The 62nd Dornbirn Global Fibre Conference (GFC), the world’s only innovation conference where the whole industry is represented to produce breakthroughs, will be held from September 13-15 in Dornbirn’s Kulturhaus in Austria. It will feature 125 lectures from renowned speakers who will demonstrate how research and development breakthroughs may be put into practice.
With the involvement of visitors from 34 countries, from fibre to textile industry to brands and retail, the textile value chain is successfully connected from fibre to end user. The first day’s plenary talks include ‘Circularity: The New Business Model’, ‘The EU Sustainable Textiles Strategy – its Impact on the Global Textile Ecosystem’, ‘2030 – a New Textile World Order’, and ‘Energy Innovations – the Key to Climate Neutrality’.
‘The New Business Model of Circularity’ Stephan Sielaff, CEO of Lenzing AG, will give an insight into this cutting-edge challenge in the fibre sector and will highlight this topic from the perspective of the industry leader in cellulose fibre.
‘The EU Sustainable Textiles Strategy – Its Impact on the Global Textile Ecosystem’ – Dirk Vantyghem, CEO of EURATEX, will provide an overview of the EU textile strategy and the legislative preparations. The future changes will be massive for the European/Global textile industry. EURATEX requests that European authorities provide a coherent and sensible legislative framework, offer financial resources for innovative initiatives, and drive demand for sustainable textiles.
Gherzi Textil Organisation AG, a long-standing Dornbirn GFC sponsor, will be represented by CEO Giuseppe Gherzi with the theme ‘2030 – a new Textile World Order’ and will focus on the new way ahead for the global textile sector.
Dornbirn GFC has also confirmed Verbund AG, a big energy provider, would attend the conference. Rudolf Zauner, Innovation Director, will address ‘Energy Innovations – the Key to Climate Neutrality,’ illuminating the relevance of the fibre and textile sector in this perspective. The Dornbirn GFC’s goal is to demonstrate sustainable solutions in the fibre sector. Sustainability and the circular economy are important themes.
Cooperation is essential in this setting, and the Dornbirn GFC serves as a network generator. According to a news statement from the organiser Austrian Fibre Institute, RWTH Aachen has engaged in such collaboration with industrial partners and will give a full block of lectures on Friday morning.
The following titles have been chosen: Automation and Digitalization of textile sorting for Reuse and Recycling; How length-preserving tearing Leads to the Manufacture of high-quality yarn through sustainable recycling; From mixed garbage to recycling feedstock: automated sorting and Pre-processing of Post-consumer Textiles; condition monitoring using intelligent sensor fibres to allow sustainable technologies; and the potential and prospects for the use of shape memory fibres in 4D textiles.
The third Innovation Days were hosted in collaboration with FashionForGood and PWC. The more than 20-person lecture series covered subjects such as light-curing technologies for stretch textiles, upcycled flexible foam from natural fibres, and quantification methodologies for recycled fibres in fabrics and yarns.
The 62nd Dornbirn GFC 2023 will also feature award presentations. The Lenzing AG’s ‘Young Scientist Award’ will be presented again this year at the Dornbirn GFC. Lenzing AG has been in an outstanding position for decades as one of the leading developers in sustainably produced fibres and textiles. Contact with young scientists allows research and development to be advanced and imaginative, ensuring technological growth.
The Lenzing Young Scientist Award will be worth €5,000 in total. The Paul Schlack Prize is awarded annually to universities and research institutions for advances in man-made fibre research, as does the Honorary Prize for collaboration with industry. In 2023, the European Man-Made Fibres Association (CIRFS), Brussels/Belgium, will continue the tradition during the 62nd Dornbirn Global Fibre Congress (GFC) in Dornbirn/Austria, from September 13-15, 2023, celebrating R&D excellence at the plenary session.
The Main Paul Schlack Prize of €3,000 will be given to an author of a subject from a university or research institute. The Honorary Prize will be awarded to the project leader of a collaborative research initiative involving a university/research institute and industry. Fibre innovation & Bio Materials; Sustainability & Circular Economy; Nonwovens & Technical Textiles; and Apparel & Sports are the primary themes of Dornbirn GFC 2023.
