2nd International Conference on Cellulose Fibres

2-3 February 2021, Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany

Second International Conference on Cellulose Fibres, the fastest growing fibre group in textiles, the largest investment sector in the bio-based economy and the solution for avoiding microplastics

With 210 participants and 15 exhibitors from 26 different countries, the “1^st International Conference on Cellulose Fibres” in 2020 was a great success and exceeded all expectations. The trade press wrote: “nova-Institute hits the mark with new conference”. The focus of the conference was on markets, technologies and sustainability – and especially alternative cellulose feedstocks.

Building on this success, the 2^nd International Conference on Cellulose Fibres will again cover the entire value chain from the lignocellulosic feedstock, dissolving pulp, cellulose fibres – such as rayon, viscose, modal or lyocell and new developments, to a wide range of applications, woven textiles (clothing) and non-wovens (wipes and technical applications). All these sectors have significantly gained in dynamics over the last few years.

Cellulose fibres are a success story within the textiles market with a cumulated annual growth rate (CAGR) between 5 and 10% over the last ten years – similar growth rates are expected in the next decade. This makes cellulose fibres the fastest growing fibre group in the textile industry and also the largest investment sector in the bio-based economy worldwide. The challenge now is to achieve a balance between the ongoing capacity expansion and the growing demand – to avoid over capacities, but also to cover the growing demand of the big brands.
The high growth rates are driven by the demand for natural fibres (and bottlenecks in cotton), the microplastic problem and possible bans for plastic fibres. All three drivers will continue to play a significant role in the future development of the sector.

Focus of the conference

What are the recent technology and market trends?
What are the future market dynamics? Who is active and interested in this sector?
What are the main challenges to develop the value chains and the market demand?
Which ecosystems and partnerships are required to drive innovation according to market needs?
How will the political environment continue to develop? What will happen with plastic bans, microplastic avoidance, bio-based vs. fossil feedstocks, and sustainability?
How can the sustainability of cellulose fibres be even further increased? Which alternative feedstocks are suitable and available?

The Gold sponsors of the first conference, leading producers of cellulose fibres, confirmed this positive market development:

“It’s a challenging time for the market, but we also see it’s the right time for new fibres, because the market and especially the retailers are looking for sustainable alternatives. Already more than 200 participants is a good start for a new conference. We really enjoyed the informative presentations”.Alessandro Pellegrini, Business Manager at Bozzetto Group (Italy), global provider of chemical auxiliaries for the textile industry:

“There are many exciting developments going on – like textile recycling or new technologies and applications – and there is a growing demand for sustainable fibres made from renewable materials. (…)It was a really successful first edition of the International Conference on Cellulose Fibres and I hope that many more will follow. The talks and accompanying discussions covered a wide area of topics related to cellulose fibres at a very high level. And there was also enough time for networking and further in-depths discussion, which also proved very valuable”.Josef Innerlohinger, head of global R&D department at Lenzing (Austria), leading producer of pulp and fibres for the textile industry:

“Cellulose fibres are natural and biodegradable and have immense potential to meet global textile demand and consumer needs in an environmentally sustainable way.”Jacky Sun, from the Communication and Sustainability department of Sateri (China), global producer of viscose fibres:

“The first conference on cellulose fibres hit the mark. We have given the growing industry the ideal platform for exchange and networking. Due to the extremely positive feedback, we believe that we will be able to attract even more experts from the cellulose fibre sector with the second event.”Michael Carus, CEO and initiator of the conference

Call for Abstracts and Posters

Abstract submission is open now. You are welcome to present your latest products, technologies, developments or market trends. Submit your abstract as soon as possible. Deadline for submission: 31 October 2020

Want to present a poster? Submit your poster here. Deadline for submission: End of 2020

Call for innovations: “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2021”

The innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2021” will be granted to the best innovation in the cellulose fibre industry in technologies and applications. Click here to learn more about the call for innovation! Deadline for submission: 30 November 2020
For the first time, the innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” will be granted to the innovative cellulose fibre industry for developing new technologies and applications. All producers and inventors along the entire value chain from feedstock to the final product are invited to join the competition.

Sponsoring and Exhibition Opportunities

Would you like to increase your visibility in public? You are very welcome as a sponsor of the conference! All sponsoring opportunities will be published soon.
The fee of a booth (6 m²) is 1100 EUR (excl. 19% VAT). One conference ticket is included in the booth fee. We provide you with a table, tablecloths, a pin board, a chair and a power connection. You are welcome to use your own booth system. Booking page will be published soon.

Organiser

nova-Institute: nova-Institute is a private and independent research institute, founded in 1994; nova offers science-based research and consultancy with a focus on renewable carbon-based economy: bio- and CO₂-based economy and recycling. Topics: food and feedstock, techno-economic evaluation, markets, sustainability, dissemination, B2B communication and policy. Every year, nova organises several large conferences on these topics; nova-Institute has 35 employees and an annual turnover of more than 3 million €. To get the latest news from nova-Institute, subscribe at www.bio-based.eu/email