From the Sector

In a judgment in December 2023, the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China ruled in favor of Rieter in a legal dispute. The case concerned the infringement of a Rieter patent by a competitor’s draw frame. Rieter protects its innovations with patents and registered designs and consistently takes action against infringements of its intellectual property.

Rieter draw frames are known for their stable operation with high sliver quality and productivity. Scanning precision and autoleveling dynamics ensure outstanding sliver evenness and thus the production of high-quality yarns. Draw frames have also been the subject of a patent litigation by Rieter in China at various levels of jurisdiction. Rieter had sued a competitor for unauthorized use of its patented draw frame technology.

In the summer of 2022, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court confirmed the patent infringement identified by Rieter and prohibited the accused competitor from continuing to use Rieter’s patented technology. The infringing party was also ordered to pay damages to Rieter.

The culpable competitor then appealed the decision of the Shanghai court to the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court of China in Beijing upheld the Shanghai decision, confirming that the patent had been infringed. As a result, Rieter’s competitor is prohibited from selling the infringing machine types and is required to pay the damages determined by the court.

This Supreme Court decision represents a major success for Rieter in defending its proprietary technologies in China. It is further proof that foreign companies can effectively defend their intellectual property in China.

As the technology leader in spinning machinery manufacturing, Rieter invests around 5% of its turnover annually in research and development. Rieter protects its innovative products with patents and registered designs and takes consistent action against infringements of industrial property rights.

More than 82 companies, businesses and social organizations – including AkzoNobel – are involved in a major Dutch research program focused on developing new technologies that will help solve some of today’s societal challenges.
 
Seven broad consortia have been established as part of the government-funded “Perspectief” program, with AkzoNobel set to play a leading role in the SusInkCoat project, which will explore how to make inks and coatings more sustainable.

The company will work together with private partners and other societal stakeholders to develop new materials, processes and applications to improve the durability, functionality and recyclability of coatings, thin films and inks. The program, which will run for the next five years, is backed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

“Our discussions about collaborating with our SusInkCoat partners have been very positive,” says AkzoNobel’s R&D Director of Scientific Academic Programs, André van Linden, who is also the co-lead of SusInkCoat. “We’re all facing the same societal challenges – how to become more circular – and we’re looking for the same solutions in different application areas. But we’ve never done that together for this specific research topic, so we need an ecosystem to help us solve these challenges.
 
Van Linden adds that the program – one of many R&D projects the company is involved with – will also support AkzoNobel’s ambition to achieve 50% less carbon emissions in its own operations – and across the value chain – by 2030.
 
 “We want to make the recyclability of materials - such as furniture, building materials and steel constructions - easier by introducing functionalities like self-healing, higher durability and triggered release,” he continues. “The more you can leave the materials in their original state, the more sustainably you can operate.”

AkzoNobel will be collaborating with Canon, Evonik, GFB, PTG and RUG Ventures, who together possess extensive knowledge of market demands, supply chains and production processes. All the SusInkCoat partners will also work with academic researchers at several Dutch universities in an effort to identify promising developments that can be commercialized, used for education purposes or for outreach to the public.

Research being conducted by the other six consortia includes investigating methods to make tastier plant-based food; flat optics for more sustainable hi-tech equipment; and cheaper and more accessible medical imaging technology.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published its Strategy Statement 2024-2028. The strategy details the agency’s goals and priorities over the next five years to protect health and the environment through its work for chemical safety.

Main elements of the Strategy – Goals and Priorities

Be a trusted chemicals agency – ECHA aims to achieve this by delivering its legal mandate using independent expertise and robust data. The Agency, to support this, will:

• Deliver transparent, independent, and high-quality scientific advice, opinions, and decisions;
• Enhance decision and policy making through optimal use of data, knowledge, and competence; and
• Facilitate the prioritisation and co-ordination of regulatory actions on substances and groups of substances with the European Commission (EC), EU agencies and Member State Authorities.

 
Respond to emerging challenges and changes in their legal landscape – ECHA will prepare for new tasks and inform EU chemical and environmental policy. To support this goal, it will focus on the following priorities:

• Implement new legal requirements using existing and new synergies and experience;
• Work with relevant EU agencies and bodies to deliver Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) actions and objectives; and
• Provide scientific and technical advice on chemicals to EU policy makers.

 
Communicate and Engage – by collaborating with stakeholders and partners, ECHA will strengthen public confidence in chemicals regulation. In support of this goal, the Agency will:

• Deepen their network of engagement with EU institutions and agencies and Member States;
• Collaborate and provide tools, advice, and support to industry; and
• Promote awareness and understanding of ECHA's work to stakeholders representing workers, the public and the environment.

 
Lead on chemical knowledge and expertise – the Agency will advance knowledge and understanding on chemical safety. To achieve this, it will:

• Contribute proactively to expanding scientific and technical competence and knowledge on chemical safety;
• Promote the development and use of alternative methods for the assessment of hazards and risks of chemicals; and
• Support the EC to enhance engagement and synergies at international level.

 
Invest in people and organisational excellence – ECHA is committed to working together to achieve their vision. In order to achieve this they will:

• Develop and empower their people for success;
• Create optimal ways of working for the Agency, its bodies, its people, and the environment; and
• Adopt an IT delivery model that is cost-effective, streamlined, modular, interoperable, cloud based and centralised.

Archroma has made its AVITERA® SE technology accessible to more brands and mills with the launch of AVITERA® SE GENERATION NEXT for more cost-effective sustainable dyeing of cellulosic fibers and blends.

With an improved cost-to-performance ratio for new dark and extra-dark shades, the AVITERA® SE GENERATION NEXT range helps mills produce differentiated end articles that comply with the environmental requirements of leading brands and retailers while increasing yield, improving productivity and reducing processing costs.

With high-speed low-temperature wash-off, high process reliability and great reproducibility, AVITERA® SE Generation Next allows mills to achieve water and energy savings of up to 50% and to slash CO₂ emissions and effluent discharge by up to 50% as well. It can also increase mill output by up to 25% or more. The dyes are free from arylamines, including PCA^[1], and offer fastness properties, retaining their colors through repeated home laundering and exposure to light, perspiration and chlorine.

Three new dark colors have been added to the AVITERA® SE range:

• AVITERA® BLACK PEARL SE: A greenish-cast black dye with high color consistency that can be used to correct metamerism.
• AVITERA® BLUE HORIZON SE: A deep blue element with good light fastness in medium to deep shades, as well as high oxidative fastness and high resistance to nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere.
• AVITERA® NIGHT STORM SE: A new navy shade with a greenish cast and strong build up. It is recommended for dyeing the deepest navy and combination shades.

^[1] Non-detectable on the garment

adidas TERREX and National Geographic collaborate once again to launch a collection that pays homage to the rainforest supporting National Geographic efforts.

Throughout the collection, images captured by National Geographic photographers are interpreted in different ways on different products, taken through different hues and applied in various ways on garments across the range:

• ADIDAS TERREX | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RAIN.RDY JACKET – Crafted from waterproofing materials and construction, adidas RAIN.RDY products keep the water out. The jacket also features easily-accessible pockets, a stowaway hood and elongated sleeves with hook-and-loop.
• ADIDAS TERREX | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WINDSTOPPER JACKET - Made from GORE-TEX WINDSTOPPER, this WIND.RDY jacket is wind-resistant and water-repellent.
• ADIDAS TERREX | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WINDBREAKER - Using advanced materials, adidas WIND.RDY is designed to resist the wind and provide optimised breathability hikers can feel protected and comfortable.
• ADIDAS TERREX | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GRAPHIC LONG SLEEVE / SHORT SLEEVE TEE – The long sleeve tee combines technical materials with style beyond the mountain, including Aeroready material that wicks sweat to keep dry and comfortable.
• ADIDAS TERREX | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PANTS - Marry style and functionality by combining outdoor-informed design and street-informed style together, complemented by Durable Water Repellent (DWR) material to stay dry and comfortable.
• ADIDAS TERREX | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SKIRT - Made in adidas' wind and water-resistant WIND.RDY fabric, this skirt is for adventures on or off the trail.

The theme of this season’s drop was inspired by National Geographic’s seasonal focus on educating people around rainforest awareness and conservation.

RadiciGroup announced the appointment of Stefano Pigozzi to the Board of Directors of Radici Partecipazioni SpA, the parent company overseeing all the Group's business activities in the chemicals, engineering polymers and advanced textile solutions sectors.
 
A professional with proven experience in the chemical industry, Mr. Pigozzi will complement the Board with his strategic vision acquired in international organizations.
 
Stefano Pigozzi graduated from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in Business Administration and started his work experience in the finance division of BASF in the late 1980s. Since then, chemistry has remained at the centre of his career: over the years, he has held marketing and sales positions of increasing responsibility in various business sectors (plastics and inorganics), moving up to more strategic and managerial roles within BASF, including president of the Monomers Division and, most recently, head of the Group Global Purchasing Division at the Ludwigshafen headquarters.
 
During his more than 30-year career at BASF, Mr. Pigozzi has consistently demonstrated his leadership capability, his financial analysis skills and his dedication to corporate business success. He has also contributed significantly to the positioning of BASF as a global leader in the chemical industry.
 
Mr. Pigozzi’s appointment to the Board of Directors of Radici Partecipazioni is aimed at strengthening RadiciGroup's presence in the market and helping to guide the company towards new goals.

Refashion, a textile industry’s eco-organisation, has renewed its authority approval until 2028. 6 years during which it will continue to transform the industry in keeping with the objectives set by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Ministry of the Economy, including the objective to collect 60% of CHF (clothing, household linen and footwear textiles) placed on the market by 2028. This new period is reflected in an ambitious road map and significantly increased investment. Nearly 1.2 billion euros, financed by the marketers, will be spent on transforming the industry during this new period of authority approval.

Determined to achieve the objectives set out in the ambitious specifications set down by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Berangère Couillard, Refashion has worked on a road map with all of its stakeholders involved in the transformation that is underway. Maud Hardy, nominated as the eco-organisation’s CEO in January 2022, started a collaborative working method that will continue throughout this new period to support areas that are key in this transformation. In the next few months, projects will begin and will visibly highlight the progress made in the three phases of a product’s life cycle: production consumption, regeneration.

Production

• Recognising eco-design initiatives through the eco-modulation of the fees paid by marketers (durability, environmental information labelling, integration of recycled materials). For marketers, these initiatives should represent the scheme’s cornerstone. The aim is to involve all stakeholders in reducing the environmental impact of products.

Consumption

• As from 2023, Refashion will spend 5 million euros minimum per year in awareness-raising activities and on information to the general public by supporting an array of local authority initiatives.
• The launch of a repair fund in 2023, in particular to prolong the usage of textiles and footwear products. More than 150 million euros will be invested between 2023 and 2028 to change the habits of the French population to increase repairs by 35% (guideline target by the ADEME 2019).

Regeneration

• Accelerating clothing, household linen and footwear collection, in particular thanks to an operational mix in the sector. Funding traditional sorting operators will remain central, but Refashion will also develop an additional operational system in order to achieve the collection target of 60% of products placed onto the market (versus 34% in 2021).
• 5% of fees paid to Refashion will go towards the redeployment/reuse funds to provide support for reuse within the remit of stakeholders in the Social and Solidarity Economy. In addition to this funding, additional funding arrangements open to all stakeholders will be established. The total budget throughout the authority approval period represents 135 million euros.
• 5% of fees, i.e., 58 million euros in 6 years, will be spent on R&D to help achieve these milestones in order to industrialise the recycling of used CHF: recyclability that is considered during the design stage; automated sorting and recycling.

The Aachen-based start-up SA-Dynamics is developing sustainable, bio-based and biodegradable insulation materials made from aerogel fibres, thereby setting new standards in resource-saving construction. Dr Sascha Schriever (Institut für Textiltechnik ITA), Maximilian Mohr (ITA), Dr Jens Hofer (ITA Postdoc) and Dr Christian Schwotzer (Department for Industrial Furnaces and Heat Engineering IOB), who trained at RWTH Aachen University, were awarded first place in the KUER.NRW Business Plan Competition 2023 and prize money of €6,000.

SA-Dynamics relies on the impressive properties of aerogel fibres: they have excellent insulating properties, are lightweight, durable, robust, versatile and can be processed very well on conventional textile machines thanks to their flexibility. This makes them comparable to polystyrene, but still sustainable, as SA Dynamics uses bio-based and biodegradable raw materials.

"We can revolutionise the construction world with bio-based aerogel fibres," explains ITA founder Dr Sascha Schriever proudly. "If all insulation materials in construction are converted to bio-based aerogel fibres, all builders can realise their dream of a sustainable house."

SA Dynamics has come a good deal closer to its founding goal by winning the KUER.NRW 2023 business plan competition. The spin-off from Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) and Department for Industrial Furnaces and Heat Engineering (IOB) at RWTH Aachen University is scheduled for spring 2025.

A lot of waste is generated in the trade fair and event industry. It makes sense to have furniture that can quickly be dismantled and stored to save space - or simply disposed of and recycled. Paper is the ideal raw material here: locally available and renewable. It also has an established recycling process. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) and their project partners have jointly developed a recycling-friendly modular system for trade fair furniture. The "PapierEvents" project was funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).

Once the paper has been brought into yarn form, it can be processed into a wide variety of basic elements using the structure winding process, creating a completely new design language.

The unusual look is created in the structure winding process. In this technology developed at the DITF, the yarn is deposited precisely on a rotating mandrel. This enables high process speeds and a high degree of automation. After the winding process, the individual yarns are fixed, creating a self-supporting component. A starch-based adhesive, which is also made from renewable and degradable raw materials, was used in the project for the fixation.

The recyclability of all the basic elements developed in the project was investigated and confirmed. For this purpose the research colleagues at the project partner from the Department of Paper Production and Mechanical Process Engineering at TU Darmstadt (PMV) used the CEPI method, a new standard test procedure from the Confederation of European Paper Industries.

Sensor and lighting functions were also implemented in a recycling-friendly manner. The paper sensor yarns are integrated into the components and detect contact.

Also, a modular system for trade fair and event furniture was developed. The furniture is lightweight and modular. For example, the total weight of the counter shown is well under ten kilograms and individual parts can easily be shipped in standard packages. All parts can be used several times, making them suitable for campaigns lasting several weeks.

A counter, a customer stopper in DIN A1 format and a pyramid-shaped stand were used as demonstrators. The research work of the DITF (textile technology) and PMV (paper processing) was supplemented by other partners: GarnTec GmbH developed the paper yarns used, the industrial designers from quintessence design provided important suggestions for the visual and functional design of the elements and connectors and the event agency Rödig GmbH evaluated the ideas and concepts in terms of usability in practical use.

The Fashion for Good museum in Amsterdam marks its 6 year journey with a special fashion exhibition focused on circularity, called What Goes Around Comes Around. Honing in on how circularity plays out in different circles of influence, the exhibition showcases inspirational displays that make tangible what a circular fashion industry will look like.

What Goes Around Comes Around pays homage to the extraordinary work of pioneering artists, innovators and designers working to shift the fashion industry with new solutions. The exhibition opens January 27, 2024 and will be open to the public for 5 months. It is the grand finale, as the Museum is closing its doors. As such it will be the Museum’s final call to collective action, which the fashion industry still so highly needs.

“We are highlighting three areas in What Goes Around Comes Around", explains curator Sophie Jager-van Duren at the Fashion for Good Museum. “First: new work by local artists Atelier Reservé and The Patchwork Family, design collectives working towards circularity, demonstrating what is happening right now. We are also showing looks from established designers BOTTER, Ronald van der Kemp and Marga Weimans, Yuima Nakazato and Nicole McLaughlin. Second, the community, with an installation for visitors to participate in, planting the seed that we need each other to change the fashion system. Lastly, the industry - honing in on examples of innovations and technologies. We invited designers to create new work with circular materials including Living Ink, MIRUM, Altmat and Biophilica.”

Today’s fashion industry is caught in a vicious cycle of ‘take-make-waste’ and this system has a growing negative impact on people and the planet. For instance, in Europe, the average consumer is responsible for 15 kilos of textile waste per year and these numbers are increasing. To address this, we need action from individuals, the industry and society alike to go from a linear take-make-waste model into one that is circular by design.

The Fashion for Good Museum is inviting anybody to come visit its final exhibition and learn from concrete examples, to understand the current state of the fashion industry, gain the tools for taking individual or collective action and be inspired by circular fashion available today.

Designing for circularity means designing without creating waste or pollution, as all materials are continually reused instead of discarded. A circular system is restorative and regenerative and reduces pressure on natural resources. The ultimate goal of the exhibition is to put circularity into practice, help people envision a circular economy based on community practices and empower visitors to take collective action, starting in the museum but extending to their homes and daily lives.

Through the exhibition and its public programme, which consists of interactive workshops and educational events, the museum functions as a community space where visitors are invited to learn, gain new perspectives and are exposed to inspiring examples, building the skills and knowledge to create positive change. The upcoming few months there are multiple events, educational toolkits and other opportunities to join us, all open for the public, keep an eye out on our website and social media channels for the latest updates.

The exhibition is open for the public from Saturday 27th of January until June 5th 2024, marking World Environment Day on June 5th as the final closing day of the museum.