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#Research & Development

Premium AEROTEC, Faurecia and Solvay launch Thermoplastic Composites research consortium (IRG CosiMo) with ITA-Augsburg

On the Picture (ITA Augsburg) from left to right: Rob Blackburn (Solvay) - Application Engineering Director; Guillaume Morales (Faurecia) - Program Development Leader; Reinhard Schaefer (Faurecia) - Engineering Director Ultra-Light Weight Structures; Helge von Selasinsky (ITA) - General Manager; Kim Gingras (Solvay) - Thermoplastic Composites Incubator Director; Jochen Scholler (Premium AEROTEC) - Manufacturing Engineer; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schlichter (ITA) - Managing Director; Dr.-Ing. Daniel Hartung (Premium AEROTEC) - Head of Numerical Simulation; Joachim Nägele (Premium AEROTEC) - Managing Director Programs and Sales and Johannes Treiber (Solvay) - Senior Applications Engineer
Premium AEROTEC, Faurecia Clean Mobility, and Solvay are proud to launch IRG CosiMo (Industry Research Group: Composites for Sustainable Mobility), the industry’s first private consortium focusing on the development of materials and process technologies that will enable the high volume production of thermoplastic composites for both the Aerospace and Automotive markets.

Through a 3 year commitment, Premium AEROTEC, Faurecia Clean Mobility, and Solvay will bring together their expertise, capabilities and resources to hit the R&D milestones set to meet the industry’s growth expectations and offer solutions for sustainable mobility. Composite adoption, industrialization and accelerating automotive and aerospace ramp rates are all key focus areas that will be addressed by the IRG CosiMo consortium.

Premium AEROTEC, Faurecia Clean Mobility and ITA Augsburg are also part of an upcoming large project consortium in the Campus Carbon 4.0 program of the Free State of Bavaria, Germany. This public sponsored consortium (CC4.0 CosiMo) is going to develop new materials and processes for in-situ polymerization of Caprolactam to Polyamide 6 for high volume applications in automotive. IRG CosiMo, an extension of this consortium, aims to focus on a wider range of thermoplastic materials and processes. As a partner of IRG CosiMo, the Institute of Textile Technology Augsburg gGmbH (ITA Augsburg) will host and project manage the consortium, coordinate the scientific research program and operate the equipment used for processing new materials into tape and web based thermoplastic composites. 

All machines will be installed in the Technologiezentrum Augsburg (TZA), the core infrastructural element of Augsburg Innovationspark. In collaboration with IRG CosiMo Premium Partners, all installed equipment can also be used by companies interested to benefit from the network. Sharing infrastructure and equipment through open innovation is a highly efficient way to encourage the development of new materials, data driven process controls and robust automated manufacturing processes for serial production, without interrupting industrial plants.

ITA, a unique textile research facility, is focusing on the development of thermoplastic tape- and web based composite systems and will bring a lot of scientific knowledge to the group. ITA Augsburg initiated IRG CosiMo as part of a strategic, branch overlapping approach to push innovation in thermoplastic composites including recycled fiber materials. This unique private consortium allows demand-driven networking with short decision-making processes to maximize customer benefits. 


More News from Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA)

#Research & Development

Elastic yarns to become more recyclable and environmentally friendly in future

On 29 April 2026, ITA student Tobias Dickmeiß was awarded a sponsorship prize by the Wilhelm Lorch-Stiftung for his innovative approach, to replacing conventional elastane with elastic yarns made from thermoplastic copolyester elastomers (TPC). Thanks to their thermoplastic nature and compatibility with typical polyesters used in the textile industry, elastic TPC yarns offer improved recyclability. Furthermore, the use of the melt-spinning process in yarn production eliminates the need for solvents that are harmful to the environment and human health.

#Research & Development

Walter Reiners Foundation Prize awarded to three ITA graduates

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#Research & Development

ITA spin-off Solid Air (SA) Dynamics reaches the semi-finals of the Rice Business Plan Competition

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#Techtextil 2026

Smart textiles can also be sustainable, eco-friendly and AI-powered – ITA at Techtextil 2026

Sports shoes made from algae, leggings made from mushrooms, filtering (diesel) oil from water, 4D textiles, recyclable, sustainable and featuring AI – this is what the ITA Group is presenting at three individual stands run by ITA Aachen, ITA Augsburg gGmbH and ITA Technologietransfer GmbH on the joint stand of Elmatex in hall 12.0 D05.

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#Research & Development

Textile climate control system in workwear – exhibition at the 2026 SME Innovation Day!

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#Techtextil 2026

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

#Research & Development

Regional hemp bast for lightweight construction profiles

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#ITMA 2027

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#Digital Printing

Mimaki ‘Powers Possibilities’ with a market-diverse application and printer line-up at FESPA 2026

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#INDEX 2026

INDEX™26 Awards winners announced: Setting new benchmarks in nonwovens

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#Yarns

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#ITM 2026

Monforts sees growing potential for technical textiles in Türkiye

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