#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.

Fraunhofer IAP paves the way for "Green" carbon fibers

A new pilot plant in Guben is set to enable the production of bio-based carbon fibers. The plant is part of the Carbon Lab Factory Lausitz and will make an important contribution to the transformation of the Lausitz region—from a traditionally raw material- and basic industry-oriented region to a hub for innovative high-performance materials. The German federal government and the state of Brandenburg are providing the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP with 53.3 million euros for this purpose.

Hof University develops sustainable textile coating for the fashion of tomorrow from mushrooms

Clothing is often treated as disposable: T-shirts for events, general merchandise, or short-term campaigns frequently end up in the trash after only a few uses. This is particularly problematic given that their production still largely relies on fossil-based materials. This is precisely where a new research project at Hof University of Applied Sciences comes in.

STFI presents concepts for the textile circular economy and solutions for a healthy and safe life at Techtextil

Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) has been supporting companies in developing marketable innovations for over 30 years. With a clear focus on sustainability, the environment, health and protection, the STFI offers future-oriented research, textile testing for tailor-made solutions and certification of per- sonal protective equipment. At Techtextil 2026, the institute will present ideas for the textile circular econ- omy and showcase solutions for healthy and safe living.

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.