From the Sector

• Expert Speakers Delivering Key Region Market Updates

Industry leaders will gain a compelling region-by-region view of the nonwovens industry from experts presenting the latest nonwovens trends in their areas of the world at IDEA®22, March 29-31 in Miami Beach.

Speakers with the latest knowledge will deliver important nonwoven market updates, demand forecasts and research findings on the industry in China, Asia, South America, North America and Europe.

The conference will explore how each region has responded to the pandemic challenges and supply chain issues with new innovations and solutions, providing IDEA®  attendees with vital insights for decision-making.

Program highlights include:

• Overview and Green Innovation Development of China’s Nonwovens Industry,  by Guimei Li, Vice President, China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA) on March 29
• South America – Land of Opportunity or Land of Turbulence? The Recent History and Trends That Are Shaping the South American Nonwovens Market, presented by Mariana Mynarski, Corporate Marketing Manager, Fitesa on March 29
• Asian Nonwovens Production and Market Update by Chan-Hyou Park, Chairman, Asia Nonwoven Fabrics Association (ANFA) on March 30
• Understanding the State of the North American Nonwovens Industry and a Market Gone Mad presented by Brad Kalil, INDA Director of Market Intelligence and Economic Insights on March 31
• An Overview of Key Issues Facing Nonwovens on Top of European Market Trends presented by Pierre Wiertz, General Manager, EDANA on March 31

IDEA® Award Presentations
Another conference highlight will be the presentation of the IDEA® 2022 Achievement Awards in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine, based on the results of online voting in six categories as well as the announcement of the first Sustainability Advancement Award on March 30.

IDEA® – the World’s Preeminent Event for the Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics Industry – will feature several hundred exhibitors from a myriad of industry sectors and is expected to once again draw an audience of several thousand senior-level buyers and attendees from over 60 countries to the Miami Beach Convention Center. A welcome reception will be held to officially kick off the event on March 28.

IDEA®22 Essentials of Nonwovens Training Courses
Product developers, marketing managers, technical sales, support and other professionals can expand their industry-focused knowledge by attending the IDEA®22 Essentials of Nonwovens Training Courses.

This vital training program will provide an immersive dive into the latest nonwoven technologies, industry segments and more with courses on absorbent hygiene cores, making nonwovens, industrial wipes and consumer wipes.

A must-attend educational session on patent searching on March 31 will cover the latest major changes in patent searches on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website that has been updated to enhance user experience. 

Up to the age of three, a baby uses around 5,000 diapers. Despite the convenient handling of common disposable diapers, parents are increasingly looking for a healthy and sustainable alternative to these products to avoid waste. In Germany alone, 10 million diapers are disposed of every day.

Ways to solve this dilemma, would be disposable products that are made from bio-based or biodegradable materials, or reusable products with a longer life span replace disposable products.

Founding team Luisa Kahlfeldt and Caspar Böhme combine both with their "Sumo Diapers." These cloth diapers are made entirely of sustainable materials while offering high performance and innovative design.

The Sumo Diaper is a fitted cloth diaper that consists of a waterproof cover and absorbent inserts. The cover is sewn in such a way that a pocket is formed: this is where the absorbent pad is inserted to prevent slipping.

To further enhance the performance of this absorbent pad, the Sumo team partners with the viscose special fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres, who brings decades of experience from the hygiene sector, especially for sensitive applications where high absorbency is required (such as tampons). Together, Sumo and Kelheim Fibres have developed a high-performance absorbent pad that uses no fossil materials.

The basis are functionalised specialty viscose fibres with adapted cross-sections. Needle-punched / thermobonded nonwovens with a blend of specialty viscose and PLA bicomponent fibres were chosen to ensure the product's washability. PLA stands for polylactic acid made from natural and renewable raw materials. By combining nonwovens, usually found mainly in the single-use sector, with reusable products, Sumo and Kelheim Fibres have chosen a completely new approach.

Inside the pad, the speciality fibres from Kelheim score with their special properties: In the distribution layer (ADL), the trilobal cross-section of the Galaxy® fibre forms capillary channels that enable efficient and optimized liquid distribution and thus optimum use of the capacity of the absorbent core, offering the lowest rewet values.

In the absorbent core, the segmented hollow fibre Bramante stores liquid not only between but also inside the fibre. The liquid remains there even when pressure is applied to the construction, providing excellent rewet values. Bramante can absorb up to 260% of its own weight in liquid. Cotton only achieves values of around 50% here.

The innovative nonwoven construction with the speciality fibres from Kelheim performs significantly better in tests in terms of air permeability, liquid absorption and rewetting than commercially available solutions made of synthetic fibres or cotton in knitted structures, and has earned Sumo diapers a place among the finalists for the IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award.

The launch is scheduled for the first of May.

• Winners in Six Categories to be Announced at IDEA® 2022 in Miami Beach

Online voting for the IDEA® Achievement Awards representing the “best of the best” innovations in the global nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry in six categories will open on Feb. 28.

Industry professionals will have the opportunity to vote for the winners from the finalists and see award-winning achievements in person at IDEA® 2022, the World’s Preeminent Event for Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics, March 28-31, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Presented by INDA, in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine, the awards recognize the leading introductions in equipment, raw materials, short-life, long-life and nonwovens products, and sustainability. To vote on the Nonwovens Industry website, visit: https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/idea-reg-achievement-awards

In addition, INDA will unveil the IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and Nonwovens Industry will announce the IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award recipient at the event.  

All of the winners will be announced on March 30 at a ceremony at IDEA® from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. moderated by Dave Rousse, President, INDA and Karen, McIntyre, Editor, Nonwovens Industry.

The INDA Technical Advisory Board, consisting of technical professionals from member companies, has narrowed the competition from more than 100 online nominations to the following 18 finalists selected for their leading innovations since the last IDEA show in 2019.

The industry will have the chance to select their top choices from the three finalists in each of the following six categories through the online voting process:

IDEA® Equipment Achievement Award

• ESC-8 – Curt G. Joa, Inc.
  Imagine endless combinations of insert and chassis designs for adult incontinence production at the push of a button. With patent-pending ESC-8™ Electronic Size Change Technology, JOA has addressed the need for automated product size change. The release of this industry-leading, first-of-a-kind technology gives customers the flexibility to configure endless insert and chassis combinations while maintaining higher production speeds and minimizing raw material usage. The ESC-8™ can be integrated into new and existing machines.
   
• Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.
  Elastics are an integral component to many hygiene products. Imagine a diaper or incontinence product that is reliable, adhesive-free and extremely soft. Herrmann Ultrasonics Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode technology provides just that, in an industry first, easy-to-use closed-loop feedback manufacturing solution. The fixation of the elastic threads is accomplished with ultrasonic energy that offers a wide process window, without the need for tool changeovers, at processing speeds above 2,000 ft./min.
   
• Doffer Airlay Card – Technoplants SRL
  With airlaying suction and a doffing system like traditional roller cards, the Doffer Airlay Card makes it possible to produce carded webs with doffer in thicknesses from 10 to 1.500 gsm. With top and bottom suction, it can produce a partly carded and partly airlaid web. This card can comb, separate and make parallel all types of natural, synthetic and regenerated fibers for applications including hygiene, filtration, medical and gradient acquisition distribution layer (ADL).

IDEA® Raw Material Achievement Award

• sero™ premium hemp fiber – Bast Fibre Technologies Inc.
  sero™ 100 percent premium hemp fibers are the result of years of the company’s top-to-bottom supply chain experience. BFT’s proprietary processing technology is employed to carefully clean, individualize, and soften bast fibers that meet stringent nonwoven technical standards and are plastic-free, tree-free, and compostable. sero™ fibers are a plug-and-play replacement for plastic fibers that run seamlessly on major nonwoven platforms without compromising production speeds, efficiency, or uniformity.
   
• ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc.
  Rem Brands, Inc.’s patented ODOGard® technology is a revolutionary advancement in odor elimination. This next-generation odor elimination mechanism works by covalent molecular bonding to malodors. Malodors are permanently attached to the ODOGard® molecule, changing them into non-odorous molecules forever. ODOGard® can be impregnated into pulp fluff and other kinds of media. Whether  malodors come from the air or from hygiene products, ODOGard® has it covered.
   
• SharoWIPES™ – Sharon Laboratories
  SharoWIPES™ by Sharon Laboratories, Israel, is a technological breakthrough from in-depth scientific research addressing industry needs for more “clean label, non-irritating, eco-friendly” consumer wet wipes. With their unique anti-biofilm mechanism, SharoWIPES™ offer dual protection from microbial contamination of both the wet wipe formula, as well as the non-woven fabric. SharoWIPES™ preservation systems deliver broad-spectrum protection at low levels contributing to wet wipe brand equity with free from, microbiome friendly, vegan and biodegradable claims.
   

IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award

• MDP™ – Dermasteel, Ltd.
  MDP™ presents a breakthrough approach to restoring the quality of life for men experiencing bladder leakage. MDP™ is a revolutionary nonwoven product for men coping with light urinary incontinence that is invisibly discreet, effective, comfortable, and reliable. It features Body ID Technology™ for customized adjustment, variable elasticity strapping, self-reflexive side panels for unimpeded breathability, form-fitting to the unique characteristics of each man’s anatomy, and the smallest carbon footprint of any comparable male incontinence option.
   
• Organic 2.0 – Ellepot A/S
  In young plant propagation, plastic products are used in large quantities. Ellepot’s new paper is a game-changer supporting plastic exit strategies. During six years in development, Ellepot and Ahlstrom-Munksjö partnered with OrganoClick, the developer of special binders using organocatalysis, a field of chemistry awarded the Nobel Prize in 2021. The product is approved for organic crops in Germany, the UK, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Canada and certified okay home compostable and biodegradable in soil.
   
• LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC
  LifeSavers Wipes are personal hygiene wipes that change color if they detect abnormal health indicators in the urine. The launch product is a diabetic wipe, which will change color if there are abnormal levels of glucose in the urine. The wipes are therefore triple purposed as they assist with personal hygiene after urinating, act as an early warning system, and serve as an instant glucose monitor. UTI and kidney disease wipes are next in line.
   

IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award

• Canopy Hero Pro – Canopy
  Today’s reusable respirators are uncomfortable, limit communication, and can lose effectiveness after cleaning. Disposable options pose similar issues and generate waste. Canopy® has created a next-generation, reusable respirator for healthcare workers that’s comfortable, easy to clean, exceeds federal safety standards, has a transparent front to allow for improved communication, costs less than disposables, and can help save 7,200 tons of waste daily. Its patented, transparent, fully mechanical filter helps protect those who protect us.
   
• Long-Life Cellulose-based Nonwovens for Higher Performance in Reusable Baby Diapers – Kelheim Fibres GmbH and Sumo Diapers
  Innovation exemplified: the trend-setting Sumo Baby Cloth Diaper shows how needle-punched/thermobonded nonwovens find their way into reusable diapers, thanks to Kelheim Fibres’ specialty viscose fibers with adjusted cross-sections (trilobal and hollow). This technology pushes liquid management capabilities and the absorbency of washable hygiene products to new levels, creating a unique duality of high-performance and high-sustainability credentials, and opening up new fields of application.
   
• Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL GmbH
  MANN+HUMMEL has developed a hybrid media by combining electret-based spunbond and a pure mechanical filtration layer of ultrafine polymer fibers. The result: an outstanding separation of PM1 particles up to 95 percent, according to DIN EN ISO 16890. This technology enables stable filtration performance and long-term efficiency over the whole filter lifetime. The nanofiber layer can be combined with any cabin air filter media of the MANN+HUMMEL range, improving air quality in a vehicle’s cabin significantly.
   

IDEA® Sustainability Advancement Award

• Pureflow8 – In Flight Material Separator – Diaper Recycling Technology Pte. Ltd.
  New bolt-on additions to the company’s Generation 8 recycling platform guarantee increased performance in terms of material purity and work efficiency. While recovering up to 87 percent of diaper waste raw material’s financial investment, DRT pushes the boundaries further to meet sustainability targets and include active pulp scanning, fluidizing SAP re-gen technology, and gravimetric pulp refeed processes. DRT recognizes its teams and suppliers who have worked tremendously hard to complete this major milestone.
   
• Fitesa® 100 Percent BioBased Bico – Fitesa
  Fitesa® S Bico 100 percent BioBased PE/PLA is a technically sophisticated plant-sourced nonwoven that has been successfully applied in innovative baby diapers as topsheet, backsheet, and front ear components to deliver classic spunbond strength with good abrasion resistance and converting performance. It is responsibly sourced, PE soft, and sustainable, leaving a negative carbon footprint by reducing environmental CO2. It represents the next generation of hygienic nonwovens designed to make work easier and life better.
   
• Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
  Finally, an alternative to metal and plastic screw caps! Blue Ocean Closures partnered with Glatfelter and ALPLA to accelerate and produce sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging solutions. The companies optimized their use of renewable and recyclable wood fibers and airlaid materials by creating paper-based screw caps that are durable, strong, and water-resistant. The method of proprietary vacuum press forming allows for low production cost and high scalability.
   

IDEA® Nonwoven Product Achievement Award

• Sontara® Silk – Glatfelter Corp.
  Sontara® Silk perfectly fits facial contour, is luxurious on the skin, and has a minimal environmental impact. When infused with lotion, these masks have enhanced elasticity, conform closely to the skin, and have excellent adhesion. Sontara® Silk has superior translucency and ensures even penetration of active ingredients onto the skin. Sontara® Silk fabric is manufactured with premium fibers derived from natural raw material. These sustainable materials allow the product to be biodegradable and compostable.
   
• HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
  Suominen’s latest moist tissue product, HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo achieves dry tissue dispersibility through a proprietary blend of 100 percent sustainable cellulosic materials, minimizing environmental impact. This flushable nonwoven has a premium hand feel for a luxurious consumer experience. In addition, it passes dispersibility standards set by INDA (GD4) and the International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG.) HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo is produced in Europe and North America and represents multi-year development and market insights to deliver a personal care product ideal for today’s consumer.
   
• LS SAF™ Nonwoven Fabrics –Technical Absorbents
  Technical Absorbents developed a new grade of Low Shrink (LS) superabsorbent fiber (SAFTM) for use within a new range of nonwovens that are more resistant to shrinkage. The new LS SAFTM fiber and resulting fabrics were developed in response to demand from the medical industry for a superabsorbent nonwoven suitable for use in advanced wound pad dressings. The new fiber was engineered to be capable of withstanding the moisture used in the EtO sterilization process.

Moving forward after this year, the IDEA® Achievement Award will be presented every two years under the new cycle announced for the event with the subsequent IDEA® taking place April 23-25, 2024.

The 2021 C.L.A.S.S. Icon Award Portuguese brand Duarte is ready to presents its Fall/Winter 2022/23 collection developed in collaboration with C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub during Milan Fashion Week. With the support of WHITE, Duarte’s creations will be featured as a special project at WSM (WHITE Sustainable Milano) platform space inside “Unveiling the fashion Backstage”, a docu-event focusing on an immersive journey into the amazing world of premium and smart supply chains that make innovative and responsible fashion wardrobes a reality.

For its second collection Duarte still counts on C.L.A.S.S. support in sourcing materials and communication activities as part of the Icon Award yearly program. The streetwear designer Ana Duarte, with the help of the Milanese hub, is back with a renewed collection that counts 40 pieces continuing the concept and the story behind the previous World Keeper: the irresistible superhero Tadao - Ana Duarte’s dog – fighting against the environmental issues created by mankind and personified as Smog Man (air pollution), Fire Man (climate change), Deforestation Man (forests destruction) and Wave Man (water overconsumption).

This time the inspiration is also Street Dance drawn directly from the city streets, with majorly unisex pieces (apart from some small specific details linked to sizes or ergonomics) and materials that both respect the planet and keep you warm. The prints drawn from ripped posters giving birth to a sort of new style named “Eco-Street Dance”.

The collection presents a selection of urban pieces for everyday superheroes, fighting against environmental issues - with a holistic approach to sustainability values thanks to the synergy with C.L.A.S.S. and its Back in the Loop area: a section dedicated to alternative and sustainable sourcing against the massive amount of materials and textiles produced that are not used and discarded by the fashion system. This is mostly powered by MAEBA International - and its ReLiveTex® fabrics - leader in selecting and repurposing premium Italian fabrics with exceptional 60 years of expertise in collecting high-quality materials from leading brands and textile manufacturers, and one of the first companies at an international level to be accredited for the UNI EN ISO 14021 certification which grants the traceability of the collected materials.

The linings complete the full sustainable picture, thanks to Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei fabrics by Gianni Crespi Foderami. Bemberg™ is a new generation material made from the smart-tech transformation of cotton linter pre-consumer material, converted through a traceable and transparent closed loop process.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has received two European Digital Press (EDP) Awards from the European graphics arts trade press, a prestigious technical awards programme that recognises innovative advancements in digital print production. The EFI™ VUTEk® Q5r roll-to-roll UV LED printer beat competition in the large/wide- format printing systems category for printers above 350-centimetres wide. EDP judges honoured EFI Fiery® software integration with finishers as the top solution in the awards programme’s category for software automation tools.

Automation, quality and value with award-winning roll-to-roll technology
The EFI VUTEk Q5r printer is a roll-to-roll display graphics printer, capable of running at speeds of up to 672 square metres per hour. The 5.2-metre-wide printer delivers a full system solution from file submission to a finished print with options such as in-line quality inspection, in-line slitting and cutting, roll and tape collection, auto-calibration, automated backlit printing, automated blockout printing and much more.
 
EFI VUTEk Q series printers, which include both the Q5r and a 3.5-metre wide VUTEk Q3r model, are available with up to nine colours including white and clear, and feature EFI UltraDrop™ Technology with native 7-picolitre printheads and multi-drop addressability for high-definition quality. Benefits include smoothness in shadows, gradients, and transitions, as well as precise and sharp 3-point size text with a true resolution of up to 1,200 dots per inch.

Fast, flawless finishing
EFI Fiery software integration with finishers, the winner in the EDP Awards category for best software automation tool, offers advanced integration with in-line or offline slitter/cutter/creasers. Operators can define cut, crease, and perforation locations on the job content in the Fiery software solution, which then communicates the configuration to finishing equipment, eliminating operator touchpoints and errors from incompatible layouts.

EFI Fiery software integration with finishers is offered in two different EFI Fiery software products: Fiery Impose and Fiery Finishing Designer.

Altri has awarded AFRY engineering, site selection and integrated environmental authorization services assignment for a greenfield textile fiber factory in Spain. In addition, AFRY will support Altri to conceive, create and implement foundations for Industry 4.0 technologies in this new plant.

The demand for sustainable textile fibres is growing quickly globally. To support this growth, the Portuguese pulp producer Altri has become the industrial partner to public-private consortium Impulsa (Society for the Development of Strategic Projects of Galicia) as the lead investor and technologist to study the wood-based textile fibers biofactory exclusively. This biofactory will use Galician wood as the primary raw material together with recycled remains from the textile industry to produce dissolving pulp and Lyocell fibre. The plant will be designed based on the best available techniques (BAT), best environmental practices, as well as cutting-edge proven technologies and the production will be fossil-fuel-free. The project is expected to benefit from the “Next Generation EU” program.

Altri is responsible for designing and developing the biofactory project to transform wood into a textile fiber, evaluating site locations and exploring alliances with the entire value chain. Altri has assigned AFRY to support the project development and planned project implementation.  

The industrial biorefinery to be built from scratch will be able to provide the textile cluster of the Iberian peninsula with sustainable cellulosic fibers, contributing to the strengthening of the circular economy and decarbonisation of an important economic sector such as the textile sector.

AFRY has been involved in the project development from the very early stages. AFRY supported the project concept idea initially developed by Altri and led the preliminary feasibility study. A multi-disciplinary team of AFRY’s engineering and consulting experts is currently supporting Altri on the site selection activities, engineering and permitting processes.

For the second time in a row, the speciality viscose fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres was awarded a place on the podium at the Cellulose Fibre of the Year Awards. The concept for sustainable menstrual underwear made from Kelheim’s functionalised speciality fibres achieved third place. Kelheim Fibres thus emerges from the competition as the most innovative fibre manufacturer.

Project manager New Business Development Natalie Wunder presented the promising concept from Kelheim at the International Conference on Cellulose Fibres: "We have been able to use our experience as a long-established supplier for the tampon industry to develop further sustainable solutions in the feminine hygiene sector, in this case reusable menstrual underwear. As an innovation pioneer, we are thus helping to break the taboos that surround the topic of menstruation. We offer women the choice between different environmentally friendly products which also offer high levels of performance - depending on what fits their lifestyle."

For the next step, the commercialisation of the concept, Dr Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Director New Business Development at Kelheim Fibres, puts her trust in the proven open innovation approach: "We want to bring partners from the entire value chain together. By bringing in our joint expertise, we can significantly accelerate the path from idea to finished product in the market. At the same time, through open dialogue, we ensure that the concept works seamlessly from fibre through processing to the final product.

Première Vision - Each year, since its creation more than 20 years ago, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate successful projects and cooperation between players of the composite industry.
The competition has especially shined a light on some 203 companies and 499 partners, awarding them for the excellence of their composite innovations.

After pre-selection of the finalists, one winner is selected in each category:

• Aerospace – Application
• Aerospace – Process
• Automotive & road transportation – surface
• Automotive & road transportation – structural
• Building & Civil Engineering
• Design, Furniture & Home
• Equipment & Machinery
• Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding
• Sports, Leisure & Recreation
• Renewable Energy

The international jury representing the entire composites value chain includes:

• Michel COGNET, Chairman of the Board, JEC Group
• Christophe BINETRUY, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, EC Nantes
• Kiyoshi UZAWA, Professor/Director, Innovative Composite Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology
• Jiming Sung HA, Professor, Hanyang University
• Brian KRULL, Global Director of Innovation, Magna Exteriors Inc
• Karl-Heinz FULLER, Manager Future Outside Materials, Mercedes Benz AG
• Deniz KORKMAZ, CTO, Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS
• Henry SHIN, Head of Center, K-CARBON
• Véronique MICHAUD, Associate Professor/ Director, EPFL – Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites
• Alan BANKS, Lightweight Innovations Manager, Ford Motor Company
• Enzo CRESCENTI, Technical Authority and Composite Expert, Airbus

Discover the finalists in each category here.

The final program will provide valuable information on the various use-opportunities for cellulosic fibres through a policy overview, a special session on sustainability, recycling and alternative feedstocks, as well as the latest developments in pulp, cellulosic fibres and yarns. In addition, examples of non-wovens, packaging and composites will offer a look beyond the horizon of conventional application fields.

You can expect to see the “Top 6” candidates of the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2022” in Cologne. For the second time, the innovation award will be granted to the innovative cellulose fibre industry for developing new technologies and applications. All producers and inventors along the entire value chain from feedstock to the final product are invited to join the competition. The Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2022 Award will be voted for by conference delegates as well as online participants on the afternoon of 2 February.

The internationality of this Cellulose Fibres gathering is reflected in its colourful line-up of international speakers. 42 speakers from 12 countries will demonstrate the differences in regional development paths and their transferability to other areas.

You can view the final program here.

Strict protective measures will make the industry meeting possible at the International Conference on Cellulose Fibres in Cologne on February 2 and 3, 2022. The latest innovations will be shocased: from hygiene and textiles to non-wovens and carbon fibre alternatives to lightweight construction applications. Online participation is also possible.

Cellulose fibres show an increasingly expanding wide range of applications, while at the same time markets are driven by technological developments and political framework conditions, especially bans and restrictions on plastics and increasing sustainability requirements. The conference provides rich information on opportunities for cellulose fibres through policy assessment, a session on sustainability, recycling and alternative feedstocks as well as latest development in pulp, cellulose fibres and yarns. This includes application such as non-wovens, packaging and composites.

Live at the conference, host nova-Institute and sponsor GIG Karasek GmbH will grand the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award to one of six highly interesting products, ranging from cellulose made of orange and wood pulp to a novel technology for cellulose fibre production. The presentations, election of the winner by the conference audience and the award ceremony will take place on the first day of the conference.

The conference sessions reflect the current topics of industry and research. “Strategies and Market Trends” provides an overview of the rapid development of cellulose fibres and their technological progress across the fibre market. An analysis of the key cost components of these fibres to benchmark against current cost levels will highlight future opportunities and challenges for novel textile fibres. The session will conclude with an overview of the industry's recent strategies to defossilize the fibre market.

The session “New Opportunities for Cellulose Fibres in Replacing Plastics”, focusses on questions such as: “What impact does the ban on plastics in single-use products have on the industry?” and “What are the latest regulatory issues and policy opportunities for cellulose fibres?”. This part of the conference presents new opportunities for the replacement of fossil-based insulating materials with cellulose-based technologies suitable for use in a variety of applications, from aerospace to mobility and construction.
Institutefor Ecology and Innovation

“Sustainability and Circular Economy” highlights crucial issues with regard to the overall goal of keeping the environmental impact of cellulose fibres low. A core theme of the session is the responsible use of wood and forests. With this objective, the five speakers discuss the importance of circular concepts for cellulose feedstocks. Exciting insights into the important “Hot Button Report” are offered by Canopy. The “Hot Button” report enables the producers of cellulose fibres to better understand the impact their raw materials have on forests and the climate development worldwide.

The full conference programme is available at www.cellulose-fibres.eu/program.