BRUSSELS – EDANA will hold its inaugural Innovation Forum in June during which it will present three distinct sessions covering innovation in nonwovens applications, technology, and material solutions.
Taking place from 4-6 June in Munich, the event has been developed from the merger of two long-standing EDANA events: the International Nonwovens Symposium (INS) and the Nonwovens Innovation Academy (NIA).
“Historically, the nonwovens sector has been synonymous with innovation, furnishing society with adaptable materials that benefit our daily routines, spanning healthcare, construction, filtration, household, and civil engineering among other sectors,” EDANA said in a statement.
“At EDANA we believe that convening the nonwovens industry at events is critical for our industry and can facilitate collaborative efforts for progress, while still safeguarding proprietary business data and respecting intellectual property.
“Open innovation not only breaks barriers but also streamlines costs, saving valuable time and resources by infusing diverse ideas into the innovation process and accelerating ground-breaking solutions. This is why in 2023, we reviewed and strengthened our event offering to introduce the EDANA Innovation and Sustainability Forums.”
Now open for registration, the EDANA Innovation Forum will open with a keynote speech on ‘Why Innovation Fails: The 7 Keys to Success’ from Joachim De Vos, co-chair and managing partner of Living Tomorrow – TomorrowLab, as he delves into the complexities of innovation, exploring the fundamental questions that often elude us.
Joachim's 7 keys to success are based on lessons learned from companies on how to improve innovation processes. Joachim conducted thousands of interviews with companies over ten years to understand why their innovations failed, and what they could have done better.
In the following sessions, attendees will hear from over 20 distinguished speakers from companies including Autefa, BASF, PFNonwovens, Sabic, Trützschler Nonwovens, and more. Each speaker will share unique insights into nonwoven innovations spanning materials, technology, and applications.
The first session will address innovations in applications with presentations showcasing innovations in wipes, firefighting garments, and menstrual care. Attendees will learn how a multi-layered engineered fabric developed by Glatfelter is revolutionising the industrial and institutional wipes sector; how a textile from Isomate can maintain structural integrity under extreme conditions making it perfect for fire resistance; and a speaker from Texol-Orma will explain the human skin microbiome and how this relates to hygiene products while enhancing the user experience.
Session two will cover technological innovations, including spunlace equipment, digitalisation, polymer technology and bio-based nonwovens. Session three will conclude the main conference agenda with presentations on innovation in material solutions which will examine cellulosic nonwovens and plastic additive concepts.
The third day will then see the EDANA Innovation Forum relocate to the most innovative place in town: The Munich Urban Colab, a place for new forms of cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The programme for this third day will include an address by the founders of the Urban Colab facility, presentations from keynotes and start-ups, as well as opportunities for extensive networking.
Elsewhere, EDANA has also issued a call for papers for the second edition of its Sustainability Forum.
Taking place in Brussels, Belgium, from 5-7 November 2024 this year’s event will build on the achievements of the previous edition. It will cover all relevant sustainability topics for the nonwovens industry including medical nonwoven circularity; good practice on green claims; sustainability reporting (CSRD); corporate sustainability (CSDDD); and circularity in durable nonwoven applications.
If you would like to feature in this year’s programme please send your abstracts to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday 3 May 2024. Visit the EDANA website for more information.
