From Oil dependency to feedstock sovereignty: Fashion's hardest transition

Sep 2, 2026 | 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

[Talks area - Hall 3] Innovation & Technology talks area

Recycling is necessary. It is not sufficient. As long as the textile industry's raw material base remains petrochemical, circularity loops fossil carbon rather than eliminating it. Defossilisation requires a different, complementary logic - one closer to the energy sector's shift toward renewables. This talk examines bio-based feedstocks as a strategic priority: options across fibres, elastane, membranes and finishes/auxiliaries, the real barriers - technical, economic, regulatory - the role of material innovators, and the skills and design literacy the industry urgently needs. Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, Marketing and Sustainability Director – Textiles, Hyosung René Bethmann, Senior Material Innovation Manager, Consultant VAUDE Academy for sustainable business Anna Beltzung, CTO (Chief Technology Officer), Dimpora Talk moderated by Elsa May, Textiles & sustainability, innovation & prospective consultant Talk in English

Get your free e-pass
Get your free e-pass

Session language

Talk in English

Session category

Talk

Conference theme

Eco-responsibility
Innovation

Session theme

Eco-responsability
Innovation

Presented by