Researchers at Finland’s Aalto University have designed and produced a dress made of Finnish birch trees, using a sustainable technology called Ioncell – and are planning to scale up production of the eco-friendly textile fibres.
Developed by Aalto University and the University of Helsinki, the Ioncell process aims to change the way clothes are made by creating quality textile fibres from a range of raw materials, including wood, recycled newspaper or cardboard, and old cotton textiles. Unlike environmentally demanding cotton or viscose, Ioncell fibre is an ecological alternative that can also be recycled, the researchers say.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The project gained international attention when the dress was worn by Jenni Haukio, the wife of Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, for an event held at Helsinki’s Presidential Palace to mark the Nordic nation’s 101 years of independence.
While Ioncell technology is still at the research stage, Haukio’s gown is not the first time Ioncell products have been seen at state events. French President Emmanuel Macron received an Ioncell scarf made of old jeans when he visited Aalto University in August 2018.
And the scale of the technology is set to grow, with the team at Aalto University recently having unveiled plans to launch an EUR4m (US$4.5m) pilot investment at the Aalto Bioproduct Center in Otaniemi. The move will see the development of a pilot plant which will house the entire textile manufacturing chain from fibre production to yarns, fabrics and finished products.
The investment, the team says, will increase production “one hundred fold” to about 10kg per day from the 100g that is currently being hand-crafted in the laboratory.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData“There is a lot of interest in ecological textile fibres and we have a lot of material demands from textile and fashion companies that we can not answer. Thanks to the pilot equipment, we can supply fibre to much higher levels of testing and to cooperate with more and more companies,” says Janne Laine, who leads the project as vice president of innovation at Aalto University.
