#Research & Development

2019-05-23

ITA Post-Doc Valentine Gesché receives NRW Innovation Award

The winner Dr Valentine Gesché with congratulators and research team, source ITA (c) 2019 ITA

The NRW Minister of Economic Affairs Andreas Pinkwart (FDP) presented the NRW Innovation Award in the category of young talent to Dr Valentine Gesché from Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, short ITA, on Monday. Ms Gesché receives the prize, endowed with 50,000 euros, for the development and research of patient-individualised implants.

As head of the Exist research transfer project "PerAGraft", Ms Gesché and her team are now working to bring this platform technology to market. Patients with a complex aortic aneurysm suffer from an increasing, pathological and permanent aneurysm of the aorta and shall be saved from the life-threatening rupture of the aorta by an individual implant. The innovative procedure reduces the delivery time of a customised implant from up to eight weeks today to less than a week.

"As life expectancy increases, so does the need for such implants for endovascular aortic repair," explains Valentine Gesché.

"Ms Gesché is an outstanding young scientist and has the entrepreneurial spirit to put her research results into practice for the benefit of people.

Beyond that her work on the individualised medicine shows that the digitisation of engaged entrepreneurs can open health-economical and business perspectives for the benefit of patients, says Economics and Innovation Minister Professor Dr Andreas Pinkwart over the engineer.

The NRW Innovation Award is one of the best endowed awards of its kind in Germany. In addition to Valentine Gesché in the "Young Talent" category, the innovation prize worth 100.000 euros was awarded to Professor Brunhilde Wirth, Director of the Institute for Human Genetics in Cologne, and the honorary prize went to Professor Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff, AiCuris GmbH & Co. KG.

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.

Pellet press enables thermomechanical textile recycling on a pilot scale at ITA

Since the end of 2025, the technical centre of the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University has been equipped with a pellet press from the manufacturer Amandus Kahl GmbH & Co. KG, Reinbek, Germany. This press can efficiently compact shredded synthetic textiles at a throughput of up to 25 kg/h and process them into pellets with a diameter of 4 mm.

Solid Air Dynamics wins second place at RWTH Innovation Award

On 30 January, RWTH spin-off Solid Air Dynamics was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Awards for its research in the field of aerogel fibres. Manufactured from renewable raw materials, aerogel fibres offer outstanding thermal insulation, are extremely lightweight and completely biodegradable, and can consist of over 90 per cent air.

Stylish design made from sustainable materials – two DITF research projects receive Techtextil Innovation Awards

Materials made from domestic, renewable raw materials reduce CO₂ emissions, prevent microplastics from entering the environment, and close the material cycle. The German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing nature-based alternatives to synthetically produced and predominantly petroleum-based materials. Two research projects have received a prestigious Techtextil Innovation Award. NUO Flexholz and the lignin-coated material FormLig demonstrate that sustainable concepts can meet high standards of functionality and design. Both projects were carried out in close collaboration with industry.

Hohenstein publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

The testing and research service provider Hohenstein has published its latest sustainability report, outlining key progress and strategic initiatives. The report focuses on ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, the company’s new mission statement and the systematic expansion of sustainable services for customers worldwide.

ITM presents cutting-edge textile research at Techtextil

From April 21 to 24, 2026, the Chair of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM) at TUD Dresden University of Technology will be presenting its current research at Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. In Hall 12.0, Stand D41, the team will be demonstrating how it combines high-performance fibers, AI-supported digital development tools and innovative machine technologies to develop textile solutions for lightweight construction, construction, medical technology and sustainable production from atom to product.

Techtextil 2026 recognition for the UK’s FET

Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) will receive the Techtextil 2026 New Production Technology Innovation Award at next week’s Techtextil in Frankfurt (April 21-24). The Leeds-based member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) has developed the FET-500, a new toxic solvent-free gel small scale system for the production of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

Lower CO2, stronger bonds: Indorama Ventures enables customers’ performance at Techtextil

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, Indorama Ventures presents its latest material innovations aimed at supporting customers in achieving both performance and sustainability targets. The company highlights solutions based on recycled and bio-based raw materials as well as advanced binder fibers, addressing current market demands for lower CO₂ emissions, improved efficiency, and reliable supply.