12.01.2022
Press Release (DE/EN): Cellulose fibres strengthen networks: The industry meets again in Cologne, Germany, and online
Strict security measures make it possible: long-missed meetings essential for the growth of the industry will take place again
The annual highlight is the Cellulose Fibre Conference in Cologne on 2 and 3 February 2022, where the latest innovations will be showcased: from hygiene and textiles to non-wovens and carbon fibre alternatives to lightweight construction applications. Online participation is also possible.
Cellulose fibres show an increasingly expanding wide range of applications, while at the same time markets are driven by technological developments and political framework conditions, especially bans and restrictions on plastics and increasing sustainability requirements. The conference provides rich information on opportunities for cellulose fibres through policy assessment, a session on sustainability, recycling and alternative feedstocks as well as latest development in pulp, cellulose fibres and yarns. This includes application such as non-wovens, packaging and composites.
Live at the conference, host nova-Institute and sponsor GIG Karasek GmbH will grand the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award to one of six highly interesting products, ranging from cellulose made of orange and wood pulp to a novel technology for cellulose fibre production. The presentations, election of the winner by the conference audience and the award ceremony will take place on the first day of the conference.
The conference sessions reflect the current topics of industry and research. “Strategies and Market Trends” provides an overview of the rapid development of cellulose fibres and their technological progress across the fibre market. An analysis of the key cost components of these fibres to benchmark against current cost levels will highlight future opportunities and challenges for novel textile fibres. The session will conclude with an overview of the industry's recent strategies to defossilize the fibre market.
The session “New Opportunities for Cellulose Fibres in Replacing Plastics”, focusses on questions such as: “What impact does the ban on plastics in single-use products have on the industry?” and “What are the latest regulatory issues and policy opportunities for cellulose fibres?”. This part of the conference presents new opportunities for the replacement of fossil-based insulating materials with cellulose-based technologies suitable for use in a variety of applications, from aerospace to mobility and construction.
“Sustainability and Circular Economy” highlights crucial issues with regard to the overall goal of keeping the environmental impact of cellulose fibres low. A core theme of the session is the responsible use of wood and forests. With this objective, the five speakers discuss the importance of circular concepts for cellulose feedstocks. Exciting insights into the important “Hot Button Report” are offered by Canopy. The “Hot Button” report enables the producers of cellulose fibres to better understand the impact their raw materials have on forests and the climate development worldwide.
The full conference programme is available at http://www.cellulose-fibres.eu/program
About the conference
Cellulosic fibres are the fastest growing fibre group in the textile industry and also the largest investment sector in the global bioeconomy. The challenge now is to achieve a balance between the ongoing capacity expansion and the growing demand, to avoid overcapacity while still meeting rising demand from the major brands. These high growth rates are driven by an increasing demand for alternatives for fossil-based fibres and bottlenecks in cotton production, the microplastic issues, and bans on plastics in disposable applications. All three factors will continue to play an important role in the development of the sector in the future.
The nova-Institute would like to thank Award Sponsor GIG Karasek GmbH (Austria), as well as Gold Sponsors Lenzing (Austria), Kelheim Fibres (Germany) and Birla Cellulose (India) and Silver Sponsor Levaco Chemicals (Germany) for supporting the conference.
Many thanks also go to the partners of the conference: BCNP Consultants (Germany), BIO.NRW.eco (Germany), C.A.R.M.E.N. (Germany), Canopy (Canada), CLIB (Germany), IBB-Netzwerk (Germany), ITA – RWTH Aachen (Germany), kunststoffland.NRW (Germany), Renewable Carbon Initiative (Germany), Russian Textile Association (Russia), Textile Exchange (USA), World Bioeconomy Forum (Finland), and The Fiber Year (Switzerland).
