Innovation competition in nonwovens

Freudenberg Performance Materials, the world’s leading manufacturer of technical textiles, has launched an open innovation competition under the name Next-Generation Nonwovens. External developers, scientists, students, organisations and other interested parties are invited to submit their ideas in response to two questions. First, how can nonwovens be developed from polyester, which will then be biodegradable within defined time period? Second, how can highly transparent fibres be developed that are suitable for the production of polyester nonwovens? The competition deadline is November 30, 2016.

“Many questions today are so complex that very different disciplines need to work together to solve them. With our ‘Next-Generation Nonwovens’ competition, we want to encourage all experts – not just our internal teams – to get involved at the very earliest idea-development stage”, explained Dr Frank Heislitz, Chief Technology Officer of Freudenberg Performance Materials about the background to the initiative. The competition is part of Freudenberg’s ideaTrophy program, through which the Group has in the past sought external responses to various topics, such as renewable energy, water and health.

Whether from within or outside the Freudenberg Group, all interested individuals, groups and organisations are invited to submit their ideas. How can ideas be submitted and what is the closing date? From a simple concept sketch with indents and detailed descriptions through functional prototypes to young start-up companies: ideas at all levels of development are welcome. From experience however, the better the respective idea is described and presented the greater its chances of success. Participants can upload their ideas on the ideaTrophy website.