The winners of the Techtextil Innovation Prize and Avantex-Innovation Prize

Every two years in association with Techtextil, Innovation Prizes go to outstanding achievements in terms of technical textiles, nonwovens, textile-reinforced materials and functional apparel fabrics in various areas (new materials, new applications, etc.). From over 80 entries, a jury of renowned experts selected seven winners and one honourable mention for the Techtextil Innovation Award and two projects for the Avantex Innovation Prize. Here are the award-winning projects:

All Techtextil Innovation Prize winners

 

Four projects have been selected for an award in the ‘New applications’ category. The Institute for Textile and Process Technology in Denkendorf, Germany, four German companies – TAO Trans-Atmospheric Operations GmbH, TINNIT Technologies GmbH, Wagner Tragwerke and Arnold Group – and the Blum Laboratory have succeeded in producing an energy-autarkic textile membrane construction based on the fur of a polar bear. The Italian companies D’Appolonia and ZipLast, AIMPLAS – Instituto Tecnològico del Plastico und Industrial Sedò from Spain, the Spanopoulos Brothers Group from Greece and the Czech company Safibra developed “REFRESH”, a textile-based water bag, which makes it possible to transport large quantities of fresh water by sea. Then there are the EMPA research institute from Switzerland together with the Swiss Paraplegic Centre and Schoeller Textil AG from Switzerland, who present their new type of a medical bed sheet for decubitus prevention, which reduces the friction for people who are bed-ridden for lengthy periods. Finally, there is also the Belgian exhibitor, Beaulieu Technical Textiles, who won over the judges with their product ‘Ökolys’, a woven, bio-degradable and compostable agro textile that combats weeds and protects the soil.

The Techtextil Innovation Prize in the ‘New Technologies’ category goes to German exhibitors, LIBA Maschinenfabrik, for their new ‘multi-compact’ woven fabric. An honourable mention in this category goes to the Textile Research Institute of the State of Saxony, Germany (Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V.) for their circular woven fabric with variable cross section

There are two prize-winning projects in the ‘New Materials’ category that are in a position to celebrate an award. Massebeuf Textiles, Bluestar Silicones and MDB Texinov from France have developed silicone based warp knitted textiles which is remarkable for the elasticity of its structure and its excellent resistance to temperature changes. Devan Chemicals from Belgium has developed a new masterbatch formula for dyeable and printable polypropylene, which, for the first time, enables the fibre to be coloured by conventional processes.

The winners of the Avantex Innovation Prize

In the ‘New Processes’ category, the Textile Research Institute of Thuringia-Vogtland, Germany (Textilforschungsinstitut Thüringen-Vogtland e.V.) received its award for a new and fully automated process for manufacturing luminous textiles, with embedded LEDs. The manufacturing technology, which was developed in collaboration with the Tajima enables the completely automated assembly of building components on a textile base. CEA-Leti / DSIS from France receive the second Innovation Prize in the ‘New Materials’ category for their innovative e-thread® technology, which incorporates electronic component materials in threads.

Background picture: Beaulieu Technical Textiles