The 56^th edition of the Dornbirn Man-made Fibers Congress (Dornbirn-MFC), which will be held from 13-15 September 2017, will position itself as a Green Meeting & Green Event, addressing issues like providing sustainable transport, ecological catering, eco-friendly accommodations, as well as material and waste management.

In recent years, the event has developed a wide audience, with rising number of participants and international visitors. Last year, visitors from more than 60 new companies were registered. Overall, more than 700 participants from 34 nations visited Dornbirn, with 80% coming from Europe, 15% from Asia, and 5% from the Americas. This year, some delegations from Asia and the Americas have also already confirmed their participation.

Expertise

The event will feature more than 100 expert lectures dedicated to fibre innovations, as well as fibres, textile and nonwovens for healthcare, protective, and sports and leisure wear applications. Veolia Water Technologies, USA, will deliver on the issue of water management. In addition, three lectures presented by German experts will be dedicated to Marine Litter (micro plastics).

Latest developments for medical and hygiene applications in the fields of hospital, nursing and implantology will be presented. Attendance of the leading brands and private label producers are expected, according to show organisers.

Lecture programme

For the introductory lecture in the field of protective applications, a speaker from NASA, USA, will discuss flame retardant textile fibres for space research. A reputable global producer of protective clothing will present the latest developments and requirements in this field, focusing on the preliminary stages of the supply chain.

In the field of sportswear, Vaude innovative outdoor brand will deliver its presentations. Contributions from industry and research will address the issue of functionalisation and ecological manufacturing process.

In order to generate a more interactive and dynamic programme, additional discussions covering the main topics are being planned. “Top-class key note speeches will offer fresh perspectives to all participants,” organisers reports.

Events

The successful Young Scientists’ Forum will take place on the final day of the event this year. An expert panel on Textile & Nonwovens Waste – a Threat or Opportunity? will take place the day before the opening of the Congress.

This highly topical issue will be handled by a team of fibre industry experts, working at the downstream stages and in retail. For the first time, representatives of the waste management companies will also take part.

www.dornbirn-mfc.com