From the Sector

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 Automotive Technologies, a European subsidiary of Teijin Ltd., a Japanese global leader in advanced composite solutions, and Aeronautical Service S.r.l., an Italian technology company specialized in innovative ceramic composite materials, have entered into a strategic alliance aimed at accelerating the industrialization of high-temperature resistant components based on proprietary ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technologies.

Under the agreement, Teijin Automotive Technologies has acquired, for its European facilities exclusive production rights in the automotive sector and extended production rights in the marine, aerospace, and industrial sectors. Aeronautical Service (AS), licensing its proprietary technology “FireAlt”, will provide high-temperature resistant, fireproof, and lightweight material formulation.

This collaboration represents a strategic milestone for both companies and aims to:

• Industrialize and standardize the production processes for ceramic matrix composites;
• Scale production to meet international demand from European facilities;
• Jointly develop functional applications;
• Jointly promote the resulting solutions to global institutional and industrial customers.

The use of FireAlt makes a major step forward in enabling energy-efficient, corrosion-free and structurally robust solutions across a wide range of industries. Traditional composite materials, while offering significant weight and performance advantages, have been limited by their fire resistance. With this new generation of high-temperature ceramic matrix composites, it is now possible to design and manufacture structural components, that combine the benefits of lightweight composites with full fire-protection. It opens the door to new applications in transportation, infrastructure and beyond.

The materials at the center of the agreement meet the most stringent international standards (including ISO 2685, EN45545 HL3, A60, and IMO non combustibility certifications), offering exceptional resistance to temperatures up to 2000°C with no smoke or toxic emissions. Combining the innovative ceramic formulations with Teijin Automotive Technologies wide range of industrial production solutions for composite parts, allows the cost effective, high volume production of fireproof components.

“We are proud to partner with Aeronautical Service to bring their groundbreaking technology into serial production,” said Uwe Brinkmann, General Manager of Teijin Automotive Technologies Europe. “This alliance reinforces our commitment to innovation and sustainability in the materials science space, while expanding our capacity to serve all industries.”

“This agreement validates years of research and development,” said Kris Bordignon, CEO of Aeronautical Service. “Teijin's industrial strength and global reach are the ideal match for our licensing model and deep technological expertise. Together, we will reshape the future of fireproof composite applications.”

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.

In operating rooms, during examinations, and in emergency situations, medical profession-als work under extreme pressure - concentration and precision are required, often for hours on end. In radiology, where heavy radiation protection gear is part of everyday life, heat stress is a well-known challenge. While protective clothing ensures essential radiation shielding, it also traps heat and moisture, which can lead to fatigue, discomfort, and re-duced efficiency over time. 

This is where the partnership between MAVIG, the Munich-based specialist in radiation protection, and Outlast Technologies, the pioneer of adaptive temperature regulation, takes clinical protective gear to a new level.

Originally developed for NASA, the Outlast® technology is based on a principle: it absorbs excess body heat, stores it within the fabric, and releases it when needed. The result is a balanced microclimate directly on the skin - even under heavy protective gear and during extended wear. This means less overheating, less moisture, and greater comfort.

MAVIG integrates these high-tech materials into its protective clothing and head wear, designed specifically for radiology. For doctors and medical staff, the difference is tangible: more comfort, better concentration, and improved performance during long and demanding procedures.

“Our products are designed not only to provide protection but to support medical professionals in their demanding work as effectively as possible,” says Anna-Luisa Uhlitz, Head of Product and Project Management for Personal Protective Equipment at MAVIG. “By collaborating with Outlast, we’ve significantly enhanced comfort for our users.”

Outlast Technologies also sees the collaboration as a perfect match:
“The demands on healthcare professionals are enormous,” says Ingo Horger, Senior Business Development Manager at Outlast. “We’re proud that a technology originally developed for astronauts is now helping everyday heroes in medicine and patient care stay comfortable under pressure.”

At the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition in Singapore, specialists from a 20-strong delegation of British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) companies will be on hand to discuss some of the highly advanced industries they are now actively supporting.

The manufacture of medical sutures, for example, is a very specialised process and because these items are implanted directly into the human body, every stage of production is tightly controlled to ensure safety, sterility and reliable performance.

Absorbable sutures are usually made from polymers that degrade safely within the body, such as polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid or polydioxanone, while non-absorbable sutures use durable materials like nylon, polypropylene, polyester, silk or even stainless steel. All of these must be of medical grade and fully biocompatible.

The UK’s Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) is a world leader in both the fibre selection and production technologies behind this industry and in Singapore will highlight a groundbreaking new parallel technology for the medical sector based on supercritical CO2. Further developments in the field of automation and control in advanced fibre production will be highlighted by BTMA members including Autofoam, James Heal, Roaches, Strayfield, Verivide and Wira Instrumentation.

AFP and ATL
From the micro to the macro, sophisticated aerospace technologies such as automated fibre placement (AFP) and automated tape laying (ATL) meanwhile involve the precise placement of carbon fibre tapes or tows on a mould surface, which are then cured to form lightweight yet strong components. 
AFP allows for complex geometries by steering individual tows, making it ideal for fuselage sections, wing skins and other curved structures. ATL, on the other hand, is more efficient for larger, flatter surfaces such as wing covers or stabilisers, where wider tapes can be laid down at high speed with minimal gaps or overlaps. Together, these technologies significantly reduce material waste, improve repeatability and deliver structural performance beyond what traditional hand lay-up methods can achieve.

The UK’s Cygnet Texkimp has developed a new technology to greatly assist this industry which will be unveiled in Singapore.

Collaboration
“High value industries such as aerospace, defence, renewable energy, automotive and the medical sector are areas of high growth and opportunity and an important factor underpinning the success of our companies here is the strong collaboration between industry and the many universities and institutes in the UK,” says BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “Machine builders can also be important in driving material developments as well as technologies.”

UHMWPE
A good example of this is the flexible new process for manufacturing ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) that will be introduced in Singapore by FET.

UHMWPE is prized in many industries due to its extraordinary properties, being for example, ten times stronger than steel by weight. It is increasingly used in medical implants, but the current systems for manufacturing it are on a huge scale, with very complex processing routes.

This restricts the opportunity for new product development – a disadvantage that is fully addressed with FET’s series lab and small scale gel spinning system, which is already industrialised.

“We have supplied many extrusion systems to the biomedical market and in exploring what else we could do for the same customers it became clear that there was a need for smaller quantities of UHMWPE fibres in bespoke sizes.” explains FET Managing Director Richard Slack. “We believe our introduction of a patented batch system for solvent extraction exploiting supercritical CO2 is a game changer.”

Early stage development
Cygnet Texkimp has meanwhile just introduced a next-generation, production-scale prepreg tape slitting machine at its UK Innovation Centre in Northwich.

This enables organisations to trial the slitting of continuous thermoset, thermoplastic and ceramic prepreg tapes for AFP and AFL processes in real-world conditions using their own materials or those produced on Cygnet Texkimp’s in-house R&D prepreg machines on the machine. The technology can slit tapes at speeds of up to 60 metres per minute, subject to the input material.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer partners the opportunity to engage with us at an early stage in process development, to test out their concepts, explore machine parameters, assess output quality and validate performance with support from our expert team,” says Graeme Jones, wide web product director at Cygnet Texkimp.

Splicing portfolio
Also providing back up services to the aerospace industry is Airbond, with splicing technologies which ensure resource efficiency in the processing of extremely expensive carbon and aramid fibres. Pneumatic yarn splicing is a process established in the textile industry for joining yarns and works by intermingling individual filaments closely together, to make joint which are stronger and flatter than knots.

“We are continuing to find new partners in the wind turbine, hydrogen and aerospace industries and are doing a lot of developmental work with research institutes and universities,” says technical director Carwyn Webb. “This is leading to us expanding our portfolio and we are currently working on systems for carbon tape splicing, for example, as well as an automated system for full weaving beams.”

Further developments for the technical textiles and composites sectors will be showcased by BTMA members including Garnett Controls, Roaches International, Slack & Parr and Tatham.

Spirit of openness
“Many BTMA members are currently developing new technologies, either in-house or increasingly through joint projects, and we have much to reveal in Singapore,” says Jason Kent in conclusion. “There’s a new spirit of openness and adventurous interaction in the UK right now – especially in the fields of advanced fibres and technical textiles – which is very encouraging for the future.”

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a leader in spider silk technology, is appointed Kenneth Le as Managing Director of its wholly owned recombinant spider silk production subsidiary, Prodigy Silk Ltd.
 
Le has been an integral leader in The Company’s Southeast Asian operations for many years, overseeing the expansion of its specialized spider silk rearing and production systems. Under his guidance, Kraig Labs and Prodigy Silk have grown from pilot-scale operations to full-scale commercial rearing centers that continue to set records for spider silk production.
 
Le brings extensive management experience, operational oversight, and team development expertise. His leadership has been instrumental in creating the foundation for Prodigy Silk’s current production successes, ensuring that the Company's advanced biotechnology is translated into reliable and sustainable silk output.
 
"Ken has been at the center of our growth story in Southeast Asia. His ability to combine operational expertise with a deep understanding of our recombinant spider silk technology makes him the ideal choice to lead Prodigy Silk," said Kim Thompson, Founder and CEO of Kraig Labs. "With Ken at the helm, we expect Prodigy Silk to accelerate production, expand capacity, and deliver on the tremendous promise of our technology."
 
As Managing Director, Le will continue to strengthen Prodigy Silk's production capabilities, optimize rearing operations, strengthen our integration with production partners, and drive forward the Company's mission of bringing recombinant spider silk to global markets.
 
"I am honored to take on this new role and to continue building on the successes we've achieved," said Le. "We have an extraordinary team, a proven technology, and the momentum to make spider silk a scalable and commercially viable super material. I look forward to leading Prodigy Silk into this next phase of growth."
 
Kraig Labs' believes Le's leadership will continue to accelerate the pace of innovation and production, positioning Prodigy Silk as the cornerstone of its commercial spider silk operations in Southeast Asia.

Teijin Carbon announced the NCAMP (National Center for Advanced Materials Performance) qualification of its Tenax™ IMS65 E23 24K non-crimp fabrics (NCF) and woven unidirectional (UD) materials, in conjunction with the Syensqo PRISM® EP2400 epoxy resin system. This milestone marks the first NCAMP qualification of dry carbon reinforcements using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) as a standalone and process-separable infusion route.

The Teijin Carbon materials are formally qualified under material specification NMS 241 and process specification NPS 82401 and are accompanied by a publicly available NCAMP material property data report. The NCAMP program is sponsored by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

The NCAMP database supports proof of equivalence across various types of infusion equipment and techniques, opening the door for broader aerospace adoption of out-of-autoclave (OoA) composite manufacturing.

Partnership with Mississippi State University Enhances Implementation
To support practical implementation of the qualified system and part development, Teijin Carbon and Syensqo have partnered with Mississippi State University’s Advanced Composites Institute (MSU-ACI) in Starkville. With its advanced VARTM capabilities and scalable tooling strategies, MSU-ACI plays a key role in validating process robustness and material consistency. The institute helps give manufacturers confidence that they can achieve aerospace-grade quality with accessible, cost-effective production methods.

This collaboration reflects Teijin Carbons’s commitment to facilitating the adoption of infusion technologies by reducing learning curves and enabling faster design-to-certification pathways through NCAMP-qualified data.

Material Benefits for Structural Aerospace Applications
The newly qualified Tenax™ non-crimp facric based on IMS65 E23 24K combined with the Syensqo PRISM® EP2400 epoxy resin system deliver:

• Out-of-autoclave processing with autoclave-comparable mechanical performance
• High fiber volume with near-zero void content
• Long out-life dry preforms — ideal for large, complex components
• Global availability of all components by sea, land, or air
• Accelerated FAA certification with publicly available B-basis allowables

This qualification offers aerospace OEMs and tier suppliers a scalable and robust alternative to traditional prepreg processing. It is suitable for small to extra-large primary or secondary structures as well as integrated parts such as control surfaces, access panels, fairings, in commercial and defense platforms. This processing method can contribute to efficient and resource-conscious manufacturing aligned with the aerospace industry's sustainability goals.

Teijin Carbon and Syensqo will continue to collaborate under the partnership with Mississippi State University to provide the world with advanced composite material solutions that can shape a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable future for aerospace.

A result of Eastman’s recently announced strategic partnership with Huafon Chemical, the new filament yarn features even higher tenacity, making it the perfect solution for premium lightweight fabrics. 

On August 13, Eastman and Huafon Chemical jointly announced a formal strategic partnership to establish a joint facility to produce cellulose acetate yarn. The facility will be dedicated to localized production and product innovation of Eastman Naia™ cellulose acetate filament yarns in China. This collaboration demonstrates Eastman’s long-term commitment to the Chinese market and further deepens its market presence in China by enabling a more agile supply chain response to meet the market demand for high-quality, innovative, and sustainable textile materials in the region.

With the vision to make sustainable textiles accessible to all, the Eastman Naia™ portfolio offers responsibly sourced, biobased cellulosic fibers and yarns. These eco-friendly options empower mills, designers, and brands to create textiles that do not compromise on comfort, quality, or appearance. 

Naia™ acetate filament yarn is widely recognized and used by both high-end luxury and high-street fashion brands in China and around the world. It is favored for ready-to-wear fashion and linings because of its luxurious silky hand feel, beautiful drape, and rich luster. Beyond aesthetics, Naia™ delivers superior comfort, durability, and ease of care. 

Eastman has developed a robust network of mills and fabric trading partners in China, collaboratively driving innovation to develop some of the most advanced acetate-based fabrics in the global textile market today.

Demand for recycled yarn is growing. And the number of TRUECYCLED installations in India is growing too! More and more future-facing companies are driving progress toward a more sustainable textiles industry by producing high-quality yarn from waste through specialized equipment and process know-how from Trützschler. The TRUECYCLED installations in India join a growing group of companies around the globe. This includes Trützschler customers in Türkiye as well as across Europe. 

TRUECYCLED is Trützschler’s complete solution for state-of-the-art recycling of pre-consumer and postconsumer textile waste. It encompasses all process steps – from cutting and tearing textile waste through to carding and drawing secondary fibers. Trützschler’s technological expertise enables partner companies to produce recycled yarns with the best possible quality from hard textile waste. In India, USHA YARN was awarded as the first TRUECYCLED reference customer in 2023. Now ten more reference customers are celebrated. TRUECYCLED is gaining traction in India, where demand for recycled yarn is growing rapidly. 
 
The TRUECYCLED pioneers in India are taking action to promote more sustainable, circular value chains in the textile industry. Their yarns contain a substantial amount of textile hard waste, manufactured in a line of Trützschler machinery configured specifically for recycling. All use the T-BLEND blow room line and Trützschler carding machines. 
 

• Anangoor Textile Mills (based in Kangayam): Produces 30 tons of blended open-end yarn (Ne 20 to Ne 40) per day, using more than 50 percent raw materials from pre-consumer waste. 
• Eco spin yarn (based in Derabassi): Specialized in 100 percent cotton and poly-cotton blended yarn. This company produces 18 tons of recycled yarn (Ne 10 to Ne 40) per day. It mainly uses 100 percent pre-consumer waste for cotton and up to 20 percent rPET fibers for poly-cotton blends. 
• Fabtech International Hosieries (based in Tirupur): Manufactures 8 tons of blended open-end yarn (Ne 20 to Ne 40) per day, using more than 50 percent raw materials from pre-consumer waste. 
• KS Spinning Mills (based in Panipat): Specializing in cotton and poly-cotton blended yarns with a capacity of 36 tons per day, this company produces a wide range of recycled open-end yarns from Ne 1 to Ne 40. For cotton yarn, the company uses 100 percent raw materials from preconsumer waste. Poly-cotton blended yarns are produced with a blend of up to 20 percent recycled polyester and up to 80 percent pre-consumer waste. 
• Maatrishakti Cotspin (based in Panipat): An open-end yarn expert, manufacturing 18 tons of cotton and poly-cotton blends per day (Ne 10 to Ne 40), using 70 to 80 percent raw materials from pre-consumer waste. 
• Oasis Textiles (based in Derabassi): Each day, this producer makes 36 tons of recycled yarn – using more than 70 percent raw material from pre-consumer waste (Ne 10 to Ne 40). 
• Shreeji Cotfab (based in Neemarana): Produces 18 tons per day of open-end yarn made from cotton and poly-cotton blends (Ne 10 to Ne 30), primarily using more than 70 percent of recycled materials. 
• Shri Pachaiamman Spinners (based in Coimbatore): Turns more than 50 percent preconsumer waste into hosiery yarn (Ne 10 to 30), producing 13 tons per day and using 100 percent recycled materials. 
• Sri Velayudhaswamy Spinning Mills (based in Dindigul): This customer produces 14 tons of recycled yarn (Ne 20 to Ne 40) per day from a blend of recycled cotton and polyester, using more than 50 percent pre-consumer waste. 
• Tirumalai Textiles (based in Coimbatore): Using more than 50 percent of pre-consumer waste, this manufacturer produces 17.5 tons of open-end yarn (Ne 10 to Ne 30) per day for weaving and hosiery applications. 

Leading flat knitting solutions company SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, will be participating in the ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 exhibition in Singapore in October. SHIMA SEIKI continues with its concept of “SHIMA SEIKI Reborn” for this year’s exhibition.

The concept signifies the renewal of our passion and commitment to innovation, manifesting in physical form as the R-generation machines. At ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 visitors to the SHIMA SEIKI booth will be presented with the latest flat knitting solutions, including the long-awaited production version of the SES®-R computerized knitting machine based on the highly acclaimed prototype at ITMA 2023 in Milan.

SES®-R pays homage to the legendary SES® series that revolutionized the industry through modern shaped knitting. A new sinker system expands its product range even further with unprecedented 3D shaping capability. Combined with loop pressers and auto yarn carriers, it can freely manipulate intarsia, i-Plating® inverse plating and inlay knitting for efficient knitting of diverse patterns that support various industries besides apparel, such as sports, interior, and industrial materials. SES®-R will be shown in 14 gauge at ITMA Asia.

As WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology—first introduced at ITMA 1995 in Milan—celebrates its 30th Anniversary, the latest SWG-XR® WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine will be shown as the spiritual successor and ‘Reborn’ version of the original SWG®-X machine. Featuring 4 needle beds and SHIMA SEIKI’s original SlideNeedle™, SWG-XR® is capable of producing high-quality fine gauge WHOLEGARMENT® products in all needles, with 25 percent higher productivity and wider range of patterning compared with the previous-generation MACH2®XS flagship. In Singapore, SWG-XR® will be shown in 18L featuring 15-gauge needles mounted at 18-gauge pitch.

In addition to machine technology, presentations will be made for SHIMA SEIKI's APEXFiz® subscriptionbased design software. Various web services as part of the SHIMA SEIKI Online Services web platform will also be presented as comprehensive digital solutions that enhance the APEXFiz® user experience by streamlining and promoting sustainable production. Also on display will be new SDS® KnitPaint-Online knit programming software that makes available proven KnitPaint software used by knitting companies across the globe as standalone software.

With comprehensive proposals to meet current and future needs of the industry, SHIMA SEIKI technology at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 will demonstrate smart, speedy and sustainable production that further secures its leading role as flat knitting solutions provider.