#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

2022-12-08

Covestro and Circularise partner in ISCC PLUS certification across value chains

Mass balance accounting and transparency can also be improved for polycarbonate headlights through ISCC PLUS certification. © Covestro

Covestro is proud to announce the successful completion of Circularise’s pioneering project with the certification scheme ISCC in which partners tested a blockchain system to complement the ISCC PLUS certification. For the first time ten companies from the chemical industry and respective downstream sectors got together to test such a digital system to bridge the inter-company gap in the sustainability certification process across complex value chains.

Testing a blockchain system to complement ISCC PLUS

Circularise’s blockchain-based digital system was tested with the ISCC PLUS certification to make auditing of certified parties more efficient, and to strengthen the integrity of certified data. Participants used a public blockchain enabling authentication, accessibility, decentralization, and encryption of data verifying material flows and related sustainability attributes. "We are excited to bring our knowledge in supply chain traceability and data management to project partners to test a public decentralised blockchain with the ISCC PLUS certification," said Mesbah Sabur, Founder of Circularise.

For the first time, ten companies from the chemical industry – including Covestro – and downstream sectors tested a blockchain system from Circularise to complement ISCC PLUS certification. In the successful test, the partners were able to demonstrate that this can improve mass balance accounting and transparency along value chains. © Circularise

Material traceability and verification of data at individual sites and across the value chain are guaranteed by ISCC PLUS certification of each site of the operators, requiring site-specific audits, certification, and company-specific mass balance calculations to provide reassurance about the sustainable content. The data was uploaded to the Circularise software system to improve mass balance bookkeeping and reporting along the value chain through several companies.

"Certification will become more digital in the future. It will allow certification schemes to simplify the auditing process of supply chain actors and reduce the risk of mistakes. Companies will have an easier way to show compliance and adhere to auditing rules," says Jan Henke from ISCC. "We are excited to have tested Circularise’s traceability software on ISCC procedures."

Digitized ISCC certification for Covestro downstream customers

Covestro joined the ISCC pilot to understand how they can more efficiently communicate their sustainability information to their downstream partners.

"With other Circularise pilot projects, for example with Porsche, we were able to communicate raw sustainability data without a problem, but we had not yet addressed sustainability certifications. In the ISCC pilot we have shown now how we can easily attach certifications that can be digitally carried all the way through the value chain from Covestro to our downstream partners and finally to OEMs and beyond," explains John Fox from the Digital R&D area at Covestro. The company is seeing increasing demand from customers and partners for a digital certification system that can validate material sustainability claims via a system like ISCC.

Mass balancing is an emerging concept, not yet fully understood on the consumer side. So, in order to help ISCC and the entire mass balancing approach to reach out further down the value chain, the delivery of digital certified information through a simple and compatible system can give downstream partners an easier and more recognized tool to communicate and share sustainability attributes externally, all the way down to the consumer.

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

Covestro will present a broad portfolio of material innovations for textile coatings, adhesive films and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) at Techtextil 2026 (Hall 11.0, Booth C79). The exhibits will demonstrate how advanced solutions can enhance durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across applications such as automotive, infrastructure, protective apparel and sportswear. A particular focus will be on more sustainable coating technologies, including antimicrobial systems based on INSQIN® in combination with AGXX from Heraeus Precious Metals, as well as the integration of Pontacol® thermoplastic adhesive films into Covestro’s offering.

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

Covestro celebrates decade of innovation and sustainable growth

Covestro celebrates its 10-year anniversary today. Since its carve-out from Bayer in 2015, the company has developed into a global leader in high-performance polymer materials and a pioneer in circular economy solutions. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, Covestro’s materials are now embedded in countless applications worldwide – from mobility and construction to electronics, healthcare, and consumer goods.

Textilfabrik 7.0 launched: Mönchengladbach becomes a real-world lab for sustainable textile production

With the official kick-off event of the Textilfabrik 7.0 (T7), a major transformation project for the German textile and apparel industry has been launched in the Monforts Quarter in Mönchengladbach. At the “Textile Roundtable,” an event format organized by the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, representatives from industry, research, politics, and the regional economy came together to jointly lay the foundation for CO₂-neutral, circular, and economically viable textile production in Germany.

OnceMore® from Södra brings end-to-end traceability for circular Man-made Cellulosic Fibers (MMCF) using TextileGenesis

OnceMore® from Södra, the world’s first large-scale process for recycling blended fabrics into high‐quality dissolving pulp, will begin using TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, to strengthen traceability from raw material to retail across the value chain. OnceMore® produces dissolving pulp made from blended textile waste and wood sourced from responsibly managed Swedish forests. By integrating TextileGenesis, OnceMore® supports the growing need for verified data and secure, transparent tracking throughout increasingly complex supply chain.

Jeanologia launches Billy

The new AI extracts precise laser designs from a garment image in minutes, transforming how vintage denim is recreated for production. If Jeanologia’s laser changed the way jeans were made at the end of the last century, its AI now takes the next step: moving from reproducing wear to designing it. / archive photo © 2026 Jeanologia

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.