Innovation portfolio

BioProTex

Bio-based and biocompatible textile coating delivering both antimicrobial activity and required fluid/soil resistance in a single, streamlined treatment.
Nina Forsman coated textile sample_photo by Valeria Azovskaya

Status:

Pre-business

SDGs:

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Industry:

Microtech, nanotech and materials

Impact:

Sustainable materials

Origin:

Research to Business

School:

School of Chemical Engineering

Established:

2026

BioProTex project aims to revolutionize single-use medical textiles by replacing hazardous chemical treatments with a sustainable, bio-based solution. The solution has to capture a significant share of the fast-growing 5MEUR medical textile coating market, where new bio-based and cost-effective solutions are being feverishly sought.  The project is supported by a very strong research and commercialization teams and an expert advisory board.   

Currently, medical textiles rely on fossil-based polymers and multi-step finishing with toxic substances like fluorine-based compounds (such as PFAS) and heavy metals to achieve crucial water repellency and antimicrobial performance. This results in long-term waste, environmental persistence, health risks, and increased manufacturing costs due to process complexity.   

BioProTex addresses these limitations by offering a patent-pending, bio-based, and biocompatible coating that delivers both antimicrobial activity and required fluid/soil resistance in a single, streamlined treatment. The coating is produced from renewable bio-based feedstocks using solvent-free and waste-free processes, making it a drop-in solution fully compatible with existing textile finishing lines (pad-dry-cure).   

This treatment simplifies production, reduces chemical consumption by an estimated 30-50%, and lowers overall manufacturing costs. Crucially, BioProTex eliminates the need for fluorine and other harmful/toxic chemicals. BioProtex is a game-changer for the industry, offering a high-value alternative to non-biobased textiles while enabling the shift toward fully bio-based materials like cellulose. 

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