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#Associations

ITMF names three winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026

Three projects from the UK, Korea and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The projects address textile-to-textile recycling, chemical recycling for automotive textiles and a regenerative approach combining silk production with ecological restoration.


The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has announced the three winners of its Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The winning projects will be presented at the ITMF & IAF Conference 2026, taking place from October 14–15 in Fortaleza, Brazil, and co-hosted by the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT).

The ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award recognizes sustainable and innovative achievements in the textile industry, with a focus on innovation, design, development and production under high standards of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Epoch Biodesign, UK

Project: “Scaling AI-driven enzymatic depolymerization to turn textile waste into fiber-grade nylon 6,6”

Epoch Biodesign is developing an enzymatic recycling process designed to convert textile waste into recycled nylon 6,6 suitable for fiber production. The company is currently scaling the technology from pilot to demonstration level, with further expansion towards commercial-scale production planned.

Huvis, Korea

Project: “Polyester Chemical Recycling Technology for Sustainable Automotive Textiles”

Korean fiber and materials manufacturer Huvis is developing chemical recycling technology for polyester with a focus on automotive textile applications. The project addresses the use of recycled polyester materials in a sector with demanding technical and quality requirements.

Simabo Technology Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Textile University, China

Project: “Desert-Mulberry – Bioactive Silk Eco-Regenerative Cycle”

The project combines silk production with an ecological regeneration approach based on the cultivation of resilient mulberry trees in arid and desertification-prone regions. It aims to link silk and bioactive material production with resource recovery and environmental restoration.

The three winning projects will be presented at the ITMF & IAF Conference 2026 in Fortaleza, giving participants an opportunity to learn more about the technologies and approaches behind the awarded concepts.



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