Communicating the future of MMF

The certified Dornbirn-MFC intends to continue as “Green Meeting & Green Event” and its criteria will be based on sustainable arrival, reduction of CO2 (carbon dioxide), ecological catering, eco-friendly accommodations as well as material – and waste management. The 56th Dornbirn Man-Made Fibers Congress (Dornbirn-MFC) is to be held at Dornbirn, Austria from September 13-15, 2017.

In recent years, Dornbirn-MFC has gradually developed as a global brand and its rising number of participants and international origin reflect its status. Visitors from more than 60 new companies were registered last year. Overall, more than 700 participants from 34 nations visited Dornbirn (80 per cent from Europe, 15 per cent from Asia, 5 per cent from the Americas). In 2017, some delegations from Asia and the Americas have confirmed their participation. The European characterised innovation platform for the fibre industry and the various stages of the value chain should act as idea- and network generator – each participant is part of the success of the event.

More than a 100 expert lectures concentrate on key themes: fibre innovations, and fibres, textiles and nonwovens for hygiene and healthcare applications, for protective applications and for sports and leisure wear.

Latest developments with applications of medicine and hygiene in the fields of hospital, nursing and implantology will be presented. Attendance of the leading brands and private label producers are expected.

For the introductory lecture in the field of protective applications, a speaker of NASA/ USA could be acquired on issue of flame retardend textile fibres for space research. Inter alia a reputable global producer of protective clothing will present the latest developments and the requirements of the preliminary stages of the supply chain.

In the field of sportswear, VAUDE the innovative and repeatedly rewarded outdoor brand will enrich the topic with its presentations. Appealing contributions from industry and research will be delivered on the issue of functionalization and ecological manufacturing process. In order to generate a more interactive and more vivid programme sequence additional discussions within the main topics are being planned.

Top-class key note speeches with foresighted and partly provocative perspectives will give fresh momentum to all participants. The successful Young Scientists’ Forum will also be performed on the final day this year.

Expert Panel: Textile & nonwovens waste – A threat or opportunity? Will be held a day before the opening of the Congress. This highly topical issue will be handled precisely by an expert team from the fiber industry, the downstream stages, retail and for the first time from the waste disposers (Waste Management Companies).

Dornbirn-MFC, CIRFS (European Chemical Fiber Association), EDANA (Association of the Nonwovens Industry) and ISWA (International Solid Waste Association) operate as promoters of this unique event. Particular emphasis should be placed on the economic region Land Vorarlberg and the smart city Dornbirn which have tremendously supported the congress since its foundation.

The cooperation with the federal state Vorarlberg and the Chamber of Commerce Vorarlberg has been expanded in recent years. Lenzing AG, the associations CIRFS and IVC are the initiators of the annual congress. Lenzing AG, the world`s largest and most innovative cellulose fiber producer and this very impressive company with high innovative power will be represented as the lead sponsor of the congress.

Cooperation with Texworld/AVANTEX Paris

Fashion and research links together is the guiding principle of the cooperation and thereby the synergy of the undisputedly market place Fashion Paris and the market place research Dornbirn-MFC will benefit a lot.

The cooperation enters its second year and has started very successfully. In doing so, as an example WOLFORD, the luxury underwear manufacturer, a long term Dornbirn-MFC participant, presented its highly interesting concept, “Circular Economy” in the production of underwear which has been praised highly from the visitors with a considerable response from the press last February in Paris.

Both events, coordinated well in timing – AVANTEX will be held one week after Dornbirn-MFC – therefore the participants may visit the meetings perfectly.

AVANTEX is the fair for Hi-Tec fabrics for clothing and takes place twice a year in Paris, the city of fashion and apparel. The trade fair is organized around four sectors: materials and components, prototype studio, clothing and accessories and smart retail.

Cooperation with Techtextil

Techtextil in Frankfurt is the world`s leading fair for technical textiles and nonwovens and will take place from May 9-12, 2017. The Technical University Aachen/ Maastricht, Dresden and Denkendorf from the academic world as well as Lenzing AG, Märkische Faser and SGL / FISIPE from the fiber industry will hold specialist lectures on “Fiber Industry geared to Sustainability and Resource Management“.

The lecture block will be rounded off by a high-calibre panel discussion on the very challenging topic “Performance and Sustainability – a contradiction?”

Cooperation with EDANA

EDANA is an excellent supporter of Dornbirn-MFC within the organisation of international, high-quality lectures from nonwovens. EDANA is also a co-organiser of the unique Expert Panel “Textile & Nonwovens Waste – a Threat or Opportunity?” where the fibre- and nonwovens industry and the waste management companies will encounter for the first time.

Dornbirn-MFC on social media

Dornbirn-MFC [website www.dornbirn-mfc.com] is one of the crucial communication tools of convention. Dornbirn-MFC informations will also be distributed on diverse social media channels in the future. Concerning this, a congress page was recently issued on LinkedIn/Dornbirn-MFC and on Facebook/Dornbirn-MFC. At regular intervals these pages will be completed with “up to the minute” news and pictures.