Fibres & Textiles
Fibres & Textiles Textile bio-based materials design challenge A new innovation platform for designers, researchers and users The Biopro GmbH and the Cluster biopolymers (Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany) started, early in 2012, an innovative project called the ‘textile bio-based materials design challenge’ (tbdc). The challenge provides all participants with a platform for cooperation and knowledge exchange for a period of one year. The interaction between the many players along the value creation chain will enable the early assessment of the function and capabilities of bio-based materials for application on the textile market. The objective of the challenge is to generate as many new project ideas as possible, which will then be implemented and driven forward in cooperation with suitable partners. Direct contact with potential partners will be possible through two partnering workshops as well as through an online partnering platform that will be up and running throughout the entire duration of the challenge. More than 50 researchers, designers, producers and users active in the fibre and textile industries came to participate in the first workshop in July. The delegates used the interdisciplinary environment to develop project ideas, exchange information and experience, and to make new contacts. Tina Kammer, CEO of InteriorPark, and Dr. Ralf Kindervater, CEO of Biopro Baden-Württemberg GmbH (both in Stuttgart, Germany), moderated the ‘material meets design’ workshop programme. During the first half of the one-day meeting, speakers either presented concrete project ideas relating to sustainable textile products or gave talks designed to encourage ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and the development of new project ideas. During the second half of the meeting, participants used the tabletop exhibition to network with the speakers, to obtain more detailed information about project ideas that had been presented, and to identify potential common ground. “I was particularly impressed with the enthusiasm for already existing bio-based materials shown by a number of designers during the course of the meeting,” commented Kindervater, pointing out that the projects that were presented have served as an inspiration for several new product scenarios that will go on to be further developed jointly. Since the successful implementation of such projects always depends on financing, the final workshop session presented European and German funding programmes. The next Workshop will take place on November the 8 th in Denkendorf, near Stuttgart, Germany, and is open to all who are interested in textile bio-based materials. Please contact Esther Novosel through the tbdc website www.bio-pro.de/tbdc 16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/12] Vol. 7
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