#Raw Materials

2020-03-05

Egypt’s Prime Minister to inaugurate WCRC-7

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Kemal Madbouly will inaugurate the seventh World Cotton Research Conference (WCRC) in Sharm-el-Sheikh in the presence of some of Egypt’s most prominent politicians and academicians. Egypt Air offers flight discounts.

Will have many VIPs in attendance, including Mostafa Kemal Madbouly, Egypt’s Prime Minister

Announced its first major sponsorship: discounted flights on Egypt Air

Is held every four years — this is the seventh event since it launched in 1994

Is coordinated by the ICAC under the auspices of the International Cotton Researchers Association

Provides a showcase for scientists and researchers to display their work for the public and private sectors

In addition to the Honourable Prime Minister, Egypt’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Tareq Qabil, and Minister of Public Business Sector, Hisham Tawfik, will be at the event, which will be held from 3-7 October 2020 and is expected to draw more than 400 people.

That is not all of the good news for attendees, however: They will also have the opportunity to fly to and from Sharm el-Sheikh on Egypt Air, the event’s first major sponsor, at a 20% discount. The offer applies to all classes of travel; please contact Dr Mohamed Negm (prof.negmmohamed@yahoo.com) for more information.

‘The fact that multiple high-level government officials already have announced that they will be in attendance highlights just how important cotton is to Egypt’s economy and culture’, said Dr Mohamed Negm, Head of the National Organising Committee. ‘That is further confirmed by the outstanding support the WCRC is getting from the country’s national airline, Egypt Air. It’s clear that this is a must-attend event for cotton professionals, especially with the discounted airfares reducing travel costs’.

To learn more and register for WCRC-7, please visit

https://www.wcrc7.com/

ICAC releases 2025 edition of the Specialty Cotton Report

The ICAC has released the newest edition of the Specialty Cotton Report, a free publication that was created in 2023 to highlight the many new "identity cotton programs" that have been emerging around the world, in addition to covering long-staple (LS) and extra-long staple (ELS) cotton. For the ICAC's purposes, "specialty cotton" refers to any cotton that is remarkable in some way — LS, ELS, or falls under a specific identity program.

BCI warns against ‘dangerous dilution’ of EU corporate directives

The approval of the European Commission’s Omnibus I proposal by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, accepting controversial changes to key sustainability directives is of great concern. These changes, namely to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), threaten to significantly dilute business reporting and due diligence obligations.

Fashion For Good launches “Beyond50 Denim” to address hemp integration barriers in global denim production

Fashion for Good, together with leading global brands BESTSELLER, C&A, PDS Limited, Reformation, and Target, launched Beyond50 Denim: Combining Cottonised Hemp and Green Chemistry, a project accelerating the use of hemp as an alternative to conventional cotton in denim. By combining two pioneering innovations (SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ cottonised hemp fibres and FIBRE52™’s proprietary chemistry formulations with soft handfeel), the project seeks to demonstrate that hemp-based denim can match or even surpass cotton in both performance and appeal.

Spinnova and Rieter to publish a yarn spinning guideline for industrial partners

Spinnova and Rieter have published a comprehensive yarn spinning guideline for industrial partners, detailing how to produce compact yarn from SPINNOVA® fibre using Rieter’s state-of-the-art machinery. The step-by-step guide outlines key considerations at each stage of the spinning process and is available upon request.

Evonik and AMSilk extend partnership for sustainable biotech silk materials

Evonik and AMSilk, a global leader in advanced biomaterials based on silk proteins, have deepened their collaboration with a long-term agreement to produce sustainable silk proteins at industrial scale. Building on their initial manufacturing agreement from 2023, the companies have commissioned a manufacturing line at Evonik’s Slovakian site for AMSilk’s high-performance silk. This innovative biomaterial is produced with minimal environmental impact and is designed for use in premium fashion and highly demanding automotive interiors.

Nike unites innovation, design and product teams to accelerate athlete-centered innovation

Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse are joining forces under a new, athlete-focused creation structure aimed at accelerating innovation and driving growth across NIKE, Inc. The new setup unites the Innovation, Design and Product teams from all three brands into a single “creation engine” that will enable greater sharing of insights, technology and manufacturing methods throughout the innovation process. This integration is part of Nike’s new Sport Offense strategy and is designed to enhance the creation of products that help athletes perform at their best.

DORNIER celebrates its anniversary at ITMA Asia + CITME

To mark its 75th anniversary, machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER will be presenting the latest developments in its rapier and air-jet weaving machines at ITMA Asia + CITME in Singapore (Hall 2, Stand B401) from 28 to 31 October 2025. The focus will be on energy-efficient weaving technologies, new IoT solutions for networked textile production and systems for the series production of modern fibre composite components.

Pioneering open-source framework shows how early innovation drives a just and net-zero fashion future

The non-profit H&M Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture, has unveiled From Signals to Systems Change, an insight report calling on the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. At its core is the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.