Lenzing explained the project, called CELLFIL, brings together 15 partners from research and industry to scale its lyocell filaments in a bid to move the textile sector towards greater sustainability and a circular economy.
By optimising the entire fabric production process, and its intermediate processing steps, the aim is to replace synthetic fibres with environmentally friendly lyocell filaments in recyclable applications.
Lenzing said this approach aims to develop and start using alternative raw material sources for textiles.
It believes the realisation of these goals is crucial for scaling up lyocell filament production and promoting a circular economy that represents an environmentally friendly alternative to the currently dominant fossil-based synthetic filaments.
Lenzing Group's head of lyocell filament development Markus Pichler shared: “We are still in the industrial start-up phase for lyocell filaments. Many aspects, such as the availability of lyocell filaments in the supply chain and technological adjustments for the processing of cellulose yarns, need to be addressed in order to change the capacities of the textile industry, which is currently more suited to polyester filaments."
RTDS Group CEO and project coordinator Stephen Webb added: “We are proud to be working with key industry and academic partners to advance bio-based lyocell filaments and promote a more sustainable and circular textile industry through this innovation project."
CELLFIL is part of the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe and is supported by 15 partners from eight different countries.
The €6.9m ($7.56m) from the European Union's Horizon Europe programme has been made available for the implementation of this initiative.
Lenzing described the European Commission's roadmap for the future of textiles as "visionary" and said it is striving for a circular economy in which all textiles on the EU market are durable, repairable and recyclable.
Lenzing added this underlines Europe's commitment to sustainable innovation and a greener future in the textile sector.
In July Lenzing announced its CEO would be replaced by chief fibre officer Rohit Aggarwal.
In a statement at the time Lenzing explained its CEO Stephan Sielaff would not be renewing his contract with the company’s management board, “by mutual agreement” with its supervisory board.
Aggarwal, who was previously Lenzing’s chief fibre officer, replaced Sielaff as CEO. Lenzing said he had "several decades of experience in leading positions in the textile and chemical industry".
