#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2020-06-25

RISE® conference presents “What’s next” in sustainability

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced that registration is now open for the 10th edition of Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE®) Conference on the RISE® website. RISE® will be held at Talley Student Union, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, Sept. 29-30, and co-organized with The Nonwovens Institute (NWI) and North Carolina State University.

The Development Event for New Technologies and Opportunities Sept. 29-30

Developed for technology scouts and product developers, this insightful two-day conference will focus on visionary technologies, future-needs and market opportunities in material science, forward-looking research in sustainability, and critical shifts in nonwovens growth.

Highlights include: sustainability developments in polymers, fibers, additives, and fabrics from sourcing and disposal to reuse amid trends that are driving nonwoven advances.

A sampling of speaker presentations include:

Development & Use of a Biopolymer for Disposable Hygiene Products

Bryan Haynes, Ph.D., Senior Technical Director, Global Nonwovens,

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

How Innovation & Teamwork Supported a Large-scale Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

John Roberts, Strategic Marketing Executive – Polypropylene-Vistamaxx –Adhesion (PVA),

ExxonMobil Chemical Company

New Developments in PHA Fibers

Isao Noda, PhD, DSc, Chief Science Officer, Senior VP of Innovation,

Danimer Scientific

Sustainable Polymers and Fibers for Nonwovens: Current Status and Future Potential

Gajanan Bhat, Ph.D., Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors,

The University of Georgia

Biobased Fibers for Nonwovens: Trends and Future Outlook

Alexander Koukoulas, Ph.D., Managing Director,

A2Z Consulting, LLC

Sustainable Materials and Their Processing for the Future Nonwovens Industry

Orlando Rojas, Ph.D., Professor,

University of British Columbia

Using Biobased Superabsorbent Materials to Dramatically Increase Biobased Content of Hygiene Products

Ryan Chan, Ph.D., VP of R&D,

Tethis, Inc.

The Future of Performance Fabrics

Seth Casden, President,

Hologenix LLC

A New Performance Enhancing Additive for Nonwoven Applications

Christian Lenges, Business Development Manager, DuPont Industrial BioSciences, and Kyle Kim, Application Engineer,

DuPont

Ultra-Pure Recycling of Polypropylene and Going Beyond

John Layman, Ph.D., Section Head – Corporate R&D and Chief Technologist/Founding Inventor, PureCycle,

The Procter & Gamble Co.

Calcium Carbonate for Increased Sustainability in Nonwovens

Lee Clapp, Ph.D., Director of Market Development and Innovation – Technical Polymer Applications,

Omya Inc.

New Horizons with Eco-friendly and Flat Specialty Viscose Fiber

Helmut Lauterbach, Business Manager Textile and Nonwoven,

Kelheim Fibres GmbH

Nonwoven Materials Update

Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor, and Executive Director,

North Carolina State University, The Nonwovens Institute

Moving from “Cradle to Grave” to a Closed Biobased Economy

Steve Sikra, Vice-President and Chief of Staff,

The Alliance To End Plastic Waste

Plastics and a Socially Responsible Future

Paul Harmon, VP of Product Development & Product Marketing – HHS,

Berry Global

Sustainability: Narrowing a Wide Scope

Jessica Dahle, Product Development Scientist,

Fitesa

Driving Production Efficiency and Performance in N95 Face Masks

Robert Green, Director of Fibers & Nonwovens,

NatureWorks LLC

Sustainability from the Perspective of a Nonwoven Supplier to Disposable Personal Care Products

Thomas Broch-Nielsen, Senior Scientist, and Mette Due, R&D Manager,

Fibertex Nonwovens A/S, and Khrum Hussain, Supply Chain Director,

Unifi, Inc.

Simplifying Nonwoven Manufacturing Using the Reicofil Data Reporting System

Tristian Kretschmann, Manager for R&D Projects,

Reifenhauser REICOFIL GmbH & Co. KG

Picking Up the Pieces: The World After COVID

Jon Devine, Senior Economist,

Cotton Incorporated

The State of the North American Nonwoven’s Market and Its Response to COVID-19

Brad Kalil, Director of Market Intelligence and Economic Insights,

INDA

RISE® Innovation Award

Nominations are now being accepted online for the RISE® Innovation Award that recognizes innovation in areas within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry that use advanced science and engineering principles to develop unique or intricate solutions to problems and advance the use of nonwovens. The finalists will be announced in September and conference attendees will have a vote in selecting the winner that will be announced at RISE® 2020.

In 2019, the RISE® Innovation Award was presented to Surfaceskins, from Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute for its innovative antibacterial door push pads and pull handles, engineered to kill germs and bacteria in between one user and the next, thus helping prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections.

For complete program information and the latest speaker additions, visit the RISE® 2020 website. Hotel accommodations for registered attendees are offered at the nearby State View Hotel Autograph Collection by Marriott. Follow #rise20 and @RISE360.

2026 World of Wipes Innovation Award® finalists revealed

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the 2026 World of WipesInnovation Award®. The finalists are The Clorox Company for their Clorox™ Refreshables™, Lenzing Fibers, Inc. for their Lenzing™ DualWipe, and Rockline Industries for their First Defense™ Fentanyl Detection Wipe.

INDA honors four industry leaders with 2026 Lifetime Service and Technical Achievement Awards

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced the four distinguished recipients of the 2026 INDA Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Award. Tom Daugherty, Pricie Hanna, Carey Hobbs, and CK Wong are being recognized for their exceptional leadership, innovation, and enduring contributions to advancing the nonwovens industry and strengthening the global community it serves.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

Bremen Cotton Exchange: Fritz A. Grobien re-elected as President

The members of the Bremen Cotton Exchange have re-elected Fritz A. Grobien as President during the association’s 152nd General Assembly on June 18, 2026. The election confirms the organization’s commitment to maintaining its role as a leading international platform for the cotton and fiber industry amid a period of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Organic cotton at the crossroads: Ideology, evidence, and the road ahead

Organic cotton occupies one of the most contentious spaces in global agriculture. While praised by brands and consumers for its environmental ideals, it also faces persistent questions about yield stability, certification integrity, and scalability. The current edition of The ICAC Recorder cuts through the ideology to deliver a rigorous, evidence-based assessment of both sides of the debate.

New spinning package with two-step filtration for recycled yarns and more

At the ITM in Istanbul, BB Engineering unveiled its new, patented ValuePack spinning package for the first time, which features a two-stage filtration system. This is particularly beneficial for re-cycling processes. Until now, spinning packs have used either metal powder (“sand”) or filter candles as filter media. Both options are suitable for differ-ent applications, and each has its own specific advantages and dis-advantages.

ITMA 2027 gains strong momentum

In line with the theme "Co-creating the future of textiles", ITMA continues to strengthen its support for start-ups, recognising their role in driving innovation and shaping the future of textile and garment manufacturing. Through the Start-Up Valley, emerging companies gain access to a global marketplace where they can connect with industry leaders, potential partners, investors and customers.