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Speaker Biographies and Presentation Abstracts

KEYNOTE: Phil Patterson, Managing Director, Colour Connections (UK); Chairman of the ZDHC MRSL Advisory Council (chemical inputs) and the ZDHC Wastewater Council, The Netherlands; Chairman of the Microfibre Consortium, UK

Title of Presentation: On a knife edge - making quality textiles responsibly

  • What are the key legal obligations intended to avoid the worst chemical-related practices?
  • What are the moral obligations behind the promotion of the most responsible chemicals and practices?
  • How do we avoid “greenwashing”?
  • How do we resolve the conflict between performance and durability while meeting the heightened expectations of sustainability; should we change or control chemistry?
  • What are the emerging issues and solutions?
  • Collaboration versus innovation, is it really a non-competitive space?

Phil Patterson is Managing Director of Colour Connections Textile Consultancy (www.colour-connections.com) and has a degree in Colour Chemistry from the University of Leeds (UK).

On graduating, he took up a post with Courtaulds Research based in Derby, UK  and then went on to hold industrial positions with Textured Jersey dyehouse in Leicester, UK and as global process development manager with Tencel fibres.

After a decade working in the dyeing and finishing industry Phil worked for Marks and Spencer as their Dyeing, Printing and Finishing Manager between 1997 and 2007 where he was responsible for creating and managing restricted substances management programmes and factory assessment programmes.

In 2007 he left to set up Colour Connections Textile Consultancy that provides advice, information and training on dyeing, printing, finishing, colour management, restricted substances management and sustainability to all parts of the textile supply chain from industry through to retail.

Phil was a founder member of the Afirm Group which is the leading multi-stakeholder organisation for managing restricted substances in apparel, footwear and accessories and serves as chairman of the ZDHC MRSL Advisory Council (chemical inputs) and the ZDHC wastewater council.

He was a founder member of the RITE Group, formed in 2007 to promote a practical, balanced, inclusive approach to reducing the impact of textiles on the environment.

Recently Phil has been appointed as Chairman of the Microfibre Consortium, a multi-stakeholder group which aims to reduce the formation and discharge of textile microfibres into the environment.

Phil regularly works on the interface of retail and industry and is skilled in making complex subjects easy to understand and manageable for non-expert clients.

​- Adrian Wilson, Conference Chair (UK)

Title of Presentation: Emerging technologies and processes - can they truly provide sustainable manufacturing?

  • What can we learn during Sustainable Finishing Technologies and what did we learn at the World Congress on Textile Coating?
  • What are the key processing technologies offering more sustainable manufacturing?
  • Who are the key brands and companies driving the changes?
  • Has the industry the industry truly grasped the urgency of the problem?
  • Can technology help industry control complicated supply chains to its environmental impact and support its sustainable claims?

Experienced industry specialist Adrian Wilson has chaired many of our conferences. Adrian has written and edited numerous nonwovens and textiles-related publications including Nonwovens Report International. He currently writes for Sustainable Nonwovens and Technical Textiles International and edits Smart Textiles and Wearables.

SESSION ONE: SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY

Lance Li, Senior Formulation Chemist of Textile and Liquid Formulations, R&D, Microban International Inc (USA)

Title of Presentation: Sustainable alternatives for odour control on garments

  • Can odour-control technologies be effective and sustainable?
  • What are the key standards and quality-control guidelines that need to be met?
  • How can chemistries be adapted to reduce environmental impacts post-manufacture?
  • How can we reduce the needs to treat wastewater?

Dr Siqi Li (Lance) is the Senior Formulation Chemist of Textile and Liquid Formulations, Research and Development with Microban International Inc. Dr Li develops and leads several sustainable innovation developments in the core area of liquids and textiles.  Fluent in Chinese and English, Lance holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of South Carolina.  

A results-driven technical innovation expert with a proven track record of innovation and creative problem solving, Lance excels in applying his extensive scientific expertise to create unique solutions to textile industry problems.  Over the course of his career tenure in textiles, Lance has 12 years of product innovation experience, including 5 years of experience in the development and testing of odour control coating solutions for textiles at Microban. He is also a published author and his contributions to articles can be widely found.  Lance has published nearly 20 peer-reviewed articles and patents.

As a member of AATCC, he promotes sustainable textile technologies and finishes to the industry. Lance is interested in recycled materials and in sustainable innovations that have minimal environmental impact.

- Elisabete Silva, Head of Innovation, Mehler Engineered Products GmbH (Portugal/Germany)

Title of Presentation: An innovative, bio-based adhesive for mechanical rubber goods 

  • What are the typical adhesives used for binding yarns and fabrics to rubber?
  • Why are these materials bad for the environment?
  • Can a sustainable, bio-based adhesive offer the same performance?​

Elisabete Silva works as Head of Innovation at MEHLER ENGINEERED PRODUCTS and is Deputy Managing Director of the Portuguese MEHLER plant in Vila Nova de Famalicão. Elisabete has a degree in textile engineering from the University do Minho in Portugal.

During her more than 20 years of expertise in the field of technical textiles, Elisabete gained in-depth experiences in different technical and developmental areas and was Project Manager and Leader of Technical Support in the field of woven fabrics.

Currently, Elisabete leads numerous innovation projects that deal with the continuous development of engineered yarns and engineered fabrics.

 

Theo Verweerden, CEO, Lamoral Coatings BV (Netherlands)

Title of Presentation: Sustainable, durable water-repellent treatments 

  • Can we apply durable water-repellent treatments without adding to microplastic pollution?
  • Can we apply durable water-repellent treatments that don’t affect health?
  • Is it possible to simultaneously reduce the consumption of raw materials?
  • How are these alternative chemistries applied?
  • What are the key standards and conventions we need to satisfy?

​Theo Verweerden is co-founder and CEO of Lamoral Coatings, an experienced international executive with 30 years career in global material sciences, industrial and chemical industries- strategic planning, culture change, effective people management, portfolio transformations, turnaround, P&L responsibility, start ups, entrepreneurial, partnerships and joint ventures. Before starting his own company Theo worked in several executive positions in Morton International, Rohm and Haas and DSM.

Theo holds an MsC degree in chemical engineering (TUE) , a bachelor degree in business management (UU)  and MBA programs with Wharton, IMD and St. Gallen business schools.

Joris van Tongerloo, Business Development, Lamoral Coatings BV (Netherlands)

Joris van Tongerloo recently graduated with an MSc in Innovation Management at the Technical University Eindhoven. During Joris's graduation internship he joined Lamoral Coatings and is very interested in the technology and sustainable solutions that Lamoral Coatings delivers. Because of Joris's hobbies he has a strong interest in sportswear and this sparked his enthusiasm for Lamoral's DWR coating technology.

KEYNOTE: Catherine Tubb, Senior Investment Analyst, Planet Tracker (UK)

Title of Presentation: Beyond the brands: unpicking investor risk and opportunity in the textile supply chain

  • How is the textile supply chain causing significant damage to the environment?
  • Is the wet-processing sector the worst offender?
  • How can financial markets and investors be helped to understand the risks?
  • How can targeted investment improve the situation?

Dr Catherine Tubb joined Planet Tracker in January 2021 as the Senior Investment Analyst in the Textiles programme. She joined Planet Tracker from RethinkX where she worked for three years as Senior Research Analyst, co-authoring the report “Rethinking Food and Agriculture 2020-2030 - The Second Domestication of Plants and Animals, the Disruption of the Cow, and the Collapse of Industrial Livestock Farming” published in September 2019. Prior to her role at RethinkX, Catherine was a VP in Research at Sanford Bernstein, working on a variety of teams in the financial equity research space, predominantly on the European Chemicals team, but also with a spell in the European Luxury Goods team. Catherine holds a Ph.D in Organic and Computational Chemistry from the University of Cambridge.

SESSION TWO: INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROCESSES

Rick Stanford, VP Global Business Development, TextilesBaldwin Technology (USA/Sweden)

Title of Presentation: Revolutionising and applying real sustainability to the Textile Finishing Department

  • How can non-contact spray finishing reduce finishers’ consumption of water, chemicals and energy?
  • How much waste can we eliminate?
  • Can sustainable processing be compatible with increasing profits?
  • What are the applications?
  • Do users of the technology have to compromise on quality?

Rick Stanford is the Vice President of Global Business Development for Baldwin Technology’s Textile Division.  Rick is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Industrial Management and has more than 30 years in the textile industry, beginning his career in manufacturing with Milliken and Company. His first global assignment was with Uster in Switzerland in the early 2000s.  Since then, Rick has held additional international roles and has been with Baldwin for two years.

- Kushtrim Daci, Global Sales / Application Expert, Weber Ultrasonics AG (Germany)

Title of Presentation: Sonopower textile - cut operating costs and resource use by around a third

  • How can ultrasound be exploited to make textile finishing more sustainable?
  • What is cavitation and how does it contribute to savings in energy and resources for finishers?
  • Why is the wash-resistance of treated textiles improved when ultrasonic techniques are employed?

Kushtrim Daci is an Application Expert for Ultrasonic Cleaning with more than 15 years of experience in designing and implementing customized ultrasonic solutions. He combines a deep understanding of ultrasonic technology with a strong focus on market developments and customer needs. Building strong relationships with clients and scientific institutes, he led the development of the Sonopower Textile System from the early stage of evaluation up to market readiness.

- Ricardo Vega Ayora, Project Engineer, ITA Academy GmbH (Digital Capability Center Aachen, Germany)

Title of presentation: Autonomous asset yet optimization for the reduction of energy consumption in the finishing process of textile wristbands

  • How can machine-learning methods be applied to make manufacturing more sustainable?
  • Is it possible to adapt existing lines to operate in this way?
  • When and how should human operators and machines work together?
  • What are the savings that can be achieved?

Ricardo Vega Ayora is a Project Engineer at the ITA Academy GmbH, where he leads the development team of the model textile factory at the Digital Capability Center (DCC) in Aachen, Germany. With his background in electronic engineering, mechatronics, and his experience from multiple software development and data science projects in multiple countries, Ricardo takes part in the research, development and implementation of digital solutions at the DCC Aachen as well as in different industry projects to carry out digital transformation.

Martin Flora, Founder and VP Business Development, Green Theme Technologies Inc, (USA)

Water-free textile manufacturing - insights from our water-free finishing platform

  • What is Green Theme Technologies’ Empel platform?
  • What are the key lessons the company has learned during the six years of its commercialisation?
  • What are the structural impediments to change in the finishing industry?
  • Will consumers pay for sustainable manufacturing?

Green Theme’s Empel technology creates durable, water-repellent treatments that out-perform traditional applications and leaves fabrics with a high degree of breathability. Further, luxury fabrics, such as wool and silk, can be treated without detrimentally effecting their appearance of soft hand. Crucially, the water-free process does not require perfluorocarbon (PFC) chemicals and drives down pollution caused by manufacture.

Martin Flora is VP of Business Development and Founder of Green Theme Technologies Inc of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA, which specialises in technologies for applying high-performance coatings while eliminating the use of water and reducing pollution.

Matthew Betcher, Creative Director, Allied Feather + Down (USA)

Chemical-free non-toxic treatment uses little water and makes down fast-drying

Fuze is a technology that permanently attaches non-toxic gold particles to down without the use of chemicals to create a quick-drying material (ExpeDry). The gold particles in the treatment promote the evaporation of water molecules, without the need for heat, helping the down to stay dry and to dry faster, even in environments of high humidity. By keeping the down dry, its insulation properties are maintained. By applying the particles in a light misting process, there is no need to use surfactants, chemicals or binders, and only a small amount of water is needed.

Joining the company in October 2013, Matthew is the Creative Director at Allied Feather & Down of Montebello, California, USA, which specialises in responsible sourcing and sustainably processing down insulation.

KEYNOTE ONE: Peter Buttiens, CEO, ESMA - The European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association (Belgium)

Title of presentation: The roadmap for sustainable digital printing on textiles

All the pieces are in place for the rapid growth of digital textile printing in the next twenty years. It is being predicted that from just a 7% share of the overall textile printing market in 2021, digital printing will climb to a 25% share in 2030 and to 40% in 2040. The final barriers and bottlenecks to acceptance are being overcome by advances in both the technology and the inks, as well as major changes in the supply and demand of the market.

There is no doubt that the textile industry is currently in a state of flux, with environmental, economic and technical pressures driving the industry towards new models, both in respect of how products are manufactured and how they are sold. Digital printing ticks all the boxes as a big part of the solution.

Peter Buttiens has an MSc in Industrial Engineering & Computer Technology, and in 2002 received an International executive MBA from Vlerick Business School.

Since 1991, Peter worked in various international sales and marketing positions for companies such as Summagraphics, CADlink, Mutoh and Ergosoft. In March 2007, Peter became CEO at ESMA, the European Association for Industrial Printing. In Europe, the association brings together suppliers, printers and consultants with a total of over 70 members. This includes specialized, functional and industrial printing using screen and digital process for large format, printed Electronics (NFC, RFID, conductive and so on); automotive parts; in mold decoration (IMD); technical and decorative glass and plastic and textile printing applications. Peter has been encouraging the development of bio-medical printing solutions, seeing this as the crossroad of functional and printed electronics and this will be the next big opportunity for the printing industry in the healthcare sector. In 2020, Peter started to develop the textile printing division within ESMA.
 

KEYNOTE TWO: Tricia Carey, Director Global Business Development, Lenzing (USA), with Alex Penadés, Customer Manager, Jeanologia (Spain), and Günther Widler, Head of Technology - Denim, DyStar (Germany)

  

Title of Presentation: Collaborations for change from fibre to finish - how innovation can impact resource savings

  • How are combinations of innovative technologies being used to reduce the impact of denim manufacturing on the environment?
  • Is it possible to reduce consumption of water, chemicals and energy simultaneously?
  • What was the role of and what did we learn about collaboration in this development?
  • Are there further applications for these innovative processes?

Tricia is an advocate for innovation and sustainability in the textile and apparel industry. Twenty years ago, Tricia joined Courtalds Fibers NY to develop the marketing plan for a brand new fiber called TENCEL. When Lenzing Fibers acquired Tencel Inc. in 2004, Tricia became the USA Merchandising Manager for Womenswear, Menswear, and Intimates. Today, Tricia directs the Global Denim Segment, as well as the Americas Business Development teams, with a special interest in advancing more sustainable apparel development from fiber to consumer use.

Tricia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising from The Fashion Institute of Technology and certificates in Digital Marketing and Strategy from Cornell University and MIT. Her experience in fabric sales, global sourcing, and apparel business development make her an invaluable partner for brands and retailers who want to re-evaluate their supply chains and optimize the application and benefits of Lenzing’s botanic fibers.

Tricia also serves as Secretary of Accelerating Circularity Project, is a member of the FIT Textile Department Advisory Board and was Vice Chair at Textile Exchange from 2014-2018.  In 2020 she was nominated as B2B Content Marketer of the Year by Content Marketing Institute, as well as top 100 Denim Legend by WeAr Magazine.  In 2019 Tricia was awarded the RIVET 50, influential denim industry leaders.  She has been a speaker as various industry events including United Nations, Transformers, Texworld, Premiere Vision, Wear Conference, and more. She is based in New York City and can be reached through Linked In.

- Alex Penadés, Customer Manager, Jeanologia (Spain)

Alex joined Jeanologia in 2011 as Customization Technology Manager, and Group Brand Director. 

In his professional career, Alex has led innovative projects, startup and company launches for companies in USA, France, Japan, and Italy.

Alex has worked internationally for fashion & lifestyle companies, specifically, in projects with a high technological component, and focused on organisation digital transformations. He has also worked in strategic projects for companies like UBS, Nespresso, Louis Vuitton, America’s Cup Management, Levi Strauss and Ralph Lauren. Alex has participated in more than 100 market launches and brand repositioning projects.

Currently, he passionately combines his two professional challenges: new sustainable and eco-efficient technology projects, together with his college lectures for several colleges & universities in Europe and USA. Alex has degrees in Economics and Business Studies from the University of Valencia, MBA from UH, Texas and a Masters in Business Innovation from DBS Deusto.

- Günther Widler, Head of Technology - Denim, DyStar (Germany)
Photo and bio to follow

SESSION THREE: DENIM, DYEING AND COLOURING

- Mary Ankeny, VP, Product Development and Implementation, Cotton Inc (USA)

Title of Presentation: Reduction of resources (water, energy and chemicals) during cotton dyeing

Advances in textile chemistry research have enabled more efficient wet processing of cotton yarns, fabrics and garments as compared to past decades.  Research groups, machinery manufacturers and chemical companies continue to develop new technologies for the benefit of both cotton and the environment.  In this presentation, Mary will review several technologies that reduce the environmental impact of cotton coloration.  

  • How does wet processing of cotton damaging the environment?
  • What are the key advances in chemistry that are now allowing manufacturers to wet process cotton yarns more efficiently?
  • Can more sustainable processing be compatible with improving the finished textile?
  • What is low liquor ratio dyeing and how does it help?
  • How are engineering controls and other methods helping to optimize dyeing and colouring?

Mary Ankeny serves as VP, Product Development and Implementation at Cotton Incorporated overseeing all lab operations, outside research funding for cotton textile applications, as well as the Textile Chemistry Research Department, where the focus is on sustainable wet processing technology for cotton from preparation through finishing.  Mary has held various research positions within Cotton Incorporated since joining the company in 1995.  Mary holds an MS in Textile Technology from the Institute of Textile Technology (now at North Carolina State University) and a B.S. in Textile Engineering from Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. 

Kasper Nossent, Managing Director, DyeCoo Textile Systems BV (The Netherlands)

Kasper Nossent works for Dyecoo Textile Systems B.V. as their Managing Director for Asia and is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. DyeCoo is the world's first supplier of a commercial and industrial CO2 dyeing process for polyester that is 100% water & chemical-free.

With an interest in innovative technologies and sustainability, he has over 15 years of experience in the High-Tech Industry, Digital Printing Industry and Textile Industry and has worked in different commercial and management roles in fields of R&D, business development and sales. Kasper holds a Bsc. in Chemical Engineering from Saxion University and a Msc. in Innovation Management from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Title of Presentation: Industrial waterless and chemical-free dyeing in supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract to follow.

Mattias Nordin, SVP Business Development, Coloreel (Sweden)

Dr Mattias Nordin works as SVP Business Development for Coloreel focusing on product strategy and management, major partnerships and sustainability. He hold a Ph.D. in control engineering from the Royal Institiute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Before joining Coloreel in 2017 as a CEO with the task to take the technology from prototype to fully commercialized product, he had executive roles in Product Development in larger companies such as Dometic Group, Atlas Copco, Volvo Group and ABB.

Title of Presentation: Continuous thread-colouring technology for sustainable production

Coloreel is a Swedish textile innovation brand with a groundbreaking technology for embroidery that enables high-quality colouring of textile thread on demand, unlocking a world of potential. The product enables large creative freedom, high quality and efficient logistics and production. In addition it gives some major environmental advantages. The product is fully commercialized, and Coloreel is scaling up distribution globally, see www.coloreel.com for more details.

  • How does Coloreel’s thread-colouring technology minimise consumption of water and materials?
  • How many colours can be applied?
  • Can the technology be applied to recycled threads?
  • What are the advantages of the final product?