentations
• Evening Receptions & Exhibits – featuring leading suppliers in absorbent hygiene
• Welcome Reception – kicking off Hygienix Monday night in an informal atmosphere

Presentation Preview

• Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC – “Dragging Innovation Down: The Impact of Outdated Tests”
• BAHP – “Misleading Studies, State Legislatures, and the FDA-Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Absorbent Hygiene Products”
• Cycleology, LLC – “More Than a Cycle: What Clinicians and Menstruators Want You to Know”
• Euromonitor International – “Unpack the Transformative Forces in the Global Disposable Hygiene Industry
• The Glory Group – “Paws, Pads, and Performance: The Role of Nonwovens in Pet Care Innovation”
• Handas Consulting – “Africa’s Circular Hygiene Revolution: Africa’s Emerging Role as Supplier, Manufacturer, and Sustainability Leader in Hygiene”
• INDA – “Unpacking U.S. Absorbent Hygiene Regulations at the State and Federal Level”
• Kuraray Europe GmbH – “Fewer Pressure Points, More Comfort: Elastic Solutions for Modern Baby Diapers”
• Lenzing AG – “Unleashing Cellulosic Possibilities: A Collaborative Path Toward Sustainable Hygiene Solutions”
• Mewalii ApS – “Why Choose Hemp in Sanitary Pads? The Benefits for the Body and the Climate”
• MyMicrobiome GmbH – “Introducing the New Eczema Standard: A Breakthrough in Microbiome-Friendly Product Testing”
• PANEL DISCUSSION – “AbHy Construction with Non-Traditional Inputs”
• PANEL DISCUSSION – “Servicing the Shift – Private Label as a Growth Engine”
• PANEL DISCUSSION – “The Illusion vs Reality of AHP Entrepreneurship – Overcoming Start-Up Hurdles”
• ProVerde Environmental – “PFAS Contaminants in Feminine Hygiene Products”
• Price Hanna – “Growth Strategies in a Year of Economic Turbulence and Consumer ‘Softness’ “
• SK Leaveo Co., Ltd. / Davies Advisors – “PBAT for AHP Applications”
• SmartSolve – “Revolutionizing Feminine Care: Transforming Packaging Through Flushable, Biodegradable, and Sustainable Solutions”
• Soane Materials – “SAP-ily Ever After: Sustainable Absorbency Isn’t a Fairy Tale”
• SPARK Solutions for Growth – “Entrepreneurs in Women’s Health: The Dual Challenge of Surviving and Scaling
• Trützschler Nonwovens GmbH – “Revolutionizing Softness in Diaper Top and Back Sheets”
• Woolchemy NZ – “Case Studies in Comfort: How Wool Brings New Performance to Diapers and Femcare

Hygienix Innovation Award™
A highlight of the event, the Hygienix Innovation Award™ will recognize the year’s most creative and impactful absorbent hygiene technology. Finalists will present on Tuesday, November 18, and the winner will be announced during the closing session on Thursday, November 20. 

Circular textile technology specialist RE&UP supports BESTSELLER’s women’s brand ONLY in launching a new jersey program of basic tops made from next-generation recycled polyester. The first styles are already in stores. 

Using its modular recycling technology, RE&UP transforms post-consumer and factory textile waste into fibers that meet the same performance standards as virgin materials. In ONLY’s initial production run, over 11 styles were converted to RE&UP’s Next-Gen Polyester, equating to more than 100,000 t-shirts – demonstrating that recycled fibers can be cost-competitive and ready for large-scale adoption. 

Turning end-of-life textiles into fibers ready for mainstream fashion, proving circular solutions can scale today. By integrating recycled fibers into mainstream collections, ONLY sets a benchmark for other brands seeking circular solutions. 

“This project proves that scaling the production of recycled polyester from textile waste is achievable. Transforming the industry is undoubtedly a complex and lengthy process, but initiatives like this demonstrate we are making progress,” says Ozgur Atsan, Chief Commercial Officer at RE&UP. 

"RE&UP shares our dedication to innovation and quality, and their Next-Gen textile-to-textile recycled polyester meets the high standards we set for our products," says Pernille Tøttrup, Sourcing Process Manager at ONLY. 

RE&UP’s technology separates polyester and cotton in end-of-life garments and regenerates them into fibers that maintain durability and performance – all while keeping materials in a true textile-to-textile loop. By reducing reliance on virgin polyester, RE&UP is supporting the industry lower its environmental footprint and showing that scalable, circular solutions are already achievable.

Teijin Carbon has published Sustainability Report 2024, sending a strong signal for climate-friendly innovation. From CO2-reduced high-performance fibers to digital product passports, the company’s advanced materials help transform entire industries. 

Teijin Carbon, a global leader in high-performance carbon fiber materials, announced the release of its first sustainability report. Guided by the purpose “Pioneering solutions together for a healthy planet” the report outlines the company’s strategic actions to advance climate protection, the circular economy and social responsibility across its global operations.

The report highlights Teijin Carbon’s role in enabling sustainable transformation in key industries such as aerospace, industry, civil engineering, marine, defense, energy and sports. Among the most notable achievements are the launch of Tenax Next™, a new product line offering up to 35 percent CO2 reduction compared to conventional carbon fibers, and the introduction of a digital product passport (DPP) to ensure full transparency and traceability throughout the product lifecycle.

“Our carbon fibers empower lighter, more-durable, and energy-efficient designs – making a direct contribution to decarbonization,” says Tetsuya Ito, General Manager of the Teijin Carbon Business Group. “Together with our partners, we are setting new standards for responsible high-performance materials.”

Sustainability is deeply embedded at the group level. Akimoto Uchikawa, President and CEO of the Teijin Group, emphasizes: “Through our work at Teijin, we strive to ensure that every innovation meets the needs of today and respects the world of tomorrow. Working towards a circular, sustainable economy is key to doing both.”

The report follows the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and includes validated key performance indicators (KPIs) on CO2 emissions, water and energy usage, waste management, and social and ethical standards. Teijin Carbon is certified under ISCC PLUS, ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and ISO 45001, underscoring its commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.