Research & Development
ITA receives the prestigious PROSE AWARD 2025 in the Engineering and Technology category
The winners of the PROSE AWARD 2025 were announced on 5th March 2025. Roshan Paul and Thomas Gries from the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University were honoured as category winners in Engineering and Technology for their book ‘Sustainable Innovations in the Textile Industry’.
...moreResearch & Development
Hohenstein releases 2024 sustainability report
Responsible action is a defining value for Hohenstein, a global testing and research provider. Their 2024 Sustainability Report provides transparency through documented progress and detailed insights into how sustainability is embedded. It covers both the existing sustainability measures at the German headquarters and the company's goals for 2025 and beyond. The direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) of all its locations worldwide were recorded for the first time.
...moreResearch & Development
ITA researchers win two JEC Innovation Awards for sustainable textile-based composites
Researchers from the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University have been honored with two JEC Innovation Awards at JEC World 2025 in Paris, recognizing their groundbreaking contributions to sustainable construction and sports equipment.
...moreResearch & Development
TU Dresden’s ITM and KOTMI sign MOU to promote research into recycled fibers and industrial textile applications
The Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM) at TU Dresden and the Korea Textile Machinery Convergence Research Institute (KOTMI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their collaboration in recycled fiber applications for industrial textile products. The agreement marks a significant step in fostering joint research and development in sustainable textile technologies.
...moreResearch & Development
Joint forces for renewable carbon: Lars Börger appointed as new CEO of nova-Institute
In these challenging times for the sustainable transformation of the chemicals and materials sector, collaboration is more necessary than ever. That is why nova-Institute is proud to welcome Dr. Lars Börger as the new Co-CEO alongside with Michael Carus, the current CEO of nova-Institute. As a team, they will join forces to drive progress towards a greener and fossil-free future for these industries.
...moreResearch & Development
Hohenstein and DuPont are developing innovative tests for ballistic protective vests
Testing laboratory Hohenstein and DuPont have collaborated to develop three innovative and reliable test methods for soft ballistic inserts. Maximizing the comfort and mobility of body armour, such as bulletproof vests, is key to the performance and endurance for law enforcement and military personnel. The new methods address the disconnect in existing tests with real body movements and positions.
...moreResearch & Development
Medical textiles with infection protection
In collaboration with Heraeus, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are developing fibers and textiles with a novel infection protection system. The basis is an antimicrobial mechanism of action licensed from Heraeus and marketed under the name AGXX. The goal of the collaboration is to optimally integrate the AGXX technology into textile finishes and coatings and to incorporate it into fiber-spinnable polymers. This will provide medical textiles with highly effective and long-lasting protection against microbial infections.
...moreResearch & Development
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories unveils groundbreaking scientific achievement based on caddisfly silk proteins
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, a leading developer of spider silk-based fibers, proudly announces the successful creation of new novel silk, build upon the silk proteins of the remarkable caddisfly. This breakthrough marks a new frontier in the field of engineered fibers and underscores the Company’s commitment to pioneering innovations in biotechnology.
...moreResearch & Development
JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 for CO2-negative house walls in lightweight construction
At this year's JEC Composites Innovation Awards ceremony, the award in the "Construction & Civil Engineering" category went to the "DACCUSS" project, coordinated by the DITF. TechnoCarbon Technologies GbR, the inventor of Carbon Fiber Stone (CFS), received the JEC Award together with its development partners. The award is for the development of house walls made of Carbon Fiber Stone (CFS), a CO2 negative composite material.
...moreResearch & Development
Textile daylight management when the winter sun is at an angle
When the sun is currently shining, shading textiles face particular challenges. On the one hand, they should allow as much daylight as possible into the rooms during the dark season. On the other hand, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is so low that the light is particularly dazzling - much more so than in summer. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are using special light measurement techniques to research suitable shading textiles.
...moreResearch & Development
Mimaki to spotlight latest sustainable solution at Heimtextil 2025
Mimaki Europe, a leading provider of industrial inkjet printers, cutting plotters, and 3D printers, announces its attendance at global textile tradeshow, Heimtextil 2025 (Frankfurt, January 14th-17th). The show, as the world’s largest trade fair for home and contract textiles, will give Mimaki the opportunity to demonstrate its latest sustainable innovation, TRAPIS, at its booth in Hall 3.0 Stand B96.
...moreResearch & Development
New DIN SPEC supports the development of textiles with low microfibre discharge
Building on a rapid test for the detection of microfibres in sample water presented in 2023, the sporting goods manufacturer Under Armour, together with the testing service provider Hohenstein and the measuring device provider PPT Group, has now published a standardised test method that enables the determination of microfibre release from textiles under simulated washing conditions. With the help of the new DIN SPEC 19292, apparel/textile companies along the value chain are now able to measure and (e.g. comparatively) evaluate the extent of fibre release of different materials as part of their product development.
...moreResearch & Development
The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) mourn the loss of Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Franz Effenberger
The former head of the previous Institute for Textile Chemistry and Chemical Fibers (ITCF) at the DITF passed away on December 11 at the age of 94.
...moreResearch & Development
STFI is investigating textile applications for PU casting compounds
Polyurethane (PU) casting compounds are classically used as protective and insulating material in electronics and electrical engineering, e.g. in battery modules or on circuits or for embedding LEDs. In addition to their electrical insulating properties, they are heat resistant and mechanically flexible . In addition, the transition from liquid to solid aggregate state is so favorable that these PU masses can be applied with a precise fit.
...moreResearch & Development
Tapes made from recycled carbon fibers for lightweight construction
Due to their excellent mechanical properties and low weight, carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are increasingly being used in lightweight construction applications where high strength and rigidity combined with minimal weight are crucial. However, the growing use of CFRP is also accompanied by large quantities of carbon fiber waste. So far, only processing routes that significantly reduce the properties of CFRP and thus limit the fields of application have been established.
...more
Older News
Research & Development
High-tech textiles give impulses for circular economy and recycling: Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference 2024
The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference was held in Stuttgart on November 21 and 22. 450 participants from 25 countries and five continents took the opportunity to attend one of the most important European technical congresses.
...moreResearch & Development
Bio-based polyesters for challenging long-term applications
Current bio-based plastics are often only suitable for short-lived applications, such as packaging, because they have inadequate long-term properties. The new project “Bio-based polyesters for challenging long-term applications” from the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF aims to improve the long-term properties of bioplastics through targeted additivation in order to enable their use in technical applications. To do this, the researchers are looking for companies along the value chain that would also like to substitute petro-based plastics with bio-based solutions in long-lasting products.
...moreResearch & Development
STFI Theme Day: Advancing technologies for a circular textile economy
The circular textile economy is a topic that has garnered widespread attention. However, achieving this goal requires more than ambition—it calls for collaboration and robust networks. Recognizing this, the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) invites partners from industry, academia, and research to engage in a dynamic professional exchange focused on this critical subject.
...more