World’s leading manufacturer of technical textiles, Freudenberg Performance Materials has launched an open innovation competition under the name ‘Next-Generation Nonwovens’. The company has invited external developers, scientists, students, organizations and other interested parties to submit their ideas in response to two questions. First, how can nonwovens be developed from polyester, which will then be biodegradable within defined time period and the second is how can highly transparent fibers be developed that are suitable for the production of polyester nonwovens. The deadline of the competition is November 30, this year.

Elaborating on the background Frank Heislitz, Chief Technology Officer at Freudenberg Performance Materials said the company wants to encourage all experts, not just its internal teams to get involved at the very earliest idea-development stage. The competition is part of Freudenberg’s ideaTrophy program through which the Group has in the past sought external responses to various topics, such as renewable energy, water and health.