From the Sector

For the third time, nova-Institute awards the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the frame of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023” (8-9 March 2023). The conference advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste, banana production waste and bacterial pulp, a novel technology for producing lyocell yarns and a hygiene product. The innovations will be put to the vote of the conference audience on the first day of the event, with the awards ceremony taking place in the evening. The innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023” is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

Here are the six nominees
Vybrana – The new generation banana fibre – GenCrest Bioproducts (India)
Vybrana is a Gencrest’s Sustainable Cellulosic Fibre upcycled from agrowaste. Raw fibres are extracted from the Banana Pseudo stem at the end of the plant lifecycle. The biomass waste is then treated by the Gencrest patented Fiberzyme technology. Here, cocktail enzyme formulations remove the high lignin content and other impurities and help fibre fibrillation. The company's proprietary cottonisation process provides fine, spinnable cellulose staple fibres suitable for blending with other staple fibres and can be spun on any conventional spinning systems giving yarns sustainable apparel. Vybrana is produced without the use of heavy chemicals and minimized water consumption and in a waste-free process where balance biomass is converted to bio stimulants Agrosatva and Bio Fertilizers & organic manure.

HeiQ AeoniQ™ – technology for more sustainability of textiles – HeiQ (Austria)
HeiQ AeoniQ™ is the disruptive technology and key initiative from HeiQ with the potential to change the sustainability of textiles. It is the first climate-positive continuous cellulose filament yarn, made in a proprietary manufacturing process and the first to reproduce the properties of polyester and nylon yarns in a cellulosic, biodegradable, and endlessly recyclable fibre.
HeiQ AeoniQ™ can be manufactured from different cellulosic raw materials such as pre- and post-consumer textile waste, biotech cellulose, and non-valorized agricultural waste, such as ground coffee waste or banana peels. It naturally degrades after only 12 weeks in the soil. Each ton of HeiQ AeoniQ™ saves 5 tons of CO2 emissions. The first garments made with this innovative cellulosic filament fiber were commercially launched in January 2023.

TENCEL™ LUXE – lyocell filament yarn – Lenzing (Austria)
TENCEL™ LUXE is LENZING’s new versatile lyocell yarn that offers an urgently needed sustainable filament solution for the textile and fashion industry. A possible botanical alternative for silk, long-staple cotton, and petrol-based synthetic filaments, is derived from wood grown in renewable, sustainably managed forests, and produced in an environmentally sound, closed-loop process that recycles water and reuses more than 99 % of organic solvent. Certified by The Vegan Society, it is suitable for a wide range of applications and fabric developments, from finer high fashion propositions to denim constructions, seamless and activewear innovations, and even agricultural and technical solutions.

Nullarbor™ – Nanollose & Birla Cellulose (Australia/India)
In 2020, Nanollose & Birla Cellulose started a journey to develop and commercialize tree-free lyocell from bacterial cellulose, called Nullarbor™. The name derives from the Latin “nulla arbor” which means “no trees”. Initial lab research at both ends led to a joint patent application with the patent “production of high-tenacity lyocell fibres made from bacterial cellulose”.
Nullarbor is significantly stronger than lyocell made from wood-based pulp; even adding small amounts of bacterial cellulose to wood pulp increases the fibre toughness. In 2022, the first pilot batch of 260kg was produced with 20 % bacterial pulp share. Several high-quality fabrics and garments were produced with this fibre. The collaboration between Nanollose & Birla Cellulose now focuses on increasing the production scale and amount of bacterial pulp in the fibre.

Circulose® – makes fashion circular – Renewcell (Sweden)
Circulose® made by Renewcell is a branded dissolving pulp made from 100 % textile waste, like worn-out clothes and production scraps. It provides a unique material for fashion that is 100 % recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and of virgin-equivalent quality. It is used by fibre producers to make staple fibre or filaments like viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate or other types of man-made cellulosic fibres. In 2022, Renewcell, opened the world’s first textile-to-textile chemical recycling plant in Sundsvall, Sweden – Renewcell 1. The plant will eventually reach 120,000 tons of annual capacity.

Sparkle sustainable sanitary pads – Sparkle Innovations (United States)
Globally, around 300 billion period products are discarded every year, resulting in millions of tons of non-biodegradable waste. Since most conventional sanitary pads contain up to 90 % plastics, they do not biodegrade for around 600 years. Sparkle has designed sustainable, plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable Sparkle sanitary pads. From product to packaging, they are made up of around 90 % cellulose-based materials with top sheet, absorbent core, release paper, wrapping paper and packaging made of cellulose-based fibres. Whether Sparkle pads end up in a compost pit, are incinerated or end up in a landfill, they are a more sustainable alternative compared to conventional pads that contain large amounts of plastics, complex petro-chemical based ingredients and artificial fragrances. When tested according to ISO 14855-1 by a leading independent lab in Europe, Sparkle pads reached over 90 % absolute biodegradation within 90 days in commercial composting conditions.

For the first time in two years, global automotive production recorded a significant increase in full-year 2022 with 82.0 million vehicles produced (2021: 77.2 million vehicles) and growth of 6.2%, driven by the regions Asia and North America, but remained below 2019 levels.
Autoneum's revenue in local currencies increased significantly by 8.5%, largely due to inflation-related compensation. In the regions Europe and Asia, Autoneum's production volumes developed below market. Compared to the July 2022 estimate, revenue was around CHF 90 million lower than assumed due to volume factors. The strong fluctuations in production volumes due to vehicle manufacturer supply chain issues continued in 2022 and were exacerbated by the war in Ukraine in Europe and by COVID-related lockdowns in Autoneum's Asian main market China. Consolidated revenue in Swiss francs increased by 6.1% year-on-year to CHF 1 804.5 million (2021: CHF 1 700.4 million) due to the strong Swiss franc.

Revenue development in the regions
In local currencies, revenue of Business Group Europe increased by 2.7%, while production volumes of vehicle manufacturers decreased by 1.3%. The growth in revenue resulted from inflation compensation, while Autoneum's production volumes were significantly lower compared to the previous year. Business Group North America increased its revenue in local currencies by 11.0%. The number of vehicles produced increased by 9.7% year-on-year. Volume development at Autoneum’s North American plants clearly improved compared with 2021 due to the allocation of semiconductors to the vehicle models supplied by Autoneum. Revenue of Business Group Asia declined by 2.7% in local currencies, and thus was significantly below the market (+7.7%). Autoneum's production facilities in its main market China are located in regions that were hit particularly hard by the COVID-related lockdowns. Growth in China was also driven by Chinese vehicle manufacturers, with whom Autoneum generated only little revenue last year.
Business Group SAMEA (South America, Middle East and Africa) achieved hyperinflation-adjusted revenue growth in local currencies of 65.2% year-on-year. This increase was mainly due to inflation compensation and in terms of volume slightly outperformed the market, which grew by 7.5%.

Due to significantly lower production volumes in Autoneum's regions Europe and Asia of around CHF 90 million compared to the half-year estimate and further increases in energy costs in the second half of the year, Autoneum expects the full-year 2022 result to be at the lower end of the guidance published on June 15, 2022.

The full year-end financial statements and the Annual Report 2022 will be presented at the Media Conference on March 1, 2023.

For the SS24 Iluna focuses on the most precious lightness and intangibility with its Ultralight series of jacquardtronic laces reminiscent of the delicacy of Leavers.
This season, responsible developments did not stop at responsible ingredients and processes; in fact, the company focused on the circular economy! The stylistic research started from the company's historical archive, to give life to a collection that revisits the proposals in a "modern classic" key.
 
The company's design team recreated the iconic designs of the line, the heart of the Black Label proposal, ILUNA's signature line offering the finest laces. Focusing on upcycling, the team reworked archival stocks, creating new value through finishings, and reweaving from scratch only the missing widths in order to present a complete, coordinated underwear/nightwear range from allovers to galoons.

For the SS24 season the Iluna team continues its developments with GOTS-certified organic cotton in its galoons and allovers, to add a natural touch to its Green Label line.
Among the ingredients chosen by Iluna Group are: Renycle® and Q-NOVA®, both GRS-certified pre-consumer recycled polyamide yarns in addition to the recycled stretch ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei. Among the new technical developments on laces, Iluna then worked on variable elasticity modules, resulting in reinforced edges or zones of differentiated elasticity that can be variously positioned within the laces.
All this results in a comfortable, ultralight product that remains true to a high value of creativity and responsibility. The option is applicable to all the Iluna laces, with modular solutions at the customer's request on fashion items as well, where research continues on FSC-certified pre-dyed viscoses and unexpected metallic gleams with lurex.

Moreover, the continuous path through the new dimension of responsibility continues in several directions: experiments with 16 different natural dyestuffs; and continued investment in technologies that can ensure significant savings in water and energy consumption, including GREENDROP, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system.
From athleisure to fashion, through lingerie to the world of high fashion, Iluna's lace continues to expand its applications, confirming its extreme versatility, remarkable performance and inimitable beauty.

Within its TEXTILE SOLUTIONS, the CHT Group has developed solution approaches for manufacturing companies in the textile value chain that have to use a lot of energy for their production. This is intended to compensate high energy costs and make a positive contribution to climate protection.Application specialists work with customers to develop individual savings potentials that are specifically tailored to the production facilities and requirements. Thus, depending on the process, fabric and machine, energy savings of up to 30% can be achieved with the use of innovative CHT textile auxiliaries, dyes/pigments and the corresponding process optimisations. In addition, the numerous concepts and optimally matched products can minimise water consumption or shorten the process time.

Energy-efficient cold bleaching instead of pad-steam bleaching processes in continuous pretreatment and the 4SUCCESS process for energy-efficient and resource-saving pretreatment and dyeing of cotton help to save energy. Likewise, the use of polymer binders, which do not require energy-intensive fixation, saves energy.

Efficient pretreatment with the new polymer technology CPT (Comb Polymer Technology) achieves good cleaning effects even with low liquor ratios and thus less water to heat up. To save costs for energy-consuming heating, there is also the gentle low-temperature fixation in the easy care finishing. The OrganIQ EMS Jeans system enables jeans finishing with a reduced application temperature compared to standard processes.

With TIME BOOST, a process for fast polyester dyeing processes, not only significant energy but also time savings are achieved by omitting pre-washing and by shortening heating and migration times. SHORT CUT also leads to shorter process times when dyeing polyamide.

To avoid cost-intensive intermediate drying, the CHT Group offers the SCREEN-2-SCREEN with PRINTPERFEKT S2S which facilitates printing in a wet-on-wet technology.

In addition to numerous other products, the CHT Group also offers its customers digital tools to optimally support process optimizations. The "BEZAKTIV Soaping Advisor" calculation program within the CHT Textile Dyes app can be used to evaluate and improve dyeing and soaping processes in a simple and target-oriented way.

January, 6 Autoneum signed an agreement to acquire the automotive business of Borgers. The transaction is expected to close in April 2023 following antitrust clearance. The enterprise value paid amounts to EUR 117 million.

Borgers specializes in textile acoustics protection, insulation and trim for automobiles. The product and customer range of Borgers is to a great extent complementary to the product and customer portfolio of Autoneum. Borgers’ wheel arch liner and trunk liner product lines as well as their truck business optimally complement the product range of Autoneum. Especially in the field of textile wheel arch liners, Borgers is the market leader in Europe. In addition, Borgers’ product range is distinguished by sustainable and fully recyclable products. In fiscal year 2021, the Borgers Automo-tive Group generated revenue of EUR 610 million with around 4 700 employees. Thanks to Autoneum’s global presence, the Borgers product portfolio adds to the sales potential for profitable growth in the medium term outside Europe.

Autoneum is acquiring Borgers from insolvency and has agreed new pricing and delivery terms with its customers. These will ensure sustained profitability and the further development of product and process technologies in both the short and long term.

The transaction will initially be financed through a new credit facility which is available in addition to the syndicated loan of CHF 350 million renewed in October 2022. A capital increase in the amount of approximately CHF 100 million is planned for the long-term refinancing of the acquisition. Autoneum’s two largest shareholders, Artemis Beteiligungen I AG and PCS Holding AG, have agreed to participate in the capital increase in proportion to their current shareholdings. Even taking into account the aforementioned capital increase, the transaction will generate a positive earn-ings per share contribution from the outset.

In its 30th year of dedication to safer textiles and leather, OEKO-TEX® has created a new brand identity. The global certifier of textile and leather products and production worked with branding agency Schwitzke ID to build the clear and unified OEKO-TEX® World.

Based on scientific principles, OEKO-TEX® has been promoting transparency in the textile and leather industry for three decades. Transparency is essential for enabling companies and consumers to make responsible decisions. “The new branding reflects the active, solution-oriented and positive approach. With our independent test institutes, we certify to clear, globally uniform criteria, which we communicate openly," says Inga Bleyer, Global Head of Marketing. "Our new look is clear, consistent and transparent."

The most visible change is the new OEKO-TEX® logo, based on a geometric square and an organic circle, which reflect the scientific approach of OEKO-TEX® and the nature it aims to protect. The logo typo is supported by a stylized, organic form reminiscent of natural structures, such as leaves, drops or textile loops. The reduced colour palette highlights the umbrella brand with a new OEKO-TEX® Green plus black and white. A related colour palette supplements communication about OEKO-TEX® products. The product logos are subordinate to the umbrella brand, creating a unified hierarchy.

The lengthy transition period through 2024 considers sustainability. Customers should start the conversion now and may use any existing labels through the end of 2024.

Am 1. Januar 2023 ist das Lieferketten-Sorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG) in Kraft getreten. Die Unternehmen werden damit verpflichtet, Menschenrechte und Umweltbelange entlang ihrer globalen Lieferkette zu wahren. Der Bundesverband Medizintechnologie (BVMed) unterstützt die Medizintechnik-Branche bei der praktischen Umsetzung der neuen LkSG-Pflichten mit einer kostenlosen Handreichung. Die Orientierungshilfe besteht aus insgesamt sechs Modulen, von denen nun auch Modul 3 „Ausgestaltung des Beschwerdemechanismus“ und Modul 5 „Jährliche Berichterstattung“ online gegangen sind. Zuvor waren bereits Module zum Anwendungsbereich, zur Compliance-Dokumentation und zur Ausgestaltung der Governance vom BVMed veröffentlicht worden. Die Module können unter www.bvmed.de/lksg heruntergeladen werden.

Das Gesetz gilt für alle Unternehmen, die in Deutschland mehr als 3.000 Mitarbeitende beschäftigen. Ab dem 1. Januar 2024 gilt es ab 1.000 Beschäftigte. Auch kleine und mittelständische Medizinprodukte-Hersteller und -Zulieferer können mittelbar betroffen sein. Dabei gilt das LkSG für sämtliche Wirtschaftsbereiche, also auch für das Gesundheitswesen einschließlich des Medizintechnik-Sektors.

„Unser Ziel ist es, mit den Publikationen zu einem einheitlichen Branchenstandard für die Implementierung des LkSG in Medizinprodukte-Unternehmen beizutragen. Damit erreichen wir Harmonisierung, Rechtssicherheit und Effizienz. Moderne Medizintechnologien dienen den Menschen und ihrer Gesundheitsversorgung. Hierbei müssen die Lebensgrundlagen der Menschen im Blick behalten werden. Menschenrechte müssen umfassend geachtet und sichergestellt werden. Dies muss ein zentrales Anliegen in einer globalisierten Welt mit komplexen Liefer- und Warenströmen sein“, kommentiert BVMed-Geschäftsführer und Vorstandsmitglied Dr. Marc-Pierre Möll. Die Module wurden vom BVMed gemeinsam mit der Kanzlei Clifford Chance und der Produktkanzlei entwickelt.

Beschwerdemechanismus und jährliche Berichtserstattung
Die neu veröffentlichten Module 3 und 5 beleuchten die Ausgestaltung des Beschwerdemechanismus und die jährliche Berichtserstattung.

• Nach § 8 LkSG sind die Unternehmen verpflichtet, ein angemessenes und unternehmensinternes Beschwerdeverfahren einzurichten, welches es Personen ermöglicht, auf menschenrechtliche und umweltbezogene Risiken sowie auf Verletzungen menschenrechts- und umweltbezogener Pflichten hinzuweisen. Das dritte Modul enthält Vorschläge für die Ausgestaltung des Beschwerdemechanismus.
• Das fünfte Modul gibt eine Übersicht über die Mindestangaben, welche die Unternehmen im Rahmen ihrer jährlichen öffentlichen Berichterstattung nach § 10 Abs. 2 LkSG sowohl gegenüber der zuständigen Behörde, d. h. dem Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle („BAFA“), als auch gegenüber der Öffentlichkeit offenlegen müssen.
• Modul 4 zur Risikoanalyse, -priorisierung, -prävention und -abhilfe folgt bis Ende Januar 2023.

„Das LkSG begründet umfangreiche Sorgfaltspflichten zum Schutz von menschenrechtlichen und umweltbezogenen Belangen entlang der gesamtem Lieferkette“, erläutern BVMed-Nachhaltigkeitsexpertin Clara Allonge sowie BVMed-Rechtsexpertin Dr. Katja Marx. Die Pflichten umfassen unter anderem die Risikoermittlung, -vermeidung und -beseitigung, die Einrichtung einer Überwachungsfunktion – in der Regel durch eine:n Menschenrechtsbeauftragte:n – und eines Beschwerdemechanismus, das Erstellen oder Ergänzen von Compliance-Dokumenten sowie die regelmäßige Berichterstattung. Die BVMed-Handreichung enthält zur Unterstützung der MedTech-Unternehmen praktische Umsetzungshilfen in Form von Beispielen, Musterformulierungen und Checklisten.

In Workshops des BVMed und der BVMed-Akademie werden die Pflichten vertieft erläutert und die Möglichkeit für Rückfragen gegeben.

Die kostenlose BVMed-Handreichung für Medizintechnik-Unternehmen besteht insgesamt aus den folgenden sechs Modulen:

• Modul 0: Anwendungsbereich
• Modul 1: (Compliance-)Dokumentation
• Modul 2: Ausgestaltung der Governance
• Modul 3: Ausgestaltung des Beschwerdemechanismus
• Modul 4: Risikoanalyse, -priorisierung, -prävention und -abhilfe
• Modul 5: Jährliche Berichterstattung

Textile companies could take full advantage of expanded print opportunities with EFI™ Reggiani textile solutions presented at the 8-13 December India ITME Exhibition in Greater Noida.

The EFI Reggiani TERRA Silver printer was shown at ITME 2022: a solution to enter the industrial printing segment with a short, smart and green process. The EFI Reggiani TERRA Solution eliminates the need for steaming or washing on direct-to-textile applications, using a greener, more efficient polymerisation process that takes place as the printed textile goes through the printer’s on-board dryer. As a result, users can achieve superior printing results while using less time, water, and energy.

The EFI Reggiani exhibit at ITME was also promoting:

•  EFI Reggiani HYPER printer, a scanning printer available in 1.8-metre, 2.4-metre or 3.4-metre widths that prints at up to 20 linear metres per minute peak speed, making it the fastest textile scanning printer on the market;
• Mezzera Concord, the continuous rope washing line from the specialist in washing solutions that transports fabric by overflow for tensionless running with an independent squeezing mangle for each channel;
• One of the industry’s broadest line-ups of high-end, superior-quality textile inks, including EFI Reggiani AQUA and EFI Reggiani Diamond reactive, IRIS dye-sublimation, ARIA direct disperse, FUOCO acid, and GEA and TERRA pigment inks; and
• Inèdit, recently acquired by EFI Reggiani, a developer of raster image processors (RIPs) and related software for digital industrial textile printing with their product portfolio that features proven, highly advanced workflow solutions for textile profiling, calibration, design integration and much more.

Mey GmbH & Co. KG, a global manufacturer of underwear, nightwear and lingerie based in Germany, is launching the world’s first men’s nightwear with CELLIANT® Viscose, which converts body heat into infrared energy.

Called mey Zzzleepwear - THE NEW SLEEP-LIFE BALANCE, the collection follows the successful debut of the similarly named women’s collection in 2021. It consists of four designs in Indigo available in T-shirts, short pants, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. CELLIANT works by recycling the heat emitted by the body into full-spectrum infrared energy and then returns it to the body. As a result, it increases the supply of oxygen to the cells and promotes a restful sleep.

CELLIANT Viscose was developed by Hologenix®, creators of CELLIANT, a textile-based infrared ingredient brand, and Kelheim Fibres, a leading manufacturer of viscose specialty fibers. CELLIANT Viscose features natural minerals embedded into plant-based fibers and is biodegradable. It provides all the benefits of being a viscose fiber — lightweight, soft, highly breathable, excellent moisture management — as well as the fiber enhancements from CELLIANT infrared technology. In addition, CELLIANT is durable and will not wash out.

Carbios published its first Sustainability Report using 2021 as the baseline year. The report outlines Carbios’ commitment to developing environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives that go beyond the industrial development of its innovative plastics biorecycling technologies. Although not subject to the regulatory requirement of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), Carbios has nonetheless structured its report in accordance with the requirements of the European directive on Extra-Financial Performance Statements.

Carbios’ sustainability strategy is based on three pillars (governance and ethics, the environment, social and societal issues) divided into 22 priority material challenges. Carbios’ Sustainability Report reflects the company’s dedication to transparency in action and highlights its efforts in areas such as environmental sustainability; employee relations, diversity and inclusion; and corporate governance.

Within its 2021 Sustainability Report, Carbios has formalized several targets including:

ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES

• Use the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to maximize circularity and aim for the lowest carbon impact
• Commit to depolymerizing 60 tons of PET in 2023 at the Demonstration Plant in Clermont-Ferrand: the equivalent of about 3.2 million plastic bottles or 4 million food trays

SOCIAL OBJECTIVES

• Contribute to local economic development in France: the world’s first industrial-scale enzymatic PET recycling plant in Longlaville will create 150 direct and indirect jobs
• In a context of strong growth, promote employee well-being and safety by developing training, and ensuring the management and prevention of psycho-social risks
• Strengthen commitment to supporting international research through academic partnerships and scientific publications

GOVERNANCE OBJECTIVES

• Achieve 40% female members of the Board of Directors by end 2023, and 40% on Executive Committee by end 2024
• Achieve 60% independent members of the Board of Directors by end 2024
• Structure CSR governance with the creation of a CSR committee and integrate sustainability objectives into Executive’s compensation starting fiscal year 2023