MUNICH, Germany — December 7, 2023 — 3M sponsored the annual ISPO Academy Masterclass held from Sunday, November 26 to Wednesday, November 29 at ISPO Munich. Since its successful launch at ISPO Munich 2016, the Masterclass is part of the world’s largest sports trade show. The Masterclass, founded and guided by the renowned design and trend consultant Nora Kühner, is a unique platform for young designers to gain sports-related knowledge for intelligent, innovative product development. This year’s Masterclass focused on “textile circularity,” a concept that suggests certain types of apparel can be recycled or repurposed at the end of their lives to avoid becoming waste.
Totti Liang, Asia-Pacific sales manager for 3M, hosted a workshop on best practices for garment manufacturers to improve circularity and help reduce their environmental impact. Topics included biodegradable materials, recyclable clothing, and design at the intersection of performance and sustainability.
“Landfills throughout the world are full of old clothes, so as someone who has dedicated years helping 3M help solve for this global dilemma, it’s a true honor to be invited to speak at this Masterclass,” Liang said. “If there’s one lesson I want young product designers to walk away with, it’s that circularity can help save our planet for future generations to enjoy.”
As preparation for the ISPO Academy Masterclass, Nora Kühner organized a prototyping workshop with students from Hochschule Niederrhein. The students had the opportunity to design and create jackets utilizing 3M™ Thinsulate™ Flowable Featherless Insulation, the latest textile innovation from 3M. Two eye-catching prototypes were on display at the ISPO Academy Masterclass exhibition in the Sustainability Hub at ISPO Munich.
Comprised of at least 80% recycled content, 3M Thinsulate Flowable Featherless Insulation is a lightweight synthetic high-loft insulation ideal for puffy garments.
ISPO Munich was held from November 28 – 30.
If you would like to learn more about Liang’s presentation at the ISPO Academy Masterclass, please contact him directly at tliang2@mmm.com.
The Pantone Color of the Year 2024 — PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz
CARLSTADT, N.J. — December 7, 2023 — Pantone, the global color authority and provider of professional color language standards and digital solutions for the design community, today introduced PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, a velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul as the Pantone Color of the Year selection for 2024.
At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future. A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others and the feeling of sanctuary this creates, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz presents a fresh approach to a new softness. Subtly sensual, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration.
“A cozy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm, offering us a space to be, feel, and heal and to flourish from whether spending time with others or taking the time to enjoy a moment by ourselves,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute. “Drawing comfort from PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we can find peace from within, impacting our wellbeing. An idea as much as a feeling, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth.”
Sensitive but sweet and airy, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz evokes a new modernity. While centered in the human experience of enriching and nurturing the mind body and soul, it is also a quietly sophisticated and contemporary peach with depth whose gentle lightness is understated but impactful bringing beauty to the digital world. Poetic and romantic, a clean peach tone with a vintage vibe, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz reflects the past yet has been rephrased to have a contemporary ambiance.
The introduction of PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz also marks the 25th anniversary of the Pantone Color of the Year program. First introduced by the Pantone Color Institute in 1999 with the Pantone Color of the Year, PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean Blue, the Pantone Color of the Year captures the global zeitgeist, serving as an expression of a mood and an attitude on the part of the consumer. Through the years, the Pantone Color of the Year program has become a globally iconic cultural touchstone, drawing attention to how what is taking place in our global culture is reflected and expressed through the language of color.
“With this year’s Pantone Color of the Year 2024, we see an increased focus on community and people across the world reframing how they want to live and evaluating what is important — that being the comfort of being close to those we love. The color is one whose warm and welcoming embrace conveys a message of compassion and whose cozy sensibility brings people together and enriches the soul,” added Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “In the spirit of PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we reflect back on the last 25 years of the Pantone Color of the Year program grateful to provide an avenue where designers and color enthusiasts all over the world can engage in a conversation about color, be inspired by color and showcase their creativity within their communities. We look forward to continuing this for many more years to come.”
Olonia‘s production line with the integrated Mahlo device.
TW Special Report
Italy’s Lombardy region is well known for its lakes, mountains, cities, and the typical northern Italian kitchen. It’s also home to many important textile industry companies. Halfway between the idyllic Lago Maggiore and Milan one of them is located: the textile printing specialist “Stamperia Olonia”.
Founded in 1969, now part of the Liberty Group, the company immediately established itself as a leading contract manufacturer of printed natural fabrics for home and apparel. Stamperia Olonia prints on all natural textile fibers up to 320 centimeters wide, digitally and traditionally, using pigment and reactive dyes.
“Thanks to a complete production cycle we can follow the customer from the first bleaching phases to the final quality control. All while we maintain exclusivity and maximum confidentiality towards our customers,” said Fabio Pirino, Finishing department manager of Olonia.
Offering high quality standards at low costs, both on large commissions and smaller production runs, is the company’s mission. Working for the biggest names is for Stamperia Olonia the confirmation of its own expectations and the drive towards continuous growth.
“We are not just a textile print shop! We are an industry that has made research and innovation its philosophy. A partner that combines experience, innovation, and high technology to achieve the highest quality with low costs,” Fabio said.
Over the years, thanks to a policy that is always focused on the future, there has been continuous investment in improving work technology, environmental protection, and safety.
Task Definition
One of these investments was the new software mLog enhanced by Germany-based Mahlo. Olonia produces its goods on many lines with multiple integrated Mahlo systems.
On the newer tenter line an Orthomax RFMB was installed at the inlet. The fusion of pin wheel and roller straightening removes the distortions at the beginning of the line and can also take care of wavy or s-shaped distortions.
Orthomax RFMB at the inlet.
The drying/fixing process of the tenter is controlled by an Optipac VMC, the textile process control system from Mahlo. It controls the dwell time, exhaust air moisture and residual moisture during the drying process. Also, the web width is monitored and linked to an alarm, if out of tolerance.
At the tenter outlet, a distortion detection Orthopac FMC monitors the residual distortion.
The challenge was, to keep track of the various Mahlo devices in the tenter line and provide reports for the subsequent processing in a useful manner. This would make the follow-up steps much more efficient.
Solution
As solution, Mahlo suggested the — at that time — brand-new data analysis and management tool mLog enhanced.
The mLog software is a desktop application for data logging and interactive analysis of historical data for Mahlo equipment. All Mahlo devices of the line could be connected and monitored. With the continuous recording, logs from any desired period could be individually created by Olonia itself.
Initially mLog was part of a project where a new machine had to be adapted to Olonia’s management system. But it turned out to be more effective to fetch data of all Mahlo systems in the new stenter line with mLog and feed the data to a host computer via an interface with OPC UA.
Success
The selected log can be displayed in the log viewer.
mLog enhanced is running now on the Olonia lines since January 2020 Olonia’s project team collaborated intensively with the Mahlo development department. So, a lot of its useful ideas and requests, coming directly from a working production line, have been implemented by Mahlo as software features. Still, they are constantly improving their processes as Mahlo provides new functions and updates on the software.
Since the installation, the printing specialist has seen some significant improvements, as Fabio explains, “Through the control of the system, a standardization of the process was achieved, especially regarding digital preparation. Additionally — particularly in terms of energy — the costs could be optimized.”
With the new data management, Olonia could streamline their processes substantially. When a new badge is fed into the tenter, the operator simply scans a code. That code starts the report in mLog enhanced for the badge automatically.
Recordings of a test run at the distortion outlet.
When the end of the roll is reached, the operator scans a stop code. This stops the mLog recording and saves the report to the database. Thus, with only two scans, the data of the entire batch is available for further processing in Olonia‘s management system.
While saving, a PDF version of the report is automatically stored on the customer‘s server — of course with the correct name, in the correct directory, as set by Olonia. In addition, different report variants are created. On the one hand an internal, very detailed report, and on the other hand a version for the customer, which is shorter and summarizes the important points.
Future
The solution is very sustainable because it allows production to be monitored and energy wastage to be avoided depending on processing. Seeing the success, Olonia plans to optimize its processes even further.
MOORPARK, Calif. — December 7, 2023 — Pindler is delighted to unveil the Dreamweaver Collection, a spectacular addition to our range of offerings. This exquisite collection showcases four distinctive and easy-to-use multicolored, geometric woven fabrics that are set to captivate and inspire.
The Dreamweaver Collection is more than just fabric; it’s an artistic masterpiece. Each fabric within this collection is meticulously crafted with plush and textural yarns, delivering an explosion of color and visual intrigue. The scale of the designs varies, from small, all-over patterns to captivating mid-scale designs, ensuring their seamless integration into any room setting or making them the perfect focal point to tie the room together.
What truly sets the Dreamweaver Collection apart is its diverse palette of colorations. From vibrant blues and oranges that exude energy to rich reds and soft pinks that bring a touch of elegance, this dynamic collection offers a wide spectrum of color options. It is a harmonious assortment of bold and colorful designs that add life and character to any interior space.
Pindler has a rich history of providing top-tier textiles to designers and the Dreamweaver Collection is another testament to their commitment to excellence and innovation. With its stunning range of colors and patterns, the Dreamweaver Collection is sure to breathe new life into interior design projects and inspire creativity.
The Dreamweaver Collection is available online, as well as at Pindler’s 16 corporate showrooms and seven agent showrooms across the U.S., and two agent showrooms in Canada.
LENZING, Austria — December 7, 2023 VEOCEL™, the flagship specialty nonwovens brand of Lenzing Group, has reached new partnership milestones with leading beauty and feminine care brands in the Asia-Pacific region, including Taiwanese skincare brand BRIDGE 24/7, Korean feminine care brand Yejimiin, and a global healthcare and beauty retailer, to launch responsible personal care products made of carbon neutral1 VEOCEL Lyocell fibers. The extended partnerships highlight VEOCEL’s commitment in driving the industry-wide shift from using fossil-fuel based materials to planet-friendly raw materials, reducing the overall carbon footprint of the nonwoven industry value chain.
Through a recent partnership with Korean feminine care brand Yejimiin, which introduced feminine care top sheets made of carbon neutral VEOCEL Lyocell fibers, VEOCEL demonstrated the versatility of the fiber, which can be used across beauty, skincare, and hygiene care products.
“In recent years, Korean consumers have become more proactive in choosing brands which are socially responsible. They are not only interested in what the material of the product they purchased is made of, but also how the product is produced. Riding on this trend, our collaboration with VEOCEL to launch feminine care products made of carbon neutral VEOCEL fibers will encourage consumers to look out for planet- friendly alternatives and join us to protect the environment,” said Daisy Lee Koeun, Marketing Team Leader, Yejimiin.
“We are proud to work with leading personal care brands to address the growing consumer demand for high-quality, functional, and responsible products,” said Steven Tsai, senior regional commercial director for Nonwovens Asia, Lenzing. “Our partnerships with BRIDGE 24/7, Yejimiin, and healthcare and beauty retailers represent not only our unwavering commitment to empower partners in the region to achieve their carbon emission goals, but also demonstrate how VEOCEL fibers, which are gentle on skin and certified as clean and safe, are the trusted ingredients that support the sustainable evolution of personal care products.”
Versatile VEOCEL™ fibers address growing industry need for planet-friendly alternatives
VEOCEL has expanded its co-branding portfolio through the collaboration with Taiwanese skincare brand BRIDGE 24/7 to introduce the first-in-Taiwan market facial sheet mask using carbon neutral VEOCEL fibers. “Our partnership with VEOCEL enables us to differentiate ourselves from other industry players with high- quality certified carbon neutral fibers,” said Wallace Liu, CEO, BRIDGE 24/7. “As we advance into an ageing society, we believe the demand for personal care products such as invisible and thin adult diapers and sanitary pads that are soft on the skin will continue to grow. Being a brand that cares for consumers’ personal needs, it is essential for us to join hands with VEOCEL to recognize the importance of sustainability in everyday products and raise awareness of consumers or retailers around environmentally friendly options in the market.”
In addition, the VEOCEL brand has also teamed up with a global healthcare and beauty retailer to launch the latest facial sheet mask product using 100-percen carbon neutral VEOCEL branded lyocell fibers.
Advancing solutions to drive carbon reductions in the nonwoven industry remains a priority in 2024
VEOCEL continues to usher the industry towards carbon reductions by encouraging companies to switch from harmful raw materials to responsible alternatives.
“Adhering to VEOCEL’s commitment as a ‘responsible care brand’, we will continue to further reduce the environmental and climate impact of our fibers, providing brands and consumers with solutions for responsible product options. We will also walk hand-in-hand with our partners on their journey in pursuit of a carbon neutral industry value chain,” added Steven.
VEOCEL believes low-carbon and environmentally responsible products are the future of the nonwoven industry, adhering to Lenzing’s science-based targets commitment to limit global warming. As a part of the journey towards net zero, VEOCEL offers carbon neutral lyocell fibers produced with reduced carbon emissions, while unabated carbon emissions are offset by supporting climate projects (such as reforestation) from the ClimatePartner portfolio, thus making a meaningful contribution to climate action.
1 Carbon neutrality is achieved by balancing remaining GHG emissions through verified compensation measures (e.g., reforestation) and by retiring carbon credits so that the impact of global warming from human-related industrial and agricultural activities is calculated to zero.
Craig Arnold appointed Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Innovation & Technology
VIENNA, Austria — December 7, 2023 — The Supervisory Board of Borealis has appointed Craig Arnold as the new executive vice president Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Innovation & Technology with effect from February 1, 2024.
Craig Arnold is currently the chief commercial officer at Ferroglobe PLC in Madrid, Spain. Prior to this appointment, he had a long-standing career at Dow Inc., where he held various senior management roles, including an executive secondment (from Dow Inc.) and advisor to the CEO at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) in Singapore; president Dow Sub-Sahara Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa; Global Commercial vice president, Dow Industrial Solutions for EMEAI in Zurich, Switzerland; and president Dow Australia & New Zealand in Melbourne, Australia; as well as other senior corporate roles separately in Texas and Michigan. He has also served on many industry associations, academic and government related bodies.
Thomas Gangl, Borealis CEO, will assume responsibility for the Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Innovation & Technology segment on an interim basis effective January 1, 2024, until Craig Arnold will resume his role as Borealis executive board member.
Arnold has an educational background in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He holds dual Swiss-South African citizenship, is married and proud father of two children.
“I am delighted we bring such an experienced Commercial executive onboard of the Borealis Executive Board. I warmly welcome Craig and look forward to working closely with him,” commented Daniela Vlad, chairwoman of the Borealis Supervisory Board and OMV executive vice president Chemicals & Materials.
HANNOVER, Germany — December 7, 2023 — Under the direction of Jamie Metrick, managing director of Elte, a jury of international experts from the design and carpet industry selected the most convincing designs in eight categories. A total of 206 carpet designs were submitted worldwide for the Carpet Design Awards 2024 . Of these, 24 entries reached the final round of the competition.
Design, Quality and Craftsmanship
The awards — presented in collaboration with COVER and HALI magazines — celebrate contemporary carpet design and reflect the innovations and trends within the industry. In selecting the finalists, the jury paid particular attention to the design, quality and exquisite craftsmanship of the handmade rugs. In selecting the finalists, the jury paid particular attention to the design, quality and exquisite craftsmanship of the handmade rugs. “The competition this year is fierce as there are some outstanding rugs up for awards.
It’s going to be exciting to see industry veterans battle it out with less discovered designers and brands,” reveals Jamie Metrick, head of the jury. Carin Terins, also a member of this year’s CDA jury and RugVista AB’s purchase and creative director, was particularly pleased with the creativity and quality of the submissions: “I am fascinated by the passion and creativity that designers and artists possess, as demonstrated by this competition. The mix between contemporary and traditional elements, the variation between colourful and finely tuned neutrals, the beautiful craftsmanship and the importance placed on sustainability, all give me great hope for the future of the industry.”
Three exclusive examples of each category made it to the finals . They will be on display in Hall 3 throughout DOMOTEX.
EUCA Award honors Carpet Importers
During the Carpet Design Awards, the European import trade for handmade oriental carpets will also be honored. The EUCA Award has been presented by the European Carpet Importers Association since 2007 and is being awarded for outstanding achievements in this field for the sixteenth time.
All winners of the eight CDA competition categories and the EUCA Award will be announced at a ceremony on the second day of the fair, 12 January 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Carpet Design Awards exhibition area in hall 3, booth D24.
The Finalists – who will win?
Category 1: Best Studio Artist Design
Original small scale production design from an artist or designer
Pomme d’Or, Maison Rhizomes | Berlin (DE)
Rhizomes 1 White, Maison Rhizomes | Berlin (DE)
Maschera, Dena Lawrence | Perth (AU)
Category 2: Best Modern Design Superior
Original contemporary designs showing optimum use of materials
1923 Runner (Prototype), Christopher Farr Editions| London (UK)
Kanoa by KAVI, Jaipur Rugs | Jaipur (IN)
Labyrinth – Charcoal, Wool & Silk | New Jersey (US)
Category 3: Best Modern Design Deluxe
Original contemporary design showing optimum use of materials
Sakshat by KAVI, Jaipur Rugs | Jaipur (IN)
Charm, SAHRAI MILANO | Milan (IT)
The Raw Earth (Stefan Heyer), Knots Rugs Ltd | London (UK)
Category 4: Best Transitional Design
A new rug that interprets traditional designs for a contemporary audience
Kismat Manchaha, Jaipur Rugs | Jaipur (IN)
Indigo Ripples, Manglam Arts | Jaipur (IN)
Jeevan Manchaha, Jaipur Rugs | Jaipur (IN)
Category 5: Best Flatweave Design
Original rug design demonstrating the flatweave technique
Curb – Gill Thorpe x FLOOR_STORY, FLOOR_STORY | London (UK)
Chalet, Creative Matters | Toronto (CA)
Illuminata, Edelgrund GmbH | Hamburg (DE)
Category 6: Best Collection
Contemporary Traditional or Transitional design collections demonstrating a common theme
Verso – Gill Thorpe x FLOOR_STORY, FLOOR_STORY | London (UK)
White & Beige Collection, Maison Rhizomes | Berlin (DE)
Espressionismo Floreale Collection, Laura Niubó | Los Angeles (US)
Category 7: Best Interior
A high-end customisation project or rug installation represented by high-quality images
Knots Rugs x Knowle Hall, Knots Rugs Ltd | London (UK)
TRISSINO, Italy — December 7, 2023 — Sustainable compacting with Compas is the environmentally-friendly route to controlled shrinkage. Sperotto Rimar’s revolutionary compacting technology brings unmatched results without adding chemicals.
Compas is an open-width compacting and finishing machine for knitted and woven fabrics, which uses a unique compacting concept. This is based on a belt with specific elasticity characteristics, which enhances the fabric compacting process.
Revolutionary and effective
The belt is set to a control level of pretension and the fabric contacts the belt at the point when it is at its maximum tension. When the tension is released and the belt returns to its original position, the fabric follows, so that it is compacted lengthwise.
This compacting revolution guarantees optimum compacting capability for both knitted and woven fabrics. Outstanding residual shrinkage values are achieved with all fabric types, including extremely difficult ones such as 100-percent viscose knitted and woven articles. Finishers are amazed by the natural stretch effect on the fabric warp achievable on 100-percent wool worsted fabrics and end-users appreciate the silky and smooth touch which has become a recognized feature of Compas.
Compas is compact
The design of the Compas system enables easy handling of all machine operations — especially the tension control applied to the fabrics, which is critical in compacting processes.
During operation, fabrics are warm and somewhat humid and are subject to lengthwise tensions which can severely impact the results. The Compas configuration ensures very short distances between machine elements. Even the pin tenter controlling the fabric width is integrated into the main body of the machine. This minimizes the distance between the point where the fabric leaves the pins and the compacting section, where the lengthwise shrinkage is actually imparted.
The compactness of the machine also limits energy consumption, unlike systems comprised of several separate units where both energy and steam requirements are increased dramatically.
Innovations with an ‘eco-attitude’
The Compas pin tenter has a V-shaped steaming unit which follows the fabric so that steam is applied only where fabric is running. That means the steam is exploited to maximum effect, without wasting energy.
Sperotto Rimar developments are designed to express the company’s stated ‘eco-attitude’. The sophisticated technology of Compas embodies this policy, by empowering more sustainable finishing with a closed-loop cooling circuit to save precious water. Indirect rubber belt cooling enables recycling with totally unpolluted water. This contrasts with conventional compacting machines using standard rubber belt technology, which can consume up to 4 cubic meters of water per hour.
Another plus comes from the fact that water is not sprayed directly onto the compacting belt, avoiding water absorption by fabric being processed. This responsible use of water further underlines the eco-attitude.
ANDRITZ Laroche project team with Alessandro Giana, co-owner of Sfilacciatura Negro in front of the new generation Exel line Photograph: ANDRITZ
GRAZ, Austria — December 7, 2023 — ANDRITZ recently started up a new textile recycling line at Sfilacciatura Negro’s plant in Biella, Italy. Designed for processing post-consumer textile waste with automatic removal of hard parts, the tearing line supports the company’s expansion into new recycling segments.
In view of the growing demand for sustainable fibers in the re-spinning and nonwoven industries, Sfilacciatura Negro Biella decided to expand its recycling capabilities. The company has extensive experience in recycling industrial textile waste and already operates two tearing lines. Based on its long-term collaboration with ANDRITZ, it is now stepping into the recycling of post-consumer clothing waste.
“Our approach is based on circularity. We make new fibers from textile waste that would otherwise end up in landfills,” Tiziano Negro, CEO of Sfilacciatura Negro, explains and adds, “Having worked with ANDRITZ for a long time and knowing their expertise in both textile recycling and nonwovens, we are convinced they are the right partner to support our company in our ambitious diversification project.”
The new generation recycling line ANDRITZ supplied to Sfilacciatura Negro is the result of ten years of close cooperation, trials in its technical center, and visits to customer lines in Spain and Portugal. ANDRITZ has tailored a complete line from feeding of sorted waste bales to baling of the recycled fibers. It is designed for highly efficient, energy-saving operation and features automated separation of hard points while maintaining a very good material yield. An automated filtration unit is provided for airflow and dust management. Only one operator is needed to manage the entire line up to the recycled fiber baler. The baler can produce film-wrapped and tied bales with a weight of up to 350 kilograms.
Sophie Balmary, Director of Human Resources and Legal Affairs, and Member of Executive Committee – Photo: Carbios
CLERMONT-FERRAND, France — December 6, 2023 — Carbios, a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, today announced the appointment of Sophie Balmary as director of Human Resources and Legal Affairs. Her mission will be to support the growth of Carbios’ organization and operations: to steer organizational changes, develop talent and contribute to the development of a stimulating and fulfilling working environment, as well as to secure Carbios’ operations within the framework of its industrial and commercial development. Sophie Balmary joins the executive committee and reports to Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios.
Ladent said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sophie to the team, to help make Carbios an even more attractive company where talent can grow and flourish, and contribute to the success of our social and environmental mission. Her extensive experience in human resources in multinationals in the industrial sector will be invaluable to Carbios’ ambitious and sustainable development.”
Balmary commented: “Carbios’ mission to bring plastic and textiles into the circular economy represents an innovative and socially responsible approach. To accomplish this mission, the commitment of our employees, their development and the attractiveness of Carbios will be essential contributing factors. In an increasingly complex regulatory environment, the compliance of the company’s operations will play a crucial part for its sustainable growth. I’m proud to join Carbios and its teams, with the opportunity to contribute to the success of an innovative French company that will truly benefit us all.”
Trained as a lawyer, Sophie Balmary began her career at Renault in 1995, contributing to major projects involving changes to the Group’s legal structure and mergers & acquisitions. In 2003, she joined the Renault Group’s Human Resources Department, taking on various responsibilities, including Recruitment for France, managing the establishment of Head Office and Social Relations for France. In September 2017, she joined Michelin as Director of Social Relations, France. Her previous experience at Renault was crucial in strengthening social dialogue within Michelin by combining responsibility, agility, and social cohesion, capitalizing on her legal skills and in-depth understanding of industrial and human issues.
MUNICH, Germany — December 7, 2023 — 3M sponsored the annual ISPO Academy Masterclass held from Sunday, November 26 to Wednesday, November 29 at ISPO Munich. Since its successful launch at ISPO Munich 2016, the Masterclass is part of the world’s largest sports trade show. The Masterclass, founded and guided by the renowned design and trend consultant Nora Kühner, is a unique platform for young designers to gain sports-related knowledge for intelligent, innovative product development. This year’s Masterclass focused on “textile circularity,” a concept that suggests certain types of apparel can be recycled or repurposed at the end of their lives to avoid becoming waste.
