#Yarn & Fiber

2021-11-25

Birla Cellulose retains the top ranking in the CANOPY HOT BUTTON REPORT 2021

For three consecutive years Birla Cellulose, the pulp and fibre business of the Aditya Birla Group, has retained top position in Canopy’s Hot Button Report.

In their latest Hot Button Report, Canopy, a not-for-profit organization, has again awarded Birla Cellulose with a ‘dark green shirt’ for relentless efforts in the Man- Made Cellulosic Fibre (MMCF) industry to support and conserve ancient and endangered forests, for bringing transparency across the value chain and game changing solutions for a circular business model in the fashion industry. Over the years, Birla Cellulose has raised its benchmarks in sustainability performance and the ‘Dark green shirt’ is a testament to company’s movement in the right direction.

“The top ranking is a testament to our long-standing commitment to suppliers and customers for a sustainable future. Our efforts and investments are focused on creating innovative solutions for ecological challenges, and scaling the next- generation fibre solutions which is an integral part of our business strategy. Our collaborative partnerships are intended to create broader and bigger positive impact for a more sustainable MMCF value chain in the fashion industry”, said Mr. H K Agrawal, Business Director Designate, Birla Cellulose.

Birla Cellulose has recently announced an ambitious target for scaling up the production of circular fibers to a level of 100,000 tons per annum by 2024. Its award- winning product Liva Reviva, made by utilizing cotton waste as feedstock is already getting good reception from the leading brands. Birla Cellulose is actively collaborating with brand and supply chain partners, innovators, and orchestrators such as Canopy, Fashion for Good, and Circular Fashion Partnership for scaling its circular business model. Company’s blockchain-based and molecular tracer-backed platform ‘GreenTrack’ provides end-to-end traceability of value chain from forest to fashion and comes free of cost to brand partners who source sustainability enhanced products such as Livaeco by Birla Cellulose and Liva Reviva.

“We are very encouraged by Birla Cellulose’s actions to advance the conservation of key Ancient and Endangered Forests and their commitment to scaling up production of Next-Generation Solutions to a volume that cracks the barrier between niche and commercial scale,” said Ms. Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy. “The MMCF production sector needs a recast and we look forward to working with the Birla team to achieve that.”

“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.

Lenzing improves profitability as strategic transformation gains momentum

The Lenzing Group reported improved operating profitability in the first nine months of 2026 despite declining revenue and a challenging market environment. Revenue decreased by 2.3 percent to EUR 1.93 billion, while adjusted EBITDA remained stable at EUR 353 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin increased from 17.9 percent to 18.3 percent, reflecting progress in the company's strategic transformation under its “Grow Nonwovens. Reset Textiles.” strategy.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories launches performance yarn development program based on spider silk

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has launched a development program for high-performance yarns based on its recombinant spider silk technology. The initiative follows the company's first commercial shipment of a custom spider silk yarn to a performance apparel customer and includes the delivery of spider silk samples to a textile technology company with experience in aerospace-related material development.

Lenzing and Kaihara to debut REMOD denim collection at Kingpins Amsterdam

The Lenzing Group, a global producer of wood-based fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, has partnered with Japanese denim manufacturer Kaihara Corporation to launch the “REMOD Collection”. The collection combines three of Lenzing's fiber offerings for denim applications: TENCEL™ Lyocell Standard, TENCEL™ Lyocell – HV100 and TENCEL™ Lyocell dtex 2.2.

Circulose resumes recycling of discarded cotton textiles and appoints interim CEO

Circulose today announced its restart of commercial-scale production plant at Ortviken in Sundsvall, Sweden, marking a significant step in scaling next-generation materials for the global fashion industry. The Ortviken plant is the world’s first commercial-scale chemical textile recycling facility. Its restart demonstrates that the fashion industry is seeking ways to scale proven solutions that move beyond pilots and into commercial production.

Itema brings textile versatility to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026

Itema announces its participation in ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026, taking place November 20–24 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. In Hall 3 – Stand D06, the company will showcase two Galileo-RX rapier weaving machines weaving heavy denim and conveyor belt fabrics, demonstrating its ability to address different textile requirements with application-specific configurations. Five additional Itema machines at partner booths will extend the exhibition lineup to upper shoe fabric, label, Jacquard leno fabrics, and shirting, offering visitors a broader view of Itema rapier and air-jet weaving technologies.

Brückner showcases sustainable technologies for the future of textile finishing at ITMA ASIA 2026

With rising energy costs, increasing environmental requirements, and growing competitive pressure, textile manufacturers worldwide are facing the challenge of making their production processes both more sustainable and more cost-effective. As one of the world's leading specialists in textile finishing machinery, Brückner will present innovative solutions and advanced production technologies at ITMA ASIA 2026 in Shanghai. These technologies can play a key role in significantly reducing both energy consumption and emissions.