From the Sector

SGL Carbon and X-energy announced a binding agreement to double SGL’s production capacity for medium-grain isotropic graphite (“NBG-18”), a specialized material central to X-energy’s Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. X-energy and SGL Carbon’s agreement would expand the supply chain for a critical long-lead material, supporting execution of X-energy’s commercial pipeline.

Under the agreement, X-energy will invest up to $8 million in milestone-based payments to support new facilities and equipment upgrades at SGL’s site in Chedde, France, enabling the facility to produce graphite billets for up to eight new Xe-100 reactors per year. SGL Carbon has concurrently agreed to expand U.S. capacity for machining of billets into graphite blocks, helping to ensure greater supply chain continuity for a safety-critical material. Full execution would double European manufacturing capacity for NBG-18 by 2030, with additional capacity investments under consideration across multiple regions to further debottleneck initial billet production.

The expansion builds on a 10-year Supplier Framework Agreement established in January 2026, which included an initial three-year award valued at over $100 million for X-energy’s first commercial projects. The first NBG-18 graphite blocks produced under this award at SGL’s site in Chedde have since been shipped to SGL sites in the United States, for machining into components. This follows a successful prototyping campaign which began earlier this year, consisting of non-nuclear testing and validation at X-energy’s Technology and Advancement Center in Frederick, Maryland (USA) in advance of final production.

“Commercializing new nuclear at scale rests first and foremost on our ability to significantly expand the new nuclear supply chain, a challenge that extends beyond any one company, supplier, or nation,” said J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy. “We look forward to driving this work forward with SGL, and to engaging with potential partners who share our bold vision for a robust, resilient, U.S. and allied nuclear supply chain.”

“By jointly expanding our production capacity for nuclear-grade graphite, we are reinforcing the importance of our partnership and ensuring reliable supply to X-energy. For SGL Carbon, this agreement is a strategically important step that strengthens our position in the highly specialized growth market for nuclear-grade graphite, underscores the importance of our graphite expertise for safety-critical applications, and opens up attractive opportunities for further growth,” said Andreas Klein, CEO of SGL Carbon.

NBG-18 is a nuclear-grade graphite central to the Xe-100 design, functioning as a neutron moderator, and a structural component of the pebble-bed core. The material was first developed for South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor program, and later the U.S. Department of Energy's (“DOE”) Next Generation Nuclear Plant project, two direct predecessors to X-energy’s Xe-100. Through these, X-energy’s and SGL Carbon’s own initiatives, NBG-18 has undergone extensive qualification work for commercial nuclear operation, gathering operational data that helps to validate the material’s performance over decades of high-temperature operation.

Initial NBG-18 production is intended to support X-energy’s first commercial deployment of the Xe-100 reactor, a proposed four-unit plant in partnership with Dow Chemical Company under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), with additional capacity secured for follow-on projects to support manufacturing readiness for safety-critical, long-lead materials. SGL Carbon’s and X-energy’s partnership is part of a growing, diversified portfolio of experienced suppliers supporting Xe-100 deployment, as well as the continued development of a global industrial supply chain.

With the new type 6020 ceramic oiler, Barmag is introducing a powerful addition to its product portfolio for processing PA6 and PA6.6 yarns. The solution is specifically designed for low-titer applications in the range of 5 to 100 denier.

Technological advancement for stable processes
A key feature of the new model is the particularly filament-friendly yarn inlet area, where the yarn is saturated with oil before it comes into contact with the ceramic — a prerequisite for fluff-free processing. The three-waves geometry also ensures minimal yarn contact. The integrated ceramic shaft completes the design — unlike other solutions, where metal shafts are glued in place — and eliminates typical sources of error such as clogged oil lines or ceramic parts falling out. In combination with optimized thread guidance, the geometry of the 6020 ceramic oiler ensures uniform and efficient spinfinish application with minimal spray-off and very high application uniformity (low OCV).

Significant quality and efficiency advantages
The new ceramic oiler was specifically developed for demanding production environments and offers significant practical advantages. It ensures consistently high yarn quality through stable process parameters such as high spinfinish application rate (OPU) and a good distribution uniformity (OCV), while also enabling filament-friendly processing without yarn breaks or loop formations. Thanks to the significantly reduced spray-off — especially in the sensitive low-titer range — material losses are minimized, oil contamination of the quench and winding areas are reduced to a minimum, and process reliability is increased. Furthermore, the solution stands out for its ease of use: A clearly visible and easily accessible thread guide facilitates threading, while precise adjustment options allow for quick and reliable setup during operation.

Successfully tested in practice
Initial applications at international customers demonstrate the performance of the new oiler. In tests with PA6 / PA6.6 POY yarns, completely spray-off-free processing and significantly more uniform yarn tension were achieved. Furthermore, an increase in the spinfinish application rate of approximately 23% was achieved compared to standard solutions. Its performance was also confirmed in applications with PET POY fulldull and very critical flatyarn: In a direct comparison of various suppliers, the 6020 nozzle was the only solution to deliver a stable performance without any loops or BF. With the 6020 spinfinish nozzle, Barmag offers a forward-looking solution for low-titer applications in filament production. The integrated ceramic shaft, combined with optimized yarn guidance and excellent process parameters, enables a sustainable improvement in yarn quality, process reliability, and production efficiency

Circ announced that the first men's denim collection featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology is now available at H&M, marking the commercial delivery of this unique pilot project first announced in October 2025. Featuring two styles available across the UK, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, South Europe, Turkey, North America, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East, the launch brings TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology into H&M's standard men's denim assortment for the first time.

The collection explores a fully integrated supply chain approach from textile waste to pulp to shelf, bringing together Circ’s textile-to-textile recycling technology, Lenzing’s fiber production expertise, AGI Denim’s manufacturing capabilities, and H&M’s global retail platform. Each garment contains TENCEL™ Limited Edition Lyocell fibers produced with 30% Circ® pulp recycled from textile waste.

"This launch is proof that recycled textile fiber is ready for mass-market supply chains," said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. "Seeing TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology in H&M's standard men's denim assortment is a milestone the industry has been working toward. It validates that next-generation recycled materials can move through existing supply chains at the quality that global retail demands."

“This collaboration highlights that by bringing together players of all steps across the textile supply chain will result in circular garments available to consumers. We are proud to work with pioneers like Circ to showcase innovation on a pilot production level, making fibers available for commercial garments. We continue to keep our commitment to exploring collaborations with innovators, bringing new TENCEL™ fibers on the market via pilot-scale productions.” explains Caroline Ledl, Senior Director Product Operations at Lenzing Group.

The two-style collection, available in both light and dark wash denim, is the result of a collaboration between Circ and Lenzing to integrate advanced textile recycling into fiber production, demonstrating a path to scale up. Circ's recycling technology separates blended textile waste, including cotton-polyester garments that have historically been unable to be recycled, into two material streams: dissolving pulp and polyester monomers. The resulting Circ pulp is fed into Lenzing's lyocell production process alongside wood from certified or controlled sources, yielding a fiber that carries both the TENCEL™ brand and the REFIBRA™ technology designation, Lenzing's framework for incorporating pre- and post-consumer textile waste into new fiber.

Thiscollaborative project between a legacy sustainable fiber producer and a next-generation textile-to-textile recycler — with H&M as the retail partner bringing it to shelf — reflects a model that advocates have long argued is the most viable path to scaling circular textiles: incumbent infrastructure and emerging technology working in concert, rather than in parallel.

In 2026, the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling once again brought together some of the key stakeholders in textile recycling for its annual Networking Day. This year, the event took place at EREMA’s premises in Ansfelden, Austria. It brought together key players from across the textile recycling value chain for a day of structured exchange and in-depth discussions.

The conversations covered a broad range of topics relevant to the sector, including technological developments, current market dynamics, and the evolving political and regulatory landscape. Speakers from Zschimmer & Schwarz, Volkswagen Group Innovation, STRÄHLE+HESS, and the Technical University of Leoben provided substantive input across these areas. The interesting discussions were also possible thanks to our IRG partners: Bekaert, EREMA, Barmag, Stadler Anlagenbau, Technip Energies, Fibrant, BASF and Remondis.

The IRG extends its sincere thanks to EREMA for hosting the event and providing access to their technical centre, which added a valuable practical dimension to the day's programme.

The next IRG Full-Term Meeting is scheduled for autumn 2026. The Networking Day will return in 2027.

The IRG Polymer Recycling is a continuously running cooperation project between companies interested in the research field of textile recycling and the ITA Group. The aim is to systematically address technological, economic and strategic issues regarding textile recycling and create a strong network to tackle the challenges. 

The sustainable fashion sector is facing the challenging economic situation with realism and pragmatism – this is the note on which INNATEX closes its doors on 20 July 2026. The Green Fashion community is not letting itself be discouraged by the crisis warning issued by the German Retail Federation (HDE) a few days ago. 

"The reluctance to spend among consumers, as perceived by the retail sector, is naturally a concern," says Alexander Hitzel, project manager at INNATEX. "Nobody is expecting a major breakthrough at the moment, but the industry is taking a constructive approach and is ready to implement the necessary measures. It appreciates that the trade fair is a reliable partner. We, too, recognise new challenges and are addressing them." 

Whilst the Kids section is currently showing a decline this summer, international brands' interest in INNATEX is growing. The trade fair will therefore focus more strongly on well-known and international newcomers and reorganise its offering into new clusters at the Messecenter Hofheim Rhein-Main in the future. The organiser, MUVEO GmbH, intend to further expand the Retail Summer Camp and link it more closely to strategic partnerships and campaigns. 

Green Fashion with a Future 
As part of the trade fair, the Association of German Fashion and Textile Designers (VDMD) presented its Design Award for Sustainable Collections to Vaude, Jan'n June, Wote and Sweersocean. The laudation was delivered by Dr Jürgen Janssen, Secretary-General of the German Council for Sustainable Development. He praised the award winners for remaining true to their vision. 

"We now need companies that stay on the course. The headwinds we are currently experiencing on many sustainability issues will turn around," predicts Dr Janssen. "After all, we are not just talking about costs, but also about benefits that are evident, for example, in higher quality and durability. And the fact that the use of sustainable raw materials, as well as transparency and fairness in the supply chain, receive less public attention than they did just a few years ago does not in any way mean that these issues are irrelevant, including from a business perspective. These values will regain importance. We are simply dealing with trends that are constantly changing. I am convinced that companies such as those exhibiting at INNATEX are fit for the future." 

Conscientious Companies Benefit from the EmpCo 
The "Textilwirtschaft Expert-Talk” session has now become a fixture on the INNATEX programme. In this edition, correspondent Kirsten Reinhold spoke to Ronja Hüttinger, sustainability consultant at BAM! Bock auf Morgen, about the impact of the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo) on the industry. Both agreed that EmpCo gives small and medium-sized fashion companies a strategic and financial edge over the large, conventional corporations. 

"EmpCo is about putting an end to brazen environmental lies," said Hüttinger. "Instead of sweeping generalisations, what counts now are concrete, verifiable facts. Companies that have poured their heart and soul into their products for years – those that work with natural fibres, produce fairly and recycle – have a clear advantage because they know their supply chain. This is precisely the advantage the big players don't have: they lack the evidence. Under no circumstances must the EmpCo lead to greenwashing. On the contrary, it should finally highlight the difference between genuine, conscientious work and greenwashing." 

"Industry players need to join forces" 
One of the most important ways for companies to move forward is through collaboration – that is the general consensus among fashion designers and experts. The possibilities range from partnerships between brands and retailers to charity projects and joint events. 

„When we created a T-shirt with our favourite falafel shop in Mülheim an der Ruhr, we didn't expect it to sell out so quickly," says Henry Canton of Mazine Streetwear. "People love it because it makes them feel part of a movement. Collaborations don't always have to follow the classic patterns. Alongside large campaigns, smaller, local partnerships can have just as strong an impact. What it takes above all is openness and creativity – and exchange with a community that inspires one another. That's exactly what makes INNATEX special to me." 

The INNATEX Showroom in Bern on 16 and 17 August 2026 rounds off this ordering season. The next INNATEX will take place from 16 to 18 January 2027.

Scoop closed July 21 at Olympia National following three days of strong buyer engagement, thoughtful industry discussion and considered buying, as the SS'27 edition once again demonstrated the strength of its distinctive approach to fashion buying. Bringing together premium fashion, accessories and lifestyle collections from across the UK, Europe and beyond, the show welcomed leading department stores, independent retailers and international buyers, all taking time to write orders, discover new designers and reconnect with established collections.

Buyer attendance reflected the calibre and international appeal of the show, with retailers including Fenwick Stores, Liberty London, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Le Bon Marche, The Dressing Room, The Polizzi Collection Shop, Iris, Pamela Schiffer, Sisters, Blu, Cream, El Corte Ingles Spain,  Cordelia James, V&A Museum, The National Gallery and Royal Opera House Covent Garden among those attending across the three-day event.
Buyers praised both the quality of the collections and the show's carefully edited format, highlighting the opportunity to discover new designers while spending meaningful time with existing suppliers.

Designers also reported a successful edition, welcoming returning retail partners alongside new buyers, while highlighting the commercial value of Scoop's focused edit and the calibre of retailers attending the show.

A standout feature of this season's programme was Behind The Curtain, Karen Radley's exclusive conversation with the womenswear buying team from Galeries Lafayette. Offering buyers and exhibitors a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of Europe's most influential department stores, Fanny Courtade, Womenswear Buying Manager, alongside Ready-to-Wear Buyers Alice Sordello and Julia Bonnebat, shared insight into the realities of modern buying, discussing everything from identifying emerging designers and balancing creativity with commercial performance to understanding evolving customer expectations. The session reinforced Scoop's commitment to pairing exceptional buying opportunities with valuable retail insight.

Scoop's landmark partnership with the Italian Trade Agency remained a defining feature of the SS'27 edition, celebrating the show's largest-ever collective of Italian designers through a programme of buyer events, networking opportunities and the dedicated Style Spotlight: Discover Italian Design.

Reflecting on the close of the show, Karen Radley, Founder and Managing Director of Scoop, said: "What has stood out most this season is the time buyers have spent with the collections. They've taken time to explore collections, ask questions, write orders and discover designers they may not otherwise have found. That thoughtful approach has always been at the heart of Scoop, and it's incredibly rewarding to see it reflected across the show floor."

As the doors close on the SS'27 edition, Scoop once again demonstrated the enduring value of thoughtful curation. By bringing together exceptional international collections, influential retailers and a programme of insightful industry content, the show continues to offer one of fashion's most distinctive buying experiences.

“You can’t see it or hear it – and that’s exactly why it’s ideal for this application,” says Stefan Wallner, Automotive Sales Manager at JUMBO-Textil. The Textation Group subsidiary specializing in technical narrow textiles is an expert in elastics and produces, among other things, components for automotive suppliers, such as rebound strap, release strap, and tensioning braids. Many of these products remain hidden from view. Built-in into the seat or behind a trim panel, they reliably fulfill their function: tensioning, holding, adjusting, fixing ... The textile components work behind the scenes – lightweight, quiet, and durable.

Invisible High-Performer
One of these “invisible high-performers” is a cleverly designed functional tape. The combination of an elastic and a non-elastic woven tape serves as a flap fastener for a card pocket in the seatback. The force-elongation behavior can be precisely controlled by specifying the dimensions and materials of the elastic tape. The non-elastic tape ensures stability at the rubbing points and silent operation.

The flap is held in place by two such combination tapes, which are installed in a crisscross pattern in the seatback. The non-elastic tapes are threaded through a slit in the flap and folded and sewn on the other side so that they are securely anchored behind the slit. The elastic tapes are hooked into precisely defined holes in the seatback. The holes are cut out using laser cutting. Thanks to the sealed hole edges, they are stable and durable. This complex component goes unnoticed by vehicle passengers. Only for the brief moment when they open the flap, one to two centimeters of the non-elastic woven tape flash into view from the side.

Close cooperation, precise specifications
Auto Leder Atelier GmbH, or ALEA for short, uses this high-quality functional tape from JUMBO-Textil. The specialist in interior finishing – from lamination to leather upholstery – manufactures high-quality interior components in series production for car manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers in the luxury and premium segments, including leather seats and trim for some of the world’s most renowned car brands." Strength-elongation behaviour, flame retardancy, surface properties … – no parameter must deviate from the final sample. The textiles must deliver the performance for which they are designed, right down to the very last fibre. “As a solutions provider, we supply narrow textiles that are precisely tailored to the respective requirements – from environmental conditions to the installation situation – and deliver exactly what the customers need in each case. For ALEA’s functional tape, we have developed a special variant with two different tape widths and produced samples with the exact project-specific properties,” explains Wallner. “A detailed understanding of the customer’s project is essential for this.”
    
Regular on-site discussions
ALEA also attaches great importance to the partnership. “As well as their impeccable appearance, feel and sound, our leather products offer maximum functionality. Every detail counts, whether visible or hidden,” emphasises Mario Haufe, COO of ALEA. “Our partner, JUMBO-Textil, supplies highly functional, ready-to-fit components for our products. That is why we work with the company based in North Rhine-Westphalia. And experience shows that this result also depends on good collaboration with the supplier. Only those who understand us, our expectations, our production conditions and the component’s installation requirements can supply us with components that fit perfectly into the product and our processes.”

JUMBO-Textil was on site at ALEA when the project began. The development team in Sprockhövel therefore knows exactly how the colleagues in Hofstetten work and what they need. All the specifications for the specialised functional tape were precisely defined jointly. JUMBO-Textil then developed several possible solutions, from which the ALEA team was able to choose the perfect option. “As a result, even the prototype for the first installation trial was quite close to the final solution,” explains Haufe. “This was once again an excellent example of collaboration that benefits everyone: us, the car manufacturer and, ultimately, all those travelling in the vehicle who stow their tablet – or whatever else they have with them – safely in the seatback flap.”

• Combination of elastic and non-elastic materials
• Available in various widths
• Available in customer-specific colours
• Holes created by laser cutting or interlaced during the braiding process
• Ready to use: pre-assembled, e.g. with a sewn-on flat plastic profile
• With sewable plastic
• Elastic material: natural rubber
• Flame-retardant finishing

The Irish government has published its draft Delivery Plan for its national textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme – subject to a stakeholder consultation.  

The draft plan outlines the actions required for the effective design and go-live of a national textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, including the establishment of an entirely new Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in Ireland, required by April 2028.

Commenting, Aimee Campanella, Development Director – Textiles EPR at leading international circularity specialists Reconomy, said: “It is great to see the Irish Government making progress towards establishing a national textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme.”

“The proposed April 2028 go-live date gives textile producers time to prepare, but businesses should be using this period to understand what the new scheme will mean for their operations and how they can put the right systems in place.

“Moving towards greater producer responsibility will require better visibility across supply chains, stronger data management and a clearer understanding of how textiles flow through the economy. For businesses, preparing early will not only support compliance but also unlock wider commercial benefits, helping them identify efficiencies, reduce costs and make more informed decisions around design, sourcing and end-of-life management.

“The establishment of a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) will be central to delivering an effective scheme, but getting the framework right will be critical. It’s important that it strikes the right balance – creating the incentives needed to drive greater reuse, repair and recycling, while recognising the operational and cost implications for producers. 

“If designed effectively, Ireland’s textiles EPR scheme will provide the foundations for a more circular textiles economy, keeping materials in use for longer, reducing waste and creating new opportunities to recover valuable resources.”

Modern carding generations achieve higher production performance, placing significantly greater stress on flat tops. Higher cylinder speeds and increased fiber density, combined with tighter carding gaps, create more demanding operating conditions. At the same time, poorer raw material quality and the increased use of recycled materials further intensify these challenges. With STEELTOP®, Trützschler introduces a new full steel flat top series developed for these demanding modern carding processes. 
 
A new benchmark in flat tops for spinning preparation 
STEELTOP® is manufactured entirely from high-quality steel and is designed to deliver consistent performance under demanding production conditions. It is ideal for processing lower-grade natural and man-made fibers and is perfectly compatible with intelligent cards, including Trützschler cards equipped with T-GO, due to its superior electrical conductivity. 
 
Built to last under extreme conditions 
The new flat top achieves outstanding durability even under the most challenging carding conditions. Compared to conventional alternatives, the lifetime is more than doubled, ensuring long-term reliability. This extended lifetime reduces waste on carding machines, including fewer flat top strips and less fiber waste and leads to cost savings of more than 30% on flat top replacement. 
 
Driving yarn quality and production efficiency 
STEELTOP® contributes to elevated yarn quality and is particularly suitable for open-end (OE) and airjet (MVS) applications. It enables comparable or better sliver and yarn quality, with a reduction in total yarn imperfections (IPI) of up to 10%. In addition, it is exceptionally effective in the removal of neps, achieving reductions of up to 20%. 
Lower overall current consumption of the carding machine improves energy efficiency, while enhanced efficiency supports higher production rates. 
 
Sustainable from top to bottom 
Sustainability is a key feature of the new development. Made entirely of steel, the flat tops are fully recyclable and can be returned to the material cycle after use. At the same time, reduced waste and lower energy consumption contribute to a more sustainable carding process overall. 
 
Extending the limits of modern carding 
Combining durability, precision, recyclability, and efficiency, STEELTOP® sets a benchmark in performance and extends the limits of modern carding technology. 

The milestone solidifies the company’s commitment to transparent, textile-to-textile manufacturing across the global value chain. 

RE&UP, the circular-tech transforming global textile waste into high-volume Next-Gen materials, has officially become a Certified B Corporation™. 

The milestone establishes the industrial recycler among a select group of manufacturing infrastructure providers verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 

"Today marks an important milestone for RE&UP as we become a Certified B Corporation™. This certification reflects our commitment to building an infrastructure where innovation, circularity, and operational responsibility operate in unison. It recognizes not only what we do, transforming textile waste into high-purity resources, but also how we do it: with transparency, accountability, and a long-term vision. This achievement is a testament to our team's collective effort, and we remain dedicated to driving systemic, meaningful change across the global value chain." Said Ebru Özküçük Güler, Chief Sustainability Officer, RE&UP 

This operational verification coincides with shifting commercial and regulatory requirements. Recent B Lab research indicates that 90.7% of global consumers assert that corporate directors should be held accountable for environmental and social impacts. Furthermore, 85% of consumers aware of the B Corp™ brand report that it directly influences their purchasing decisions, a trend led by consumers under 40. 

Utilizing its proprietary textile-to-textile (T2T) technology, RE&UP delivers high-quality Next-Gen Cotton fibers and Next-Gen Polyester chips engineered to integrate seamlessly into existing global value chains, bridging the gap between commercial volume and verified corporate governance.