#Textile chemistry

2023-02-02

Borealis appoints Stefan Toader as Vice President Reliability, Turnarounds and Projects

Borealis announces the appointment of Stefan Toader as Vice President Reliability, Turnarounds and Projects effective 1 December 2022. In this position he is in charge of Borealis’ management and operations of plant maintenance, turnarounds - scheduled events for a plant revamp and/or renewal - and related projects.

Before joining Borealis, Stefan Toader worked in several managerial positions at OMV Petrom, where he started in 1998. He brings with him vast experience in the areas of maintenance, asset management, operations and projects in Romania and Kazakhstan. In 2019 he joined OMV in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, as Head of Asset Management Middle East and Asia. From January 2021 he held the position of Vice President Asset Management Ruwais Refinery, based in the UAE.

Stefan Toader appointed Borealis Vice President Reliability, Turnarounds & Projects © Borealis

Stefan Toader holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer and Automation Science from the University Politechnica in Bucharest, Romania, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Université Paris-XII in France and University of Economic Studies from Bucharest, Romania.

“Stefan Toader is an experienced leader with exposure to different cultures and ways of working and we are very pleased to welcome him to Borealis,” says Wolfram Krenn, Borealis Executive Vice President Base Chemicals and Operations. “We look forward to bringing his experience in maintenance, asset management, operations and projects to Borealis as we continue to improve the performance of our operations and the reliability of our assets for the future.”

Stefan Toader succeeds Johann Berger, Vice President Projects & Expert Support, who will retire in March 2023 after a long and successful career at Borealis.

“I would also like to warmly thank Johann Berger for his outstanding contributions to the success of Borealis for almost 35 years,” says Wolfram Krenn. “He has been instrumental in defining the way we operate today, setting the path for future success.”

“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.

SOKO presents low-impact denim finishing innovations at Denim PV Milan

SOKO will present a range of sustainable denim finishing technologies and collaborative projects at the upcoming Denim Première Vision Milan on 20–21 May in Milan. At booth G27 in Superstudio Più, the company will showcase new chemical solutions designed to combine fashionable denim effects with reduced environmental impact.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

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.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.