#Yarn & Fiber

2025-02-13

INVISTA opens $13M technology hub in Houston

As part of its ongoing commitment to innovation and creating increased value for customers, INVISTA today celebrated the grand opening of the Texas Technology Center (TTC), a $13M technology hub and research and development center in the Houston metro area.

At the inauguration ceremony of the Texas Technology Hub, the red ribbon was cut with large scissors by CEO Brook Vickery © 2025 INVISTA

Texas Technology Center to support Nylon and Propylene businesses

The nearly 40,000-square-foot facility located in Katy, Texas, which INVISTA first announced in August of last year, will have more than 50 members of R&D, Engineering and Advanced Process Control teams supporting INVISTA’s global technology needs in the chemical intermediates and polymer product lines for both the Nylon and Propylene businesses, as well as data scientists and members of INVISTA’s EHS, transformation and project teams. The hub will house outstanding analytical and experimental capabilities that will rapidly advance INVISTA’s programs through the development cycle.

“The Texas Technology Center now provides a hub for innovative projects and partnerships that will help keep us on the cutting edge of our industry,” said Jerry Grunewald, vice president of research and development for INVISTA. “At INVISTA, we’re committed to harnessing the power of innovation to meet the needs of our customers, and this R&D center in the growing Houston metro area is going to be a large part of how we do that in the future.”

Several leaders from INVISTA joined the ceremonies, including INVISTA’s President and CEO, Brook Vickery, who said, “Touring the world-class R&D facilities at the Texas Technology Center today was impressive. The capability we now have under one roof in Texas will accelerate the teams’ contributions to advancing our businesses. I just visited our Asia Innovation Center in Shanghai earlier this year, and the world-class facilities we now have on both sides of the globe have me even more excited about the discoveries and developments our teams are making that will respond to our customers’ needs and drive innovation in our industry.”

The opening of the Texas Technology Center will support INVISTA’s utilization of highly advanced core technologies and the development of new and innovative products to meet unmet market needs.

CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics forges ahead with launch of next-gen flame resistant fabric solution at A+A

CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics is paving the way for new possibilities at A+A in Düsseldorf with the launch of CORDURA Comfort FR™, its new range of flame resistant (FR) fabric solutions. The CORDURA® team will be exhibiting in Hall 16, A48 where they will showcase how the new fabric marks a significant breakthrough in flame resistant (FR) performance fabrics, thanks to the combination of lightweight comfort, durability, and lower total cost of ownership.

Vandewiele Group: Innovation across the textile value chain at ICFE Istanbul 2026

At the 2026 Istanbul Carpet & Flooring Expo (ICFE), Vandewiele Group presents its latest advancements spanning the entire textile value chain. From spinning and weaving to tufting, carpet manufacturing and digital finishing, the Group demonstrates how integrated innovation can boost performance, efficiency and sustainability across all stages of production. As a global technology leader, Vandewiele continues to develop solutions that strengthen processes, enhance product quality and enable smarter, greener manufacturing.

CARBIOS and Wankai sign strategic PET biorecycling pact

CARBIOS (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB) and Wankai New Materials (“Wankai”), a listed subsidiary of Zhink Group, the 3rd largest PET producer in China and 4th worldwide, announce the signing of the definitive agreement establishing a strategic partnership for the industrial rollout of CARBIOS’s PET biorecycling technology in Asia. The first milestone will be the construction of a PET biorecycling plant in China.

Fulgar voice at the Milan Fashion Institute

Daniela Antunes, Marketing Manager at Fulgar, participated as an expert speaker at the XVII edition of the Master in Brand & Product Management of the prestigious Milano Fashion Institute, which trains well-rounded professionals capable of managing both the creative and strategic-managerial aspects of the fashion & luxury sector.

SHIMA SEIKI returns to ShanghaiTex

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the ShanghaiTex 2025 exhibition (Booth No.: Hall N3, Booth A20) held in Shanghai, China this month. This marks the return of SHIMA SEIKI to ShanghaiTex after a 14-year hiatus, its last exhibit at the show having been in 2011.

Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” – Innovative solutions for circular product design

Composite materials made from different types of plastic often extend the lifetime of products but make recycling more difficult in the circular economy. That is why Fraunhofer CCPE has developed the “Monomaterial Design Set”. This new approach helps to reduce the variety of plastics used in durable products and offers circular solutions for designers and product developers.

arena introduces renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber in its latest swimwear collection

Italian swimwear specialist arena has unveiled a new collection that brings sustainability and performance even closer together. Launched on December 4, the line features swimsuits made from recycled nylon and renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber — the first time the bio-based spandex has been used commercially in swimwear.