From the Sector

As a trade fair for safety and occupational health in China, the 104th China International Occupational Safety & Health Goods Expo (CIOSH 2023), organized by China Textile Commerce Association (CTCA) and Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (MDS), will be grandly held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) Hall E1-E7 from 13-15 April 2023. Following three years of epidemic prevention and control measures, the situation has stabilized in China, allowing the labor protection market to enter a phase of rapid recovery and rebound. CIOSH 2023 will attract over 1,500 exhibitors from 14 countries, showcasing their latest protective equipment and technology in an exhibition area exceeding 80,000 square meters.

Integrating Online and Offline Platforms
CIOSH 2023 encompasses four major sectors: Safety at Work, Security at Work, Health at Work, and Emergency Rescue Management. Renowned domestic and international exhibitors, including 3M, Honeywell, Ansell, SATA, JSP, MSA, DELTAPLUS, Lakeland, Cortina, UVEX, CM Chaomei, Xing Yu Gloves, DS, East Asia Glove, Hanvo, SOMO Zhongmai Safety, SAFETY-INXS, and TELPS, will assemble on site. At the same time, CIOSH 2023 has introduced an innovative online platform - CIOSH VIRTUAL. By offering online displays, live streaming, interactive features, and real-time communications, it breaks time and space constraints, facilitating exhibitors and visitors to continue their business exchanges and cooperations beyond the physical exhibition. So far, nearly 1,300 companies have joined the CIOSH VIRTUAL, showcasing more than 3,000 products online and attracting over 70,000 views.

CIOSH Industry Technical Seminar, Sustainable Development Emerges as the Key Focus
The annual Industry Technical Seminar, held concurrently with CIOSH, serves as a platform for professionals to discuss product solutions, share industry insights, and exchange ideas on relevant policies. In 2021, China integrated climate change mitigation measures into its 14th Five-Year Plan, established a 2030 carbon peaking action plan, and proactively pursued the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Under the development objectives of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality," the sustainable development of the personal protective equipment (PPE) industry has become the primary theme of this year's seminar. Experts from China Carbon Low-carbon Certification (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., China Certification Centre, Inc., and SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd., will examine related policies, the effects of "carbon neutrality" on the PPE industry chain and the industries using PPE from different angles. They will also explore the future direction of PPE and offer professional guidance for the transformation of relevant enterprises.

Fall Protection Zone
Falls from height are one of the most common accidents that cause serious injury or death to workers. Effective fall protection requires not only protective equipment, but also professional instructions and training. Therefore, CIOSH set up a new Fall Protection Zone in 2021, which received unanimous acclaim. CIOSH 2023 has continued to invite SKYLOTEC, rothoblaas, JECH, Mode and NTR Safety, five companies that specialize in protection at height, to conduct on-site demonstrations on fall testing, fall protection solutions and aerial rescue, and provide visitors with the most professional fall protection guidance and training.

Occupational Health
CIOSH has always implemented the strategy of expanding the business scope in a diversified way, which devotes itself to providing innovative opportunities and new driving forces for the sustainability of the occupational safety and health industry. This year, focusing on the "occupational health" sector, the exhibition will launch an Ergonomics Zone and an Exoskeleton Technology Zone for the first time.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) and technology specialist Polymateria Limited have signed an exclusive 10-year partnership to help household brands bring biodegradable nonwoven hygiene products to the market through biotransformation technology.

This collaboration provides a new solution for dealing with essential items like facemasks and wipes once they have been used, ensuring they can return safely to nature without leaving behind any microplastics or toxic residue. It is specifically designed to tackle plastic leaking into the environment as unmanaged waste, meaning it is neither collected for landfill nor recycled. Given that most of the plastic in our oceans originates as unmanaged waste on land, addressing the unmanaged waste challenge is key.

IVL’s right to use Polymateria’s unique biotransformation technology for nonwovens supports application in non-virgin resin recycling while providing a solution for ‘fugitive’ used articles, especially those items that end up in the natural environment. This biotransformation process involves the plastic transforming into a bioavailable wax in the open terrestrial environment, whereupon the wax is fully consumed by bacteria, microbes and fungi, leaving just carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. The pulp component is inherently biodegradable under similar conditions.

Nonwovens made by IVL using Polymateria’s technology have been independently tested against, and meet the criteria in, the BSI PAS 9017 standard for the biodegradation of polyolefins in an open-air terrestrial environment published by the British Standards Institution in October 2020. This standard and/or its criteria – the first in the world to ensure plastic can biotransform in the open terrestrial environment without creating any microplastics – is being adopted around the world including in India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hungary.

• Revenue rose to EUR 2.57 bn, while EBITDA declined to EUR 241.9 mn
• Implementation of EUR 70 mn cost reduction program proceeding according to plan
• Largest investment program in the company’s history including the lyocell plant in Thailand and the pulp mill in Brazil implemented on time and within budget
• Outlook: Lenzing expects EBITDA in 2023 to be in a range of EUR 320 mn to EUR 420 mn

The Lenzing Group was increasingly affected by extreme developments on the global energy and raw material markets in the 2022 financial year, in tandem with most of manufacturing industry in Europe. The market environment also deteriorated significantly in the third and fourth quarters, while worsening consumer sentiment placed an additional burden on Lenzing’s business growth.

In the year under review, revenue increased by 16.9 percent year-on-year to reach EUR 2.57 bn, primarily as a result of higher fiber prices. The quantity of fiber sold decreased, while the quantity of pulp sold rose. In addition to lower demand, the earnings trend particularly reflects the increase in energy and raw material costs. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) decreased by 33.3 percent year-on-year to EUR 241.9 mn in 2022. The net result for the year was minus EUR 37.2 mn (compared with EUR 127.7 mn in the 2021 financial year), while earnings per share stood at minus EUR 2.75 (compared with EUR 4.16 in the 2021 financial year).

Outlook
The war in Ukraine and the tighter monetary policy pursued by many central banks to combat inflation will continue to exert pressure on the global economy. The easing of China’s zero-Covid policy could lead to an unexpectedly rapid recovery. However, the IMF has warned that risks remain high overall and projects growth of 2.9 percent in 2023. Exchange rate volatility looks set to continue in regions that are important to Lenzing.

These challenging market conditions are also continuing to weigh on consumer confidence and sentiment in the sectors relevant to Lenzing. The outlook has improved slightly of late, with inventory levels returning to normal across the value chain. Nonetheless, subdued demand remains a source of concern for market players.

Inventories in the bellwether cotton market have diminished recently, although they remain above pre-pandemic levels. A decline in crops is foreseeable in the current 2022/2023 harvest season. The sharp rise in prices on the energy and raw material markets will continue to pose significant challenges for the market.

Overall, earnings visibility remains restricted.

In structural terms, Lenzing expects a continued rise in demand for environmentally friendly fibers in the textile and clothing industry, as well as in the hygiene and medical sectors. Thus, with its “Better Growth” strategy, Lenzing is very well positioned and will continue to drive growth in specialty products, while pursuing its sustainability targets including the transformation from a linear to a circular economy model.

In light of these factors and assuming a further market recovery in the current financial year, the Lenzing Group expects EBITDA in 2023 to be in a range of EUR 320 mn to EUR 420 mn.

Global Fashion Summit, a leading international forum for sustainability in fashion, will convene core stakeholders across the fashion ecosystem and parallel industries to drive tangible action on social and environmental sustainability. The Summit is presented by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). GFA is a non-profit organisation that is accelerating the transition to a net positive fashion industry, under the patronage of HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark. Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2023 will take place on 27-28 June in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The theme of Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2023 is ‘Ambition to Action’. Under this premise, the Summit will present content experiences focused on tangible impact.

The theme will underly all elements of the Summit and Main Stage speakers will showcase inspiring thought leadership for accelerated change by exploring a matrix of interconnected topics. The 2023 Copenhagen Edition will build on more than a decade’s worth of Summit guidance and outcomes by dedicating even more focus towards action-oriented workshops and case studies. Through these formats, the forum will demonstrate tangible learnings and concrete recommendations that can help drive implementation.
 
The forum will also host strategic roundtable meetings with the aim to mobilise industry leaders to build alliances with solution providers, policy makers, investors and other industry stakeholders and implement immediate solutions. Such alliances can set in motion progress towards a net positive industry. With upcoming policy expected to influence the fashion industry even further this year, the Summit will shed light on the ongoing pieces of legislation currently under discussion both within the EU and worldwide.

This year’s Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition is supported by Principal Sponsor, Maersk. A globally renowned leader in logistics that aims to deliver a more connected, agile and sustainable future for global logistics. Maersk will support the Summit's agenda to accelerate industry transformation by highlighting how logistics can help the fashion and lifestyle industry in reaching their sustainability goals.

Additionally, the Innovation Forum will present a curated exhibition of other leading sustainable solutions. Summit attendees can meet with exhibitors covering the entire value chain – from innovative materials to end-of-use solutions. Innovation Forum Matchmaking will enable small and large fashion businesses to advance their sustainability journey, by providing the unique opportunity to be matched with relevant solution providers. 

The Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH announces the programme for the upcoming editions of MUNICH FABRIC START (24 to 26 January 2023) and BLUEZONE & KEYHOUSE (24 and 25 January 2023).
From 24 to 26 January 2023, visitors can expect a range of the latest trends, fabric, accessories and denim highlights from around 900 international exhibitors, an event programme with expert panels, keynotes and trend lectures, as well as numerous networking opportunities.

Economic Environment
Conflicts, inflation, recession, energy crisis, massive inequality, climate change - how companies can position themselves securely in a volatile market environment - this is deciphered by trend analyst David Shah in his key note "Self-Empowerment" and numerous industry experts, futurologists and leading fashion editors in the lecture series "The Status Quo of Fashion" by strategy and communication consultants Alex Vogt and Jana Kern.

Next to David Shah (View-Publications), the panel will include Siems Luckwaldt (CAPITAL and BUSINESS PUNK, RTL Germany), Shamin Vogel (WeAr Global Magazine), Ben Hanson (The Interline), Maria Cristina Pavarini (The SPIN OFF) and Carl Tillessen (DMI)

Digital Era
From digital colour apps, digital twins and virtual models to 3D simulation and virtual dressing rooms - the world of digital fashion will not only be discussed in numerous lectures in Munich, but also brought to life in the new Assyst Experience. Whether it's Carola Seybold, Head of Global Key Accounts at Pantone, Jan Hilger from Roland Berger, Arndt Johannes from Verce, Dr. Stefan Hauswiesner, CEO of Reactive Reality or the experts of the panel "Textilfabrik X.0 - New Marketing Buzz Words or One Step Ahead": everyone will be looking at virtual fashion from a different angle and providing insights into the latest state of the art. In her trend presentation "The weird & wonderful world of fashion cores" at BLUEZONE, Angela Velasquez (Rivet) sheds light on how viral TikTok trends are reshaping denim merchandising.

Sustainable Future
Digitisation and sustainability - the third major theme of the event programme - could not be more closely intertwined. Lisa Lang, Director of Policy & EU Affairs Orchestrator of EIT Climate KIC in an interview with Muchaneta ten Napel (Shape Innovate) kicks things off about the importance of a green transformation for the industry. Other topics in focus: Liv Simpliciano from Fashion Revolution gives an overview of where the world's biggest fashion brands and retailers stand in terms of transparency. Tricia Carey from Renewcell, David Shah (View-Publications), Lien van der Schueren and Guy Buyle (CISUTAC & HEREWEAR), Mateusz Wielopolski (Circulix) and Mario Malzacher (Circular.Fashion) critically discuss whether the circular economy is really the solution for everything or just a placebo. Circular ecosystems are also presented by Franziska von Becker from Hachmeister & Partner.

The race of the new sustainable materials of the future will be opened by Kirsi Terho from Infinited Fiber, Kuben Edwards from Onezero8, Marianne Uddman from Trustrace and Simon Angel, Sustainable Innovations Curator of MUNICH FABRIC START in a panel discussion with Muchaneta ten Napel (Shape Innovate). New products for a sustainable future in the denim industry will be discussed at BLUEZONE.
Another highlight: In cooperation with the Transformers Foundation, an expert panel will also be held at BLUEZONE on both days of the trade show.

Trends Spring.Summer 2024
Gerd Müller-Thomkins, Carl Tillessen and Niels Holger Wien from the Deutsches Mode Institut (DMI) see a "vibe shift" - a turning point. They will analyse what this means for fashion in their trend presentation on Wednesday. The Women's Fashion Trends SS 24 with the must haves of the season will be analysed by Karin Schmitz from the Trend Forecast Institute Peclers Paris - from the glamorous appearance in everyday life, to the play with gender identity, to simplicity combined with functionality and mobility.

The European textiles and clothing sector is set for a major transformation which will affect both industry and workers. The EU’s strategy for sustainable and circular textiles aims to ensure that by 2030, textile products placed on the EU market are long-lived and recyclable with the industry moving from a linear to a circular business model. This strategy is accompanied with the EU’s transition pathway for a more resilient, sustainable, and digital textiles ecosystem linking the green transition with the digital transition while stressing the need for the sector to remain competitive.

IndustriAll European Trade Union (industriAll Europe) and Euratex, representing the workers and employers in the textiles and clothing sectors respectfully, jointly highlight both the challenges and opportunities of the giant forthcoming transformation of the sector and call for action to ensure that European industrial policy is fit for purpose and enables the sector to transform without negatively impacting workers or European industry.

Specifically, the European social partners jointly call for:

1. EU action to guarantee that the European textiles ecosystem remains competitive, including ensuring a level global playing field.
2. Measures to increase the demand of sustainable products including awareness raising campaigns, incentives such as lower VAT rates, and sustainability criteria in public procurement.
3. Measures to ensure access to green and affordable energy.
4. Policy gaps to be addressed, such as promoting a harmonised Extended Producer Responsibility approach across the EU and ensuring that SMEs can use Product Environmental Footprints.
5. Action to ensure that the Sustainable Products Regulation and the forthcoming Digital Product Passport will offer a transparent, predictable and SME-friendly framework.
6. Investment in attracting, training and reskilling workers including via concrete support for the EU Pact for Skills.
7. Appropriate funding, sound metrics and legal incentives at regional, national, and European level to support the green and digital transitions of the textile and clothing sectors.
8. Regional and national authorities to coordinate with sectoral social partners to ensure that the green and digital transitions are fair and just and do not leave the industry, regions or workers behind.

• Fully traceable and sustainable wool via blockchain
• Transparent supply chains

Schoeller strives to offer more high-quality fabrics made from sustainable NATIVA™ wool in the future.

The NATIVA™ wool comes from certified farms in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America, Uruguay and Argentina. The farms comply with strict levels of animal welfare, and management and ethical work policies. To ensure animal welfare each farmer has a management plan, assessing feeding, breeding, behaviour, animal handling and health and infrastructure. This includes the prohibition of mulesing and stress free shearing.

All following steps such as wool sourcing, combing, spinning and weaving are also monitored and certified to the highest ethical and quality standards. NATIVA™ is the first global wool brand to provide Blockchain traceability from farm to consumer. This transparency in the supply chain, enabled by the NATIVA™ certification and powered by Blockchain, means brands can truly show the journey of their wool.

A unique QR code is generated for each product of each brand. This code is a connection between the NATIVA™ Blockchain Platform and the NATIVA™ Blockchain Website. Customers can scan the QR code to view the NATIVA™ Blockchain Website, where they can trace in real time the journey of their wool, from farm to brand.

Benefits:

• Complete transparency over the supply chain and product transformation.
• End to end traceability.
• A fantastic marketing tool for any brand.

The Italian company offers its dyeing technology for practical and theoretical design explorations at the Fashion For Good Museum in Amsterdam.

On Saturday October 22nd in Amsterdam, Andrea Venier, Officina39 Managing Director, took part in the Denim & Dyeing seminar to talk about Recycrom™, the patented revolutionary and sustainable dyestuffs range obtained through an innovative upcycling process that involves textile fibers from used clothing and manufacturing waste for dyeing and printing applications.

The seminar was organized inside the Fashion For Good Museum by the Stichting Textielcommissie Nederland, together with a Design Challenge to which took part a selection of young designers who have explored Recycrom™’s colorful potential in their creations. The winning designs are exposed in a 2-week pop-up show at Fashion For Good Museum.

The Museum is also hosting the “Knowing Cotton Otherwise” exhibition, that highlights the relationship between cotton and the fashion industry, the role of cotton in an increasingly intertwined web of global cultures, and the sustainable innovations driving its circular transformation.

Innovative solutions from Fashion for Good Innovators Oritain and Officina39, which tackle some of the challenging aspects of cotton’s production such as origin and traceability, dyeing and water use, are also used by the artists in their installations. Three of them have been inspired by the ecofriendly dyeing potential of Recycrom™: the protagonist of the meeting between art and fashion, sustainability and design, past, present and future of the industry. The first artist that has challenged herself is Caithlin Courtney Chong, who has realized an artwork installation with Recycrom™ in the print room, and a suggestive installation dedicated to Officina39’s sustainable dyestuffs.

Sustainable Chemistry for the Textile Industry (SCTI™) has appointed Dr. Isabella Tonaco as Executive Director, effective November 1, 2022. With a mandate to inspire and trigger action at a global level, she will lead SCTI to drive transformational change in the textile and leather industries.
 
Launched two years ago by seven of the world's leading chemical companies, the SCTI Alliance aims to enable brands, retailers and manufacturers to apply cutting-edge sustainable chemistry solutions that enhance the well-being of factory workers, local communities, consumers and the planet.
 
Dr. Tonaco will oversee SCTI activities to implement this mission. Based in Germany, she will work with SCTI member companies and stakeholders across the textile and leather value chain to help the industry achieve the highest levels of sustainability. Dr. Tonaco will report to the SCTI Executive Committee.
 
Dr. Tonaco has more than a decade of experience in sustainability and has held various strategic and commercial roles in the chemical industry. Most recently, she was Vice President of Strategy Execution and Marketing for Renewable Polymers & Chemicals at Neste, a global leader in renewable and circular solutions. Previously, Dr. Tonaco worked for BASF, where she established and executed the company's global leadership position in certified sustainable palm-based ingredients for the Personal Care industry.

Freudenberg Performance Materials – the Freudenberg Group’s nonwovens specialist – was hosting a meeting of the German National Hydrogen Council at the Freudenberg headquarters in Weinheim, Germany, on September 16. As a leading global supplier of technical textiles, Freudenberg Performance Materials provides fuel cell components for mobility applications and for electrolyzers used to produce CO₂-free hydrogen.

The German National Hydrogen Council was appointed by the German government and acts as an independent, non-partisan advisory board. The council board currently consists of 25 high-ranking experts in the fields of economy, science and civil society. The objective is to assist and advise the State Secretaries’ Committee on Hydrogen in the further development and implementation of Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy. Council meetings are hosted by one of the board members to enable the council to deepen its knowledge of the relevant technologies, value chain roles and challenges. Dr. Silke Wagener is a member of the council board, and represents the Freudenberg technology group, giving input on suppliers’ know-how as well as contributing her decades-long expertise in technological solutions for the hydrogen industry.

During a tour of the factory organized for the council board members, Freudenberg Performance Materials explained the development and production of performance-critical gas diffusion layers manufactured from carbon fiber-based nonwovens for fuel cells and porous transport layers for electrolyzers. The tour highlighted the potential for improvements from a supplier’s perspective, such as the need for very timely exchange and collaboration along the value chain. Functioning, unbroken and scalable value chains, in parallel with the development and scaling of hydrogen infrastructure, are key prerequisites for the hydrogen industry to fulfill its vital role in the transformation to climate neutrality.

Gas diffusion layers are one of the main components at the heart of the fuel cell. Their function is to transport gases and liquids in the cells. They have a significant impact on system performance and costs, and are indispensable for the functioning of fuel cells. The same applies for porous transport layers that are the key component of electrolyzers for the CO₂-free production of what is called green hydrogen.

Fuel cells in combination with green hydrogen are an important technology for CO₂-free mobility, in particular with reference to buses, heavy-duty trucks and trains. Other uses include stationary applications such as stationary power generation or heat generation in buildings or industry.
Apart from mobility, green hydrogen also plays a key role in climate-neutral energy supplies in the industrial sector, particularly in the chemical and steel industries.