The EDANA Innovation Forum is designed to be an immersive experience including inspirational activities focusing on innovation across all nonwovens’ applications.
The intriguing Forum gathers an interdisciplinary group of thought leaders and experts, including academics, start-ups, researchers, scientists, and nonwovens professionals across all sectors. The conference aims to explore the significance of innovation for nonwovens and what it entails. The goal is to transcend the ‘confidentiality’ aspect of innovation to enable and facilitate strategic partnerships which are the key to moving innovation from idea to implementation.
The EDANA Innovation Forum will be held on June 11-12, 2025, at Station F in Paris, France. Housed in a former railway depot, Station F serves as a hub of creativity and pioneering ideas that cultivates bold thinking and innovative solutions. Among the community at the campus are 1,000 startups and 30+ incubators programs that engage in innovation daily. The space offers work and event spaces, and numerous programs to support early-stage businesses that foster the future of business.
This year’s Forum program is a mix of presentations and insights, drawing from the nonwovens industry and other forward-thinking industries, as well as attendee participation in the workshops. Cross-pollination of ideas will spark new perspectives, and fresh solutions to the complex challenges companies face.
At this time, themes include:
- Advancing Nonwovens: Circularity, Fortitude & Smart Tech
- Biobased Breakthroughs: Advancing Sustainable Nonwoven Fibers
- Advancing Knowledge: Strategic Priorities & (Global) Partnerships in Research
- Redefining Nonwovens: Sustainable Materials & Smart Solutions
Building on the Success of 2024
Last year, the event drew over 110 participants from 78 companies and 22 countries, making it a truly global gathering. “Our aim was to create a platform for the nonwovens community to explore the latest technical innovations and gain insights from external speakers and start-ups,” expressed Murat Dogru, EDANA’s General Manager. “I’m excited about the future possibilities these discussions and innovations will bring to our industry.”
It featured over 20 speakers over three days addressing topics such as the increased use of cellulosic fibers in hygiene products, particularly wipes, cellulose-based thermoformable durables, and the use of nano fibrillated cellulose to improve the performance and footprint of nonwovens in composites. There were also papers on improving polyolefins’ carbon footprint, additives’ developments, and processing PP/PLA bico fibers. Following their introductions, the presenters moderated roundtable discussions, inviting participants to share their experiences, also planned for 2025.
“What I really like is that people are coming from all over Europe and beyond to share their expertise, research, insights, and best practices for the nonwovens market. They share this valuable information with each other, so you can really see open innovation in action happening right here at the event,” said Joachim De Vos, Co-chair & Managing Partner, Living Tomorrow, TomorrowLab and one of the keynote speakers at the forum.
“The event focused on nonwovens innovation, where we heard impressive talks from industry experts about new directions and technology. The gathering was an invaluable opportunity for networking, learning and envisioning the future of nonwovens. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, events like these are crucial for sparking the ideas that will shape our industry’s products and solutions. Exciting times are ahead of us!” shared Lancelot Woolley, Global R&D Director, Fibertex Nonwovens.
To ensure an immersive and highly engaging atmosphere to connect, exchange and collaborate, EDANA is limiting registration, so a timely registration is suggested.
Learn more at www.edana.org/events/edana-innovation-forum.
