From the Sector

Global apparel retailer UNIQLO announces that it has signed a partnership agreement with the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) where UNIQLO becomes the Official Clothing Partner for the Singapore Paralympics team. Under the partnership, UNIQLO will provide LifeWear apparel to Singapore's delegations and officials at the coming major summer sports tournament in France. This comprises apparel to be worn for the opening and closing ceremonies, athlete village, and travel during the Games.

This is the first time that UNIQLO is providing apparel for a national team in Southeast Asia. The Singapore team clothing for the 2024 Summer games will largely comprise LifeWear items available at UNIQLO stores.

UNIQLO worked closely with SNPC to thoughtfully curate a selection of LifeWear apparel that emphasises function and comfort, while featuring modern looks that represent Singapore and blend seamlessly with the cityscape of Paris.

A red accent is applied to the accessories and lining as a tribute to the Singapore national colours. Touches of Singapore icons such as the orchid and the Singapore Lion Head symbol are reflected in the women's scarf and men's tie alongside a colour application of red, white and blue to represent Singapore and France.

UNIQLO'S commitment to diversity and inclusion
As part of the partnership, UNIQLO will also undertake community contribution activities with the council and athletes.

UNIQLO will be taking part in the inaugural Singapore Paralympic Fiesta to support Singapore's Para Athletes. Held at Our Tampines Hub from 4 - 7 May 2024, a UNIQLO Singapore team of over 100 staff and family will be participating in the Walkathon.

In line with UNIQLO's Next Generation Development Program, an initiative to inspire children and youth to discover a love of sport, UNIQLO will also join SNPC on their schools outreach efforts to raise awareness on Diversity and Inclusion and disability inclusion with programmes such as UNIQLO Access.

Lectra’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 26 appointed a new Director, Jérôme Viala, for a four-year term. He becomes member of the Audit Committee, the Strategic Committee and the Compensation Committee.

For the 2023-2025 period, Lectra aims to harness its transformation to accelerate its growth, significantly increase the share of SaaS solutions in its sales, and seize opportunities for external expansion. Supported by the commitment of its employees and recognized by its customers, the Group is at the forefront of a more sustainable future.

Jérôme Viala has held various positions within the Lectra Group since 1985. In recent years, and until his retirement on March 31, 2024, he served as Executive Vice President, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Secretary to the Board of Directors of Lectra.

Jérôme Viala began his career as a credit analyst at Esso (France) before joining Lectra's financial department in 1985. He held the positions of Financial Controller for Europe and North America (1988-1991) and Finance Director of Lectra France (1992-1993), then of the products division (1993-1994). He was then appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Group in 1994, a position he held until 2016, when he was appointed Executive Vice President.

CARBIOS celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for its PET biorecycling plant in the presence of representatives of local authorities, partner brands and industrial partners who all make up CARBIOS’ ecosystem. Located in Longlaville, in the Grand-Est region of France, CARBIOS' first commercial plant will play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution, offering an industrial-scale solution for the enzymatic depolymerization of PET waste in order to accelerate a circular economy for plastic and textiles. The plant will have a processing capacity of 50kt/year of prepared waste when operating at full capacity. Work is progressing on schedule with significant quantities delivered to customers in 2026.

CARBIOS' technology enables PET circularity and provides an alternative raw material to fossil-based monomers, giving PET producers, waste management companies, public bodies and brands an effective solution to meet regulatory requirements and their own commitments to sustainable development. The plant will have the capacity to process 50,000 tons of prepared PET waste per year (equivalent to 2 billion colored bottles, 2.5 billion food trays or 300 million T-shirts). The plant will create 150 direct and indirect jobs in the region. In October 2023, CARBIOS obtained the building and operating permits for the site. The factory is currently under construction on land officially acquired from Indorama Ventures on 14 February 2024. In February 2024, CARBIOS and De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) announced their collaboration to manage construction. Several feedstock supply agreements, notably with CITEO and Landbell Group, will secure the vast majority of the raw materials required.  Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant's location is strategic for access to nearby waste supplies

• CARBIOS Group’s solid financial structure: cash position of €192 million on December 31, 2023
• Construction progress of world’s first PET biorecycling plant in France: in line with delivery targets for customers in 2026
• Licensing: international sales teams deployed in more than ten countries, with several partnerships feasible for 2024

CARBIOS reported its operating and financial results for the financial year 2023. The financial statements as of December 31, 2023, were approved by the Company’s Board of Directors at their meeting on April 10, 2024.

2023 Financial highlights
The consolidated financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2023, are presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and adopted by the European Union.

For 2022 and 2023, these IFRS consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of CARBIOS, the parent company, and the financial statements of its fully integrated subsidiaries Carbiolice and CARBIOS 54. The group formed by CARBIOS, Carbiolice and CARBIOS 54 is hereinafter referred to as the “Group”.

These IFRS financial statements for the Group have been prepared to provide high quality information in line with that of similar companies and based on international standards.

Outlook
Given the progress made by the Group during 2023 and the success of the financing operation closed in July 2023 as well as the received grants, CARBIOS confirms its operating targets and the provisional calendar of the industrial and commercial deployment of its PET biorecycling technology.
2024  • Construction of the Longlaville plant further to permits obtained in October 2023
2024  • Recruitment of plant operations team and training at demonstration facility
2026  • First significant deliveries to clients

Alongside this project, CARBIOS aims to sign its first licensing contracts for its PET biorecycling technology in 2024.

CARBIOS and Landbell Group, a global operator of more than 40 producer responsibility organizations (PROs) and a provider of closed-loop recycling solutions, announce the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the sourcing, preparation and recycling of post-consumer PET waste using CARBIOS’ biorecycling technology at its first commercial plant in Longlaville from 2026.  

The partnership will leverage Landbell Group’s expertise and network in the sourcing of PET packaging and textile waste which will be prepared for biorecycling. Thanks to CARBIOS’ highly selective enzyme, less sorting and washing is required compared to current recycling technologies, offering future savings in energy and water use. From 2026, Landbell Group will supply CARBIOS with 15 kt/year of PET flakes, ensuring a steady supply chain for sustainable PET production. These flakes will serve as essential feedstock for CARBIOS’ production of food-grade PTA and MEG, further re-polymerized into PET.

Through the partnership with Landbell Group in Germany, the supply of multilayer trays through the CITEO tender in France  and the MoU with Indorama Ventures, CARBIOS will have sourced over 70% of its feedstock required for the 50kt/year capacity when its first commercial plant in Longlaville, France, will operate at full capacity. Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant’s location is strategic for nearby waste supplies.

Through this partnership with CARBIOS, Landbell Group will ensure that the problematic PET fractions such as multilayered, colored and opaque trays from packaging waste and polyester textile waste are redirected towards recycling. In this way, Landbell Group strengthens its commitment to the development of recycling solutions to enable a circular economy.

Nearly 8,000 international visitors came to meet the 1,300 exhibitors at Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. This year's event was enhanced by a boldly designed showcase in the heart of Paris.
The offer was broader, more diversified and more accessible. Despite increasing requirements in the industry, visitor numbers remained stable. It was on these two objective notes that the latest edition of the Texworld and Apparel Sourcing Paris trade shows for the fashion industry came to a close, held from 5 to 7 February 2024 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. During these 3 days, nearly 8,000 visitors came to meet 1,300 weaving and clothing companies from 25 countries on the two levels of Hall 7 (7.2 and 7.3).

Visitors: a Euro-Mediterranean Top 5
This unprecedented concentration of international companies in Europe, which exceeds in number that of February 2019, is a reminder of the central role of European markets for the global fashion industry. This position is confirmed by the weight of buyers from the Euromed zone in the visitor structure: Top 5 is concentrated around buyers from France (20% of the total, up sharply on 2023), the UK (8.3%), Italy (7.9%), Turkey (7.2%) and Spain (6.8%). This Parisian event is proving to be an essential point of contact between designers, buyers and suppliers of fabrics or finished products.

Making the offer ever more accessible “Despite the slowdown in the clothing market, Europe remains a major market for textile and finished goods manufacturers" explains Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France. “For some players, it is becoming a strategic market to offset the uncertainties weighing on the Russian and American markets" he continues. Our mission is to fulfill our role as a market place, to adapt to these changes and to make the international offer more and more accessible." The February event also highlighted near sourcing. Nine Ukrainian companies grouped together under the banner of the Ukrainian Association of Textile and Leather Industry Companies (Ukrlegprom), as well as Bulgarian, Italian and Dutch companies, were able to take advantage of the show's visibility to include their expertise in the sourcing plans of French and European buyers.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, a new name for our trade fairs
Reflecting the adaptation of Messe Frankfurt France's strategy to changes in the market, Texworld Evolution Paris is changing its name to Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. This move reflects developments in fashion sourcing and the expansion of brand universes. A growing number of buyers now want to be able to select materials, while also sourcing finished products directly to complement collections or expand their range. The new name is accompanied by a new dual baseline - Weaving the future; sourcing I business I solutions - to underline these developments and reinforce the fairs' service-led positioning.

From 1 to 3 July 2024 at Porte de Versailles
This new signature will be fully expressed at the next edition of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, including Avantex and Leatherworld, which will take place from 1 to 3 July 2024 in Hall 7 (7.2 and 7.3) of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The show, which will remain the same size and offer a more selective range of products, will reflect this convergence between textiles and finished products. This session will also have no interaction with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which are due to open on 26 July, three weeks after Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris

Refashion, a textile industry’s eco-organisation, has renewed its authority approval until 2028. 6 years during which it will continue to transform the industry in keeping with the objectives set by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Ministry of the Economy, including the objective to collect 60% of CHF (clothing, household linen and footwear textiles) placed on the market by 2028. This new period is reflected in an ambitious road map and significantly increased investment. Nearly 1.2 billion euros, financed by the marketers, will be spent on transforming the industry during this new period of authority approval.

Determined to achieve the objectives set out in the ambitious specifications set down by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Berangère Couillard, Refashion has worked on a road map with all of its stakeholders involved in the transformation that is underway. Maud Hardy, nominated as the eco-organisation’s CEO in January 2022, started a collaborative working method that will continue throughout this new period to support areas that are key in this transformation. In the next few months, projects will begin and will visibly highlight the progress made in the three phases of a product’s life cycle: production consumption, regeneration.

Production

• Recognising eco-design initiatives through the eco-modulation of the fees paid by marketers (durability, environmental information labelling, integration of recycled materials). For marketers, these initiatives should represent the scheme’s cornerstone. The aim is to involve all stakeholders in reducing the environmental impact of products.

Consumption

• As from 2023, Refashion will spend 5 million euros minimum per year in awareness-raising activities and on information to the general public by supporting an array of local authority initiatives.
• The launch of a repair fund in 2023, in particular to prolong the usage of textiles and footwear products. More than 150 million euros will be invested between 2023 and 2028 to change the habits of the French population to increase repairs by 35% (guideline target by the ADEME 2019).

Regeneration

• Accelerating clothing, household linen and footwear collection, in particular thanks to an operational mix in the sector. Funding traditional sorting operators will remain central, but Refashion will also develop an additional operational system in order to achieve the collection target of 60% of products placed onto the market (versus 34% in 2021).
• 5% of fees paid to Refashion will go towards the redeployment/reuse funds to provide support for reuse within the remit of stakeholders in the Social and Solidarity Economy. In addition to this funding, additional funding arrangements open to all stakeholders will be established. The total budget throughout the authority approval period represents 135 million euros.
• 5% of fees, i.e., 58 million euros in 6 years, will be spent on R&D to help achieve these milestones in order to industrialise the recycling of used CHF: recyclability that is considered during the design stage; automated sorting and recycling.

CARBIOS, a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, has received an initial payment of €1.2 million from the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) for the OPTI-ZYME research project, carried out in partnership with INRAE2, INSA3 and CNRS4 via the TWB5 joint service and TBI6 research units, a project co-funded by the French State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME. With CARBIOS' aim to optimize and continuously improve its unique enzymatic PET depolymerization technology, the 4-year7 OPTI-ZYME project aims to investigate the scientific and technical levers for improving the competitiveness of the process, optimizing the necessary investments and reducing its environmental footprint.

This collaborative R&D program focuses on the technical and economic optimization of process stages, while preserving the quality of the monomers obtained. These optimizations, new developments and the exploration of innovative solutions should enhance the technology's flexibility with regards to incoming waste. Raw materials could come from different sources that are currently rarely or not recycled, notably food trays and textiles, or a mix of incoming materials. It also aims to limit input and water consumption, as well as regenerate or reduce co-products and ultimate residual waste. Finally, it seeks to support enzyme optimization to maximize the process’ economic profitability and competitiveness.

The project therefore aims to achieve an overall improvement in performance, combining efficiency, quality and environmental sustainability, to benefit the Longlaville plant which is currently under construction, and future licensed plants.

In May 2023, CARBIOS, the project leader and coordinator, announced that it had been awarded a total of €11.4M in funding by the French State as part of France 2030, operated by ADEME, including €8.2M directly for CARBIOS (€3.2M in grants and €5M in repayable advances) and €3.2M for its academic partners INRAE, INSA and CNRS (via the TWB mixed service and TBI research units). This funding, which is made up of grants and repayable advances, will be paid out in several instalments over the course of the project, including an initial instalment of 15%, equivalent to €1.2 million, received by CARBIOS on 5 December 2023. The first Monitoring Committee with ADEME for the first key stage of the project will be held in February 2024 to validate the granting of the second instalment of funding.

This project 2282D0513-A is funded by the French State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME.

The EPTA – European Pultrusion Technology Association in cooperation with the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) invites you to the 17th World Pultrusion Conference which takes place on 29 February – 1 March 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.

This conference takes place every two years and is the meeting point of the European and worldwide Pultrusion Industry. More than 25 international speakers from Finland, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey, UK, USA, Canada and others will present practical presentations about innovative applications, technologies and processes. Equally current market trends and developments are on the agenda.

This World Pultrusion Conference takes place again in the week before the JEC World Composites Show (5-7 March 2024, Paris).

The program is available here.

"Veritas", the trend book for the Spring-Summer 2025 season, looks at a world where each individual defends "their" truth. Gone are the days of tribal fashion... To be discovered at the Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles, from 5 to 7 February 2024.

After exploring a world where the senses are once again at the centre, Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud, the artistic directors of Texworld Evolution Paris, offer a more personal interpretation of this future humanity. Our wardrobes reflect our individual levels of commitment to the "truth". Faced with the modern paradox of growth versus sustainability, each of us expresses our own vision of the world. These points of view are reflected in the four themes of this new trend book.

Creative themes imagined with AI
Based on the analysis of emerging signals detected in the artistic, economic and social fields, these approaches incorporate elements of artificial intelligence for the first time. The artistic directors have incorporated them - by identifying them - into the 'pattern design' boards that bring together the colours and silhouettes used for each creative universe.

#1 Belief. This theme, which isn't very assertive and is rather introverted, expresses itself with elegance and discretion. The colour temperatures remain calm, in the background. The colour universe is oriented towards more "conservative", mineral shades, dominated by green and blue. The textures express matter and vibrations.  

#2 Immanence. While this proposal remains conservative and mystical, it is more visible than the previous one. It expresses a more talkative "bohemianchic" universe, asserting its point of view through a relatively cynical approach: "these are the new rules of our common life. You have to live with them". The colour range is expressive and warmer, but remains fairly classic. It is expressed more in knitwear or embroidery, materials with relief or a frosted appearance.

#3 Knowledge. This is all about affirming yourself. This theme, which also draws on classic sources of inspiration - nature, plants, flowers - sets out to transform them radically. The colours are strong, contrasting, in opposition, and are applied to materials that express the future, with crumpled, liquid or transparent textures.

#4 Experience. This is the most committed theme in the field of subjective truths. "Trust only yourself. [...] Don't believe. Test [...] trust no one. Learn from your own experience". The colours are very bold: we wear them to attract attention. Acidic, sweet shades are king, as are materials that evoke urban or sporty codes: rips, shiny aspects, organic (second-skin type), but also lace and transparency.
 
All these worlds will be showcased in two Trend Forums: one at Texworld Paris for fabrics, the other at Apparel Sourcing Paris for finished products (a new feature in February 2024). Visitors will be able to discover looks inspired by the fabrics and products selected by the show's art directors. There will also be new areas with samples to illustrate each of these themes: Highlights Texworld, Highlight Apparel Sourcing, Highlights Elite and Highlights Denim.