BioSusTex Consortium Meeting Held at SUN Tekstil
The event opened with a welcome from SUN Tekstil, followed by an introductory presentation delivered by Ozan Onuktav, Research and Development Engineer at SUN Tekstil.
Consortium members then shared progress updates, beginning with representatives from the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE). Mikael Kjellin, Area Manager, together with Senior Researchers Maziar Sedighi Moghaddam and Mikael Järn at RISE, presented developments in PFAS-free biobased water-repellent coatings, offering safer alternatives to harmful chemicals.
This was followed by a joint presentation from Aalto University and RISE. Ali Tarhini, Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalto University, together with Diana Reyes Forsberg, Senior Researcher and Project Manager at RISE, and Nadine Hollinger, Research and Development Engineer at RISE, showcased innovations in dope-dyed fibre-to-fibre recycling.
Further contributions included a presentation from Romain Bordes, Senior Researcher in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, who introduced PVC-free biobased printing technology with built-in recycling features.
This was followed by a session led by Ali Tehrani, Associate Professor at Aalto University, together with Md. Reazuddin Repon, Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalto University, and Anna Edsberger from RISE. They presented advancements in textile pre-processing, with a particular focus on elastane removal and color-stripping techniques that could enable wider circular textile use.
Adding to these discussions, Elena Semenzin, Associate Professor at Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, addressed Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) safety assessments, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that new solutions meet stringent health and environmental standards.
On the second day, the focus shifted to assessment and long-term implementation. Amanda Lundberg, Project Manager at Swedish Environmental Institute (IVL), and Olga Lysenko, Energy and Sustainability Expert at IVL, presented their work on Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA).
This was followed by Alex Zabeo, Chief Technology Officer at GreenDecision, who introduced a decision-support methodology enhanced with a web tool and database.
Later, Alex Neagu, Director of Strategy and Innovation Management at Bee Granted, reported on dissemination, exploitation, and communication (DEC) efforts aimed at maximizing the project’s reach and overall impact.
The meeting concluded with a project management workshop led by Anna-Karin Hellström, and Anne-Charlotte Hanning, Senior Project Leader at RISE, who outlined upcoming deliverables, dissemination reporting, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
All participants also visited SUN Tekstil and Ekoten Textile’s production facilities, gaining valuable first-hand insights into the industrial applications of the project’s research.
The BioSusTex project continues to pioneer solutions for sustainable textiles by integrating science, industry, and responsible innovation. Through its collaborative efforts, the consortium is working to reduce environmental impact while advancing a more circular and sustainable future for the textile industry.
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