From high-speed machinery to breakthroughs in molecular chemistry, this year's winners were selected for their ability to merge top-tier performance with the urgent requirements of a circular economy. Here are the winners.

Category: Nonwoven roll goods

Winner: Lenzing - LENZING™ Dualwipe

LENZING™ Dualwipe is a high-performance cleaning wipe crafted from regenerated cellulose using LENZING™ Nonwovens Technology. Its innovative dual-surface design integrates abrasion and absorbency in a single material, enabling efficient cleaning without relying on fossil-based synthetic materials, binders, or chemical additives. One side features a mechanically active surface for scrubbing away dirt, grease, and residues, while the other offers a soft, highly absorbent surface for liquid uptake and surface finishing. Designed for industrial, professional, and household applications, LENZING™ Dualwipe is compatible with existing converting and processing infrastructure, facilitating rapid adoption.

Category: Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens - Single-use application

Corman - Organyc brand "Personalized Protection" light incontinence pads

Corman’s new light incontinence pads deliver personalized protection through three key innovations. The Smart-Cotton™ cover with a citric acid buffer maintains an ideal skin pH of 5.5, reducing irritation. The patented Cotton-Balanced Absorbent Core channels liquid to superabsorbent polymers that lock in moisture and expand toward the body for superior leak protection. Natural odor control uses an organic ingredient to bind ammonia and slow odor formation, eliminating odor instead of masking it. Clinically proven, the pads address the three main concerns of light incontinence: leaks, odor, and skin irritation.

Category: Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens - Durable application

Winner: Confitex Technology - Reusable nonwoven bed pads

This new Confitex technology has enabled the world’s first machine-washable and tumble-dryable nonwoven bed pads, opening a significant new application for nonwoven materials. Using a proprietary fibre-stabilisation bonding technique, the innovation allows absorbent nonwoven structures to withstand more than 30 machine wash and tumble-dry cycles while maintaining performance. The fully nonwoven construction combines a fast-wicking top sheet with a highly absorbent core capable of holding over two litres of liquid. In addition, a bonded frame structure prevents leakage across the entire surface, including the edges, addressing a common weakness of stitched textile bed pads.

Category: Raw materials or components (e.g.polymer,fibre, binder, film, tape) of special relevance to the nonwovens and related converted products industry

Winner: Bostik - Kizen™ Miles 9.0

Bostik - Kizen™ Miles 9.0 Bostik’s latest innovation, Kizen™ Miles 9.0, is the first adhesive designed for disposable hygiene article construction, that offers the unique feature of debonding on demand: when exposed to a specific chemical key, combined with controlled temperature and mechanical stress, the adhesive allows clean, rapid separation of plastic components in minutes. This process keeps the adhesive material on the substrate, preventing contamination for cleaner, more efficient hygiene article recycling. But during the lifetime of the hygiene article, this new material, based on up to 75% renewable materials, delivers exceptional bonding across a wide range of substrates—including PP, PE, and PLA—while maintaining stable performance over time and under wet conditions.

Category: Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry

Winner: ZUIKO – Recloseable baby diaper converting machine

ZUIKO has developed a converting line to produce adjustable pull on pant diapers that address the challenge of achieving a secure fit around a baby’s waist and legs while maintaining softness and stretchability. The design of such a diaper combines the adjustability of open diapers with the stretch characteristics of pant diapers. Unlike conventional pant diapers, which are processed symmetrically, ZUIKO’s recloseable diapers are asymmetric, requiring a precise, glue-less attachment process during folding. Central to the production is ZUIKO’s patented “Stretch Re-pitch Drum™,” which regulates elastic tension and product spacing, allowing panel folding in line with the machine’s flow. This system enables the production of over 700 diapers per minute without the need for multiple folding units.