McAllen, Texas-based FibeRio Technology Corp. has partnered with Greensboro, N.C.-based VF Corp., to engineer and bring to market performance apparel fabrics using its proprietary Forcespinning® nanotechnology process. VF plans to incorporate FibeRio’s technologies and know-how at its three Global Innovation Centers that focus on advancements in apparel, footwear and jeanswear. According to FibeRio, a nanofiber’s high surface area and smaller pore size improve the characteristics of fibrous materials bringing performance improvements with lighter weights at lower cost. (For more information on nanofibers, please see “A Driving Force For Textile Innovation,” TW, this issue).
“VF’s Global Innovation Center strategy is centered on the pursuit of disruptive design and materials that will meaningfully redefine the future of apparel and footwear for our consumers,” said Dan Cherian, vice president, VF Global Innovation Centers. “Our partnership with FibeRio is a great step toward the co-development of proprietary, high-performance nanofiber materials that will help push the boundaries of performance and explore the creation of new apparel and footwear market categories.”
May/June 2015
