#Research & Development

2021-10-21

Research cooperation on sustainable biomaterials

Gustav Nyström, head of Empa's Cellulose & Wood Materials laboratory. Image: Empa

With the signing of a statement of cooperation, the BioProducts Institute at the University of British Columbia (BPI) and Empa are celebrating a new partnership to promote innovation and collaboration, furthering joint developments in the field of biobased solutions.

The BioProducts Institute is situated in Vancouver (Canada) and operates four research themes, which might be complementary to the research acitvities at Empa: 1. Biocatalytic transformation and engineering of biomass, Bio-nanoparticle enabled materials, Bio-based polymers and carbon materials and Biorefinery & Biofuels systems.

Empa joins Boreal Alliance

With this new cooperation agreement, Empa and BPI will seek to share best practices through knowledge exchange, co-involvement in scholarly meetings, fora, and conferences, and provide reciprocal access to research infrastructure and develop bilateral funding opportunities. The partnership will further advance Europe-Canada research collaboration in the sustainable use of renewable resources, building on the successes of prior exchanges. Empa will also join the Boreal Alliance, a transnational initiative co-founded by FinnCERES and BPI to aggregate research from nations along the Boreal belt to optimally utilize the forest resource and advance prosperity and well-being in balance with sustainable development.

Conference in Switzerland 2022

"Global collaboration platforms such as the Boreal Alliance has the potential to significantly accelerate innovation for the new bioeconomy. We at Empa are excited to take this next step and collaborate with UBC and BPI. Together we will act to advance biomaterials research, stimulate technology transfer and to educate new talents in the field. A joint conference is planned in Switzerland in May 2022 and will provide opportunities for a high level, in-depth sharing of knowledge and the nucleation of new research ideas for the future," says Gustav Nyström, head of Empa's Cellulose & Wood Materials laboratory.

“We are extremely excited to begin our partnership with Empa,” says Orlando Rojas, BPI Scientific Director. “BPI and Empa already entered in planning efforts dating back to two years ago, and now is the time to take action and our members are looking forward to starting new collaborations between the two institutions. The signing of this statement of cooperation will have a great visibility and will catalyze our efforts in research and development. With the Alliance being formed with Switzerland, Finland and Sweden, we are creating the largest cluster of research in the forest-based bioeconomy. Our planned program will incentivize interactions and innovations to open new routes for biomass valorization in next generation bioproducts.”

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Aachen Summer School: Textiles become smart through 3D printing and origami

From 21 to 29 September 2026, the Aachen Summer School will transform Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University into a laboratory of the future: over the course of a week, students will use origami folding techniques and 3D printing to develop active textile structures capable of performing programmable movements. This interdisciplinary event combines theoretical foundations with practical prototyping – from digital modelling right through to functional textile prototypes.

25 years of medical devices: ITVP combines experience with innovation

ITV Denkendorf Produktservice GmbH (ITVP) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. On October 1, 2001, ITVP was founded as a subsidiary of the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), Europe’s largest textile research center. This spin-off company made it possible to consolidate expertise in medical technology and significantly expand production, which had previously been initiated mostly in the DITF’s cleanrooms.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.