#Raw Materials

2026-06-02

Dr N Vigneshwaran is named 2026 ICAC Researcher of the Year

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is pleased to announce the selection of Dr N Vigneshwaran, Principal Scientist and Head of the Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division at the ICAR–Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT), Mumbai, India, as the ICAC Researcher of the Year 2026.

Dr Vigneshwaran is a distinguished cotton scientist with academic qualifications in Agriculture, Agricultural Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Operations Management. He has emerged as a global leader in nanotechnological innovations for cotton cultivation, processing, textiles, and biomass utilization. His pioneering research spans nanocellulose from cotton linters and stalks, nanofinishing of cotton textiles, nanofertilizers, biohydrogen production from cotton biomass, and value-added applications of cotton residues.

Over the past two decades, Dr Vigneshwaran has developed several breakthrough technologies that have had significant scientific and industrial impact. His nano-silver and nano-zinc oxide finishing technologies for cotton fabrics impart more than 99% antibacterial activity and UPF 50+ ultraviolet protection with wash durability of up to 20 cycles, and have been licensed for commercial production. He also led the development of energy-efficient nanocellulose production technologies from cotton linters and comber noil, reducing energy consumption by more than 50%. Under his leadership, India’s first pilot plant for nanocellulose production from cotton biomass, with a capacity of 10 kg per 8-hour shift, has been operational since 2015. Additional innovations include specialty-grade paper production from cotton comber noil blended with banana fibre and antimicrobial technologies licensed to the Bank Note Paper Mill, Mysuru, India.

Dr Vigneshwaran’s scientific contributions are reflected in more than 35 high-impact cotton-related research papers published in leading international journals. Several of his publications have achieved exceptional global recognition, with individual papers receiving more than 700, 650, 360, 340, and 250 citations, respectively. He has also authored or co-authored 11 books and book chapters published by internationally renowned publishers including Elsevier, Springer, CRC Press, Wiley-VCH, Woodhead Publishing, and Nova Science Publishers. His innovations are protected through four granted Indian patents covering microbial synthesis of silver nanoparticles, production of cellulose nanoparticles, nanocellulose manufacturing technologies, and novel nanosulphur production methods.

His outstanding achievements have earned numerous national and international honors. Nationally, he is a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and a Fellow of the Textile Association (India). He has received the Sajjan Gupta-Konark Memorial Award, AMI Young Scientist Award, MRSI Prize, DOGRA Educational Endowment Award, and several technology commercialization awards. Internationally, he received the prestigious ICRA-Asia Young Scientist Innovation Award (2019), the NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Award (2014), recognition for a Top-Cited Elsevier Paper, and has been listed continuously among Stanford University and Elsevier’s World’s Top 2% Scientists from 2020 to 2025.

Through his innovative research, successful technology commercialization, scholarly excellence, and leadership in cotton nanotechnology, Dr Vigneshwaran has made exceptional contributions to advancing the scientific, industrial, and sustainability dimensions of the global cotton sector. His work has expanded opportunities for value addition in cotton, strengthened the competitiveness of cotton-based industries, and demonstrated the transformative potential of advanced technologies in creating a more sustainable future for cotton.

The ICAC Researcher of the Year Award is among the highest international recognitions in cotton research. It honors scientists whose research has made outstanding and lasting contributions to cotton science, technology, sustainability, productivity, and value addition. Dr Vigneshwaran exemplifies these ideals through a career marked by innovation, scientific excellence, and tangible impact on the global cotton community.

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.

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

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.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Katharina Obergruber appointed to the Management Board of Sandler AG

The Supervisory Board of Sandler AG has appointed Katharina Obergruber to the company’s Management Board. Effective September 1, 2026, the Board will consist of Philipp Ebbinghaus (CEO), Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (currently CCO, future COO), and Katharina Obergruber (CCO). Katharina Obergruber, currently Chief Sales Officer Hygiene and member of the Management Team of Sandler AG, will assume responsibility for all sales activities as Chief Commercial Officer. She will assume this role from Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck, who will focus primarily on production and supply chain topics.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.