From the Sector

Bcomp, a company in high-performance, natural fibre composites for the mobility-, recreational-, and mass transportation sectors, has been awarded the 2024 Altair Enlighten Award with BMW M GmbH, a renowned performance car subsidiary of BMW Group, for the BMW M Visionary Materials Seat, alongside other BMW M GmbH partners in the project. Manufactured with Bcomp’s ampliTex™ bio-based materials, the seat won in the Sustainable Process category.

The award-winning seat design re-envisions the manufacture and component materials to introduce a lighter, circular product that meets the demands of large-scale vehicle production. The seatback features a fully bio-based, high-performance natural fibre layup with ampliTex™-PP composite. By combining the structural and aesthetically pleasing visual properties of the material in one manufacturing step, production is both more efficient and dematerialised.

The accent has been on Design for Circularity, meaning that in addition to using natural and recycled materials, the BMW M Visionary Materials Seat’s recyclability has been taken into account right from the start of development. Less complex assemblies and monomaterials that can be separated by type enable the recyclability of the seat at the end of its life. Flax fibre composites are CO₂e-neutral from cradle to gate, and can reduce manufacturing-related emissions of high-performance composite parts by up to 85% compared to carbon fibre, depending on the application. Compared to current large-scale automotive plastic parts, Bcomp’s material solutions can reduce component weights by up to 50%, thanks to their low density and high stiffness.

The seat is a development project designed and engineered by long-time collaborators, BMW M GmbH and Bcomp, along with BMW Designworks, Automotive Management Consulting GmbH, Gradel Lightweight Sàrl and Lasso Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH. BMW M GmbH and Bcomp have already delivered innovations in previous development projects for high-end road cars and series application for race cars, such as interior and bodywork components for the BMW M4 GT4, bodywork for the BMW M4 DTM, and cooling shafts for the BMW iFE.20 in Formula E.

The annual Enlighten Awards are sponsored by Altair, a global leader in computational science and intelligence. They celebrate lightweighting innovations that reduce emissions, materials and energy consumption, while advancing material reuse and recyclability. The winning technologies are of significant interest to automotive engineers, manufacturers, policymakers and consumers.

Archroma launched SAFE EDGE+ to help mills and brands deliver supply chain transparency, accelerate time to market and stay ahead of evolving textile industry regulations.

The Safe Edge by Archroma online platform was launched in 2021 and was designed to allow brands, retailers and manufacturers to verify with just a few clicks the regulatory and compliance status of Archroma products, including regulations, ecotoxicological information, certifications, and expert notes. Foundation+, Archroma’s beyond compliant portfolio, is a curated selection of Archroma products that utilizes innovative technologies that may contain hazardous or regulated substances that have been designed out or reduced by more than 95% as compared to the current industry standard limits. It offers safer and more sustainable alternatives that help manufacturers, brands and retailers stay ahead of evolving regulations.

SAFE EDGE+ sits alongside other specialist tools and technologies from Archroma, including its SUPER SYSTEMS+ suite of fiber-specific solutions and intelligent effects, and ONE WAY+ - Archroma’s ONE WAY Impact Calculator combined with Sustainability Improvement Program.

On gardening gloves, uniform sleeves or work or sports trousers – elasticated woven waistbands are often used in places where people are active for many hours. The skin is often exposed to heat, UV light and other irritants. In addition to workwear and sportswear, orthoses, prostheses and exoskeletons are often worn next to the skin. Jumbo-Textil's elasticated woven tape not only offers a high level of comfort, it also protects the skin from these stressors.

„At work, in rehabilitation applications or during sport – activities where textiles are worn directly on the skin require particularly skin-friendly products,“ emphasises Jean Poburski, Sales Manager Technical Branches. “Our narrow textiles – such as our Velcro® elasticated belt – are therefore tested and certified in accordance with the particularly strict Oeko-Tex® 100 PK I standards.“

specifications for narrow textiles:

• STANDARD 100 OEKO-TEX®, product class I
• Skin protection layer on both sides- Anti-slip insert on the upper side
• Soft surface
• Permeable to air
• Flexible at low temperatures
• Resistant to salt and chlorinated water
• Low nitrosamine
• Formaldehyde-free finish

The Teijin Group companies Teijin Carbon America, Renegade Materials and Teijin Aramid will participate in CAMX. the largest, most comprehensive composites and advanced materials event in North America, in San Diego, USA. At the TEIJIN booth, visitors can explore innovative composite solutions and learn about the comprehensive technical support and provided services.

Teijin's diverse network of materials companies excels across various fields, ranging from high-performance carbon and aramid fibers to cutting-edge industrial textiles and revolutionary, cost-effective prepreg composite solutions. The shared commitment to quality, innovation, and environmental responsibility unites Teijin in their mission to deliver eco-friendly solutions across multiple industries and applications, including pressure vessels, aerospace, and both defense and commercial aircraft construction.

Teijin’s dedication to acquiring appropriate certifications for sustainable production and product development underscores the high level of commitment to lead in this field. In the past years, Teijin has continuously striven to minimize their carbon footprint and global impact, while also supporting customers on their own sustainability journeys. This year, Teijin Aramid achieved the EcoVadis Gold Medal recognition, placing the company in the top 5% of all companies across all industries globally and in the top 3% of all man-made fiber manufacturers worldwide.

Teijin Carbon has been awarded the ISCC Plus certification for its production in Germany and Japan and is on track to receive the same certification in the U.S. in the coming months. This accreditation allows the Teijin Carbon Group to prove to its customers sustainable products that contribute to a circular economy. Teijin Carbon is diligently working toward establishing new sustainability standards, promoting ecological innovations, and fostering partnerships for a more sustainable world.

Teijin is looking forward to engaging with customers and partners at CAMX 2024 in San Diego to discuss innovative ideas for the circular economy and recycling processes.

Teijin Carbon is one of the world's leading manufacturers of Tenax™ carbon fibers and carbon fiber-based materials, with production sites in the US, Germany, Japan and Vietnam. Teijin Carbon develops solutions for the aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics and sporting goods industries using high-performance technologies in an international environment. They work closely with their partners to create a fully circular value chain. The goal to make Teijin’s products net CO₂-free by 2050 aligns with the commitment to global society to find solutions and take action to combat it.

As a manufacturer of intermediate materials in the US, Renegade Materials is known for its product expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction. Renegade Materials distinguishes itself by merging cutting-edge materials science with advanced prepreg manufacturing and testing equipment, all meticulously controlled by rigorous quality management systems. Renegade is steadfast in their commitment to the development and largescale production of advanced, multi-functional materials that offer engineered solutions to the current composite design, usage and affordability initiatives in the aerospace industry.

Teijin Aramid is a global leader in high-performance aramid fiber, a subsidiary of the global Teijin Group. Specializing in high-performance aramid fibers, their materials are used in automotive and aerospace industries, ballistic protection and more.

Carbios announced the appointment of Tommy Maussin as its Chief Marketing Officer, effective 2 September 2024.  His mission involves developing and overseeing CARBIOS’ global marketing and sales activities with brands across various industries, including packaging, textiles, luxury, automotive, cosmetics, healthcare, and industrial goods. Maussin will be responsible for enhancing Carbios’ global presence to initiate and conclude commercial agreements with brand owners. His proven track record of profitable businesses in a variety of industries, and in complex and international environments, is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping Carbios’ customer-centric marketing strategies moving forward.  Tommy Maussin joins the Executive Committee and reports to Emmanuel Ladent, Chief Executive Officer of CARBIOS.

With over 17 years of experience in international business for several Michelin tire divisions, Maussin spent the last four as European Director and Vice President of its lifestyle division, successfully transforming operations and driving substantial growth for Michelin Guides and Robert Parker Wine Advocate across various regions. His vision for Carbios centers on driving business growth through strategic execution, fostering multicultural teams, and maintaining a strong focus on customer relationships to drive business growth.

eBay announced its inaugural Pre-Loved Fashion Week, in partnership with Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and British Fashion Council (BFC).

“Endless Runway” will feature pre-loved looks from CFDA members Ralph Lauren, Brandon Maxwell, Catherine Holstein of Khaite, Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta of Eckhaus Latta, and the late Virgil Abloh of Off-White. The show on Sept. 5, a day before the Official New York Fashion Week Schedule kicks off, is followed by daily drops on eBay curating the best pre-loved fashion from top designers. The London edition will take place on Sept. 12.

Curated by fashion creative Wisdom Kaye and hosted by fashion writer Liana Satenstein in New York, the Endless Runway shows are accessible to U.S. and U.K.-based shoppers via eBay Live. The Endless Runway shows will make eBay’s wide selection of pre-owned designer clothing and accessories immediately shoppable, while tapping into the global demand for circular fashion.

Endless Runway will be the first entirely ‘pre-loved’ runway show at NYFW. eBay will continue to showcase its selection by releasing ‘Daily Edits’ every day of NYFW that feature pre-owned pieces from designers showing their new collections in New York.

For the second year running, Global Standard is taking consumers #BehindTheSeams this September, highlighting the sustainable and social qualities of GOTS-certified products – from runway fashion to hygiene products and so much more in between. Building on the success of last year, #BehindTheSeams 2024 has expanded to take over the entire month, Sept. 2-30, with more education on the people and practices making sustainable textiles, plus giveaways planned each day.

Throughout September, Global Standard introduces daily giveaways on Instagram, featuring partnerships with GOTS-certified brands such as Frugi, FC St. Pauli, LangerChen, Natracare, Mandala, Dedicated, and more. Additionally, a giveaway will be hosted on behindtheseams.eco, where visitors can learn about sustainability by answering daily questions while earning entries. The grand prize is a sustainable trip to Paris. This includes train travel, a two-night stay at the eco-friendly Eden Lodge Paris and a private fitting for a custom GOTS-certified jacket by John Preston, the only brand offering made-to-measure GOTS-certified fashion.

#BehindTheSeams is also spotlighting "organic in-conversion" farming and urging brands to support farmers during the critical transition period from conventional to organic. In this campaign, GOTS has partnered with the Organic Cotton Accelerator, an organisation dedicated to supporting farmers throughout the cotton supply chain as they make the shift to and sustain organic practices. Together, GOTS and OCA want to send a message that brands can bolster the organic cotton supply by investing in and buying organic in-conversion cotton.

AZL Aachen GmbH announces the launch of a new Joint Partner Project focusing on the further growth potential and technology developments for composite propellers in the field of air mobility and for composite rotors for small to medium-sized wind energy systems.

The nine-month consortial industry project will investigate current and future composite applications for propellers and rotors and their requirements, provide technological insights and develop new product concepts and evaluate them in terms of economic efficiency.

The project aims to address the growing demand for efficient, powerful and compact composite propellers and rotors for the growing markets of air mobility and decentralised power generation. Although the application, manufacturing and material technologies for propellers and rotors made of composite materials have proven to be technically mature, they have so far mainly been used in the high-performance sector for large propeller aircrafts and large wind turbines. Due to the increasing interest in efficient electric propulsion system in the field of air mobility, e.g. air taxis or parcel delivery drones, as well as for decentralised energy generation with the help of small/medium-sized wind energy systems, a rising demand for these components and their production volumes are expected.

AZL will bring together experts along the entire value chain in the project to analyse current and future product concepts. During the project, the participating companies will gain a comprehensive understanding of composite propeller and rotor technology. The project team will carry out a detailed screening of current and future technologies, investigate different materials and processes for the production of propellers and rotors and elaborate design options as well as analyse and evaluate them in terms of technological and cost-effective criteria.

Interested companies can join the project consortium until the Kick-Off on September 18th, 2024.

adidas Sportswear launches its latest sport meets style drop, the ADIDAS Z.N.E. collection, in a campaign which brings together next-gen faces, including Tate McRae, Jude Bellingham and Noah Lyles, to showcase how all can stay connected through a shared love of football, athletics, dance, music and more, across the globe. The all-new set of hoodies, sweatshirts, pants, tees and shorts take on color blocking details, whilst the black parallel stripes symbolize the lines that connect communities and fandoms to inspire all to unite through sport and culture.

Fronting the new capsule of fresh looks is a collective of adidas’ next-gen trailblazers: Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Tate McRae, actress and martial artist Xochitl Gomez, leading KPOP group BABYMONSTER, US track star Noah Lyles, Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming and football icons Jude Bellingham, Alessia Russo and Paulo Dybala. With each representing a community from the world of sport or culture, the ADIDAS Z.N.E. collection was inspired by the lines in their field of play – from the track, to the stage and pitch.

Ontex Group NV, an international developer and producer of personal care products, announces the commercial launch of its newest baby pants, featuring its Dreamshield® 360º innovation. The Dreamshield® 360° technology - designed with a pee & poo back barrier and a 360 fit for all-around protection and comfort – is available in-stores in Germany. The launch will soon expand to other markets as production ramps up across Ontex plants.

Dreamshield® 360º pants have demonstrated great performance in multiple consumer panels versus competitor products. Consumers have expressed their preference for Dreamshield® 360º, particularly related to absorption capacity, absence of leaks, dryness and fit. In a recent French study, 65% of consumers considered absorption capacity in baby products to be extremely important, while 55% emphasized the need to keep skin dry, and 62% rated comfort as a crucial factor.

The new range of baby pants features triple leakage barriers and continues to use Ontex’s patented SeconDRY® technology, ensuring anti-leak fit and dryness.

Ontex saw strong growth in its baby pants sales last year and this trend continues in 2024. The rollout of the baby pant technology has started in Europe with room for expansion to other regions. The production follows the demand of retailers across Europe, who saw the results of Dreamshield® 360º in the German consumer panel¹ and see how their consumers shift to baby pants over traditional diapers, both in Europe and North America.

¹ Lab and panel test by independent Hytec lab in Germany, Q4 2023