BRUSSELS, Belgium — May 30, 2019 — CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, has unveiled the finalists of the second ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award.
The award comprises two categories: ITMA Industry Excellence Award which celebrates the collaboration of ITMA exhibitors and their customers, and the ITMA Research & Innovation (R&I) Excellence Award for Master’s students of R&I Pavilion exhibiting institutions.
Fritz P. Mayer, president of CEMATEX, and one of the judges of the Industry Excellence Award said: “CEMATEX launched the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2015 as part of its ongoing efforts to recognize outstanding industry members and post-graduate students for their contributions to the sustainable development of the global textile and garment industry.
“As the world continues to face sustainability challenges, it is heartening to see the successful collaboration between technology providers and industry users, which benefits consumers and has a positive impact on the environment and business bottom line. We would like to congratulate all the finalists for their outstanding efforts.”
Industry Excellence Award
The award recognizes textile and garment manufacturers who have leveraged technological innovations to advance business sustainability that benefit people, planet and profit. The panel of judges selected the following three finalists who have worked closely with ITMA 2019 exhibitors to introduce innovative solutions to their production process or products:
- Candiani S.p.A.
- Innovation: Candiani Re-Gen: Creating Circular Denim
- Nominated by ITMA exhibitor: Lenzing AG
One of Europe’s largest denim producer, Candiani created a denim fabric using regenerated and recycled raw materials to commemorate its 80th anniversary. Fifty percent of the Re-Gen fabric comprises Tencel x Refibra Lyocell made from pulp from cotton scraps and wood pulp using Lenzing’s closed-loop process; the other 50 percent consists of post-industrial recycled Candiani fibers. Candiani’s fabrics are also dyed using green technologies, resulting in substantial reduction in the use of water and chemicals in the fabric production and jean washing process.
- Levi Strauss & Co
- Innovation: FLX Customization Studio
- Nominated by ITMA exhibitor: Jeanologia S.L
Winner of the first ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award in 2015, Levi Strauss & Co continues to break new ground with the FLX Customization Studio. The studio revolutionalizes in-store customization by allowing customers to pick their denim finish and create a unique pair of jeans in less than two hours. It is a mobile installation where technologies needed for a sustainable garment finishing are found within two 40-feet containers that can be taken anywhere. Leveraging Jeanologia’s water recycling system, H2Zero, the studio operates on 100% recycled water.
- VF Corp.
- Innovation: All-in-One System
- Nominated by ITMA exhibitor: Tonello S.r.l.
One of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, VF Corp. leverages Tonello’s garment finishing system for its Wrangler® and Lee® denim brands. The All-in-One System combines four technologies that drastically reduces the water needed in the finishing stages of jean manufacturing to 13.5 l/kg, compared with the traditional process requiring almost 100 l/kg. Besides saving energy, it also cuts down chemical consumption, processing times and total production costs.
R&I Excellence Award – Master’s
The Award recognizes outstanding achievements in textile and garment related post-graduate research. The finalists are:
- Mathias Zidda, Institut Für Textiltechnik, RWTH Aachen University
- Thesis: Development of a gear driven 3D rotational braiding machine and its control concept
- Pamela Massaccesi, Universidad De Buenos Aires
- Thesis: TUTTI – Reusable Food Wrapping
- Sarika Sunil Borikar, D.K.T.E. Society’s Textile & Engineering Institute
- Thesis: Sanitary Napkin: A Greener Approach
One of the judges of the R&I award, Prof Vladan Koncar, Distinguished Professor at ENSAIT (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries Textiles), commented: “Many of the submissions by the students have innovative concepts with the potential to be commercially viable when further developed and ready for the market. A number of them are also excellent sustainable solutions that answers the environmental and social concerns of today.”
The winners of the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award will be announced at a prize presentation ceremony at ITMA 2019 on June 20, immediately following the press conference.
ITMA 2019 will be held from June 20-26 at Fira de Barcelona, Gran Via venue. The exhibition will feature more than 1,700 exhibitors who will be showcasing the latest technologies and sustainable solutions for the entire textile and garment manufacturing value chain, as well as fibers, yarns and fabrics.
May 30, 2019
Source: CEMATEX and ITMA Services
