nir-vana innovation network

Slovakia based startup project/company organically cultivating industrial hemp and planning on developing fabric alternatives for high-end, functional textiles and textiles used in hospitality and medical industry.

Organization offer is in-house expertise in business, textile production and sustainable innovation. Their previous business experiences are in online and international marketing, comprehensive budgeting and investments, market research and drafting of business plans.

Textile production background encompasses.

Regarding sustainability , organization have worked on implementation of circular strategies for retail, development of life cycle assessment methods for textile materials, and among others also crafting textile fabrics from natural materials.

They are searching for partners in Europe in order to build a reciprocal network of experts and create an opportunity for knowledge and expertise exchange. In line with the EIT´s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) guidelines, they are aiming to create a community of experts for research and development of innovative and sustainable textile materials for the future fashion and textile markets.

Experts such as botanists, material scientists, molecular biologists, microbiologists, biological engineers, ecologists, biochemists, chemical engineers, and any chemists with cellulose regeneration expertise are sought.

As the organization is also planning to devise a proprietary technology for the raw material refinement and yarn spinning, they seek engineers with expertise in textiles production or any relevant field as well.

Apart from this, the organization is searching for research facilities that would provide access to their equipment in return for a rent or negotiated fee. Equipment needed: coagulation bath, etc.

Through development of high quality fabric alternatives they want to achieve an increase of hemp agriculture in Slovakia and Europe. Organization see its great potential and outstanding features as material and crop itself.

Potential advantages are:
- Antibacterial properties suitable for hospitality and medical industry applications
- Wide range of potential applications and large market potential
- Biodegradable natural fiber with characteristics comparable to those of synthetic fabrics
- Pleasant hand characteristics and appearance
- Sustainable processes and circular systems (upcycling textile waste into new products via regeneration of cellulose; B2B take-back programmes)
- Potential for vertical scalability of the business in the future covering complete supply chain (raw material cultivation, processing, textile production, distribution, marketing)
- Following the EU strategic development goals for upcoming years

Advantages & innovations

SLOVAKIA

Stage of development

Concept stage

Partner sought

Partners from universities or research organisations sought, with the expertise in chemistry, biology, material sciences or engineering. Preferably with the access to laboratory equipment or a research facility. The role of the partnership is to co-develop innovative textile fibres and fabrics. Partners will provide knowledge and/or equipment that is needed for development of proprietary technology for cellulose regeneration and subsequent yarn dry-wet jet spinning. The cooperation should be based on joint venture/ license/ research or technical agreement and potential partners should be from CZ, PL, HU, UA or AT. Of course partners from other countries are welcome as well.