Climate change needs new inventions. With this game-changing future yarn the textile industry can create unique decarbonizing and degradable elastic fabrics.
@HeiQ AeoniQ yarns
Whether it is cotton, wool or synthetic polymers, global textile production has a significant environmental impact with the industry responsible for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and over 20% of wastewater worldwide. Conventional cellulosic fiber production uses arable land during growth and have limited design versatility, while raw materials for fossil-based synthetic materials are finite. Existing methods to recycle textile fabrics and garments made with all fibers are, for the most part, still not at scale and most fibers – whether synthetic or natural – take many years to degrade in landfills or oceans, leading to environmental build up.
HeiQ announces a potential game-changer for the textile industry with the introduction of HeiQ AeoniQ — a high performance cellulose yarn based on a new fiber derived from carbon negative materials. This new fiber, which is derived from third generation cellulosic biopolymers, is advancing to pilot production prior to mass commercialization. The LYCRA Company is first to join HeiQ as a development partner. Martin Gebert-Germ, a viscose filament yarn expert with 30 years of
experience in the textile industry, stated, “This technology is the game changer for the whole textile industry.” Gebert-Germ, will join the newly-established HeiQ GmbH Austria as CEO and will be leading the HeiQ AeoniQ business from November 2021.
HeiQ AeoniQ cellulosic yarn made of climate positive raw materials
HeiQ AeoniQ yarns (Aeon: striving for eternal circularity) are made out of cellulosic biopolymers that during growth bind carbon from the atmosphere while generating oxygen. This high-performance yarn is positioned to potentially substitute synthetic filament yarns which constitute over 60% of global annual textile output of 108 million metric tons 2. Further, when compared to conventional cellulosic products, HeiQ AeoniQ yarns do not draw on arable land, pesticides or fertilizer in their production.
HeiQ AeoniQ yarns are designed for cradle-to-cradle circularity and can be recycled repeatedly while maintaining consistent fiber quality. The manufacturing process is expected to consume 99% less water than cotton yarns and HeiQ AeoniQ is designed to offer comparable performance properties to polyester, nylon and conventional regenerated cellulose yarns.
HeiQ’s leading industry experts stand ready to deliver the first HeiQ AeoniQ yarns from the pilot production plant in Q2 2022. Given the outstanding qualities, the unique decarbonizing potential offered and outstanding ESG3 credentials, HeiQ is inviting a maximum of 20 sustainability-driven brand partners to be the first to market with products made of this game-changing future yarn.
“Climate change needs new inventions. By bringing HeiQ AeoniQ yarn to the textile industry, we will reduce our dependence on oil-based fibers, help decarbonize our planet and reduce the impact of the industry on climate change. Our yarn is a versatile alternative to polyester, nylon, and even conventional cellulosics and therefore has huge industry transformation potential. By wearing clothes made of HeiQ AeoniQ consumers can act in support of reducing C02 in our atmosphere. Adoption by billions of people offers potential to bind hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. A battle worth the fight.” – HeiQ Group co-founder and CEO, Carlo Centonze.
HeiQ announces that The LYCRA Company, with its renowned collection of brands, global retail customer network and fabric innovation capabilities, will be a primary apparel development partner for HeiQ AeoniQ yarns with an exclusivity for stretch and performance fabrics. The LYCRA Company has a complete range of certified, sustainable products and is continuously complementing this range via the development of new types of LYCRA® fiber. These fibers have the potential to be combined with HeiQ AeoniQ yarn to create unique decarbonizing and degradable elastic fabrics.
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Carlo Centonze, CEO & Co-founder of HeiQ, wins prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Award.
Last week, HeiQ announced that its CEO and Co-founder, Carlo Centonze has been bestowed the Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. This is a testimony to the unstoppable nature and spirit of the man who established and drove the Swiss innovation leader for materials, HeiQ, to its current global renown.
Carlo Centonze studied Biology and Forest Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich where he graduated in 2003. Shortly after that, he earned his Executive MBA at the University of St.Gallen in 2007. After his service as an army pilot, he started his professional career as co-founder of the carbon certificate pioneer NGO Myclimate where he took the role of Head of Sales & Marketing between 2002 and 2003. After that first contact with environmental and sustainable organizations, he went on to co-found the material innovation leader HeiQ along with Dr Murray Height, an MIT graduate. Carlo has served HeiQ as CEO since 2004, developing the firm from a two-employee company to a 210+ employee company as of today.
Alongside his role as HeiQ’s CEO, Carlo Centonze is also proactive with similar projects. He became board of Director of C8 Investments Ltd. for 3 years between 2012 and 2015, and in 2019, he played an active role as Member of the Board of Directors of science industries, a Swiss based business association of chemistry and pharma life sciences as well as Chairman of The Board of ECSA Emanuele Centonze SA, the largest Swiss owned company specialized in the distribution of chemicals.
@HeiQ AeoniQ yarns
