The Finnish fiber producer and Norwegian outdoor brand announced last year to have entered a long-term product development collaboration, combining Finnish and Norwegian interests in sustainability, technology and outdoor life. The aim was to further develop a technology for cellulose-based textile fibers free of harmful chemicals. And the hope was nothing less than finding solutions to revolutionize the textile industry.

#biobased #innovation

Technologies based on cellulose textile fibers through chemical processes have existed for some time. What makes Spinnova’s solution so revolutionary is that all harmful chemicals are replaced by a mechanical process. The patented technology includes neither waste or side streams, making the fiber and production method a lot more sustainable. Spinnova’s raw material commitment is to only use FSC certified wood or wood waste streams.

Meet them personally at the guided GRV Transparency Tour on Tuesday the 28th of January at 11.00 am– Sustainability Hub, Hall A2.

Bergans of Norway is one of the first suppliers to get developed a complete product made with the Spinnova fiber. The Norwegian brand made huge efforts to present the first product using the new technology already end of last year: a plain backpack using Scandinavian wood as raw material and made without harmful chemicals.

“The aim with this futuristic product is to get the Spinnova technology tested. Our hope is that the project could be a step towards a more sustainable textile consumption,” says Bergans CEO Jan Tore Jensen.

The product is still a prototype and only available in a very limited quantity. Still, both partners emphasize the importance to launch the product for consumers to let them take part in the further development.

“We want to let consumers get to know our material by allowing them to physically test products. For that, we need innovative and risk-willing manufacturers. Bergans showed a pragmatic and open attitude to trying new materials, even before they are commercially profitable”, says Janne Poranen, CEO of Spinnova.

While it’s not only about inventing new materials and products, the Norwegian developers are eager to test new ways of consumption and circular business models. And the way the new backpack with the “wooden” fiber will be linked to the consumer market is unlike anything else.

Even if the pack will be tested among Scandinavian and German consumers, it’s not for sale in the traditional way. The idea is to give consumers the opportunity to buy in as co-owners in the fabric quantity.

– Currently, the fabric quantity is designed as backpacks. After a period of use, the consumer can return the backpack, have it recycled into new Spinnova material and reshaped into a new and different product, suggests Johannes Flem, designer at Bergans Future Labs. And so, the cycle will continue.

“Bergans of Norway has been driven by dedicated and passionate outdoor enthusiasts for over a century. We introduced and patented the backpack as we know it today, an invention, famous polar explorers such as Amundsen and Scott recognized and used on their expeditions. No other manufacturer of outdoor equipment can match our experience in polar exploration – or our ambition to share this legacy with today’s adventurers. Founded in 1908, Bergans has played a major role in Norwegian outdoor life for more than a century.”