KELHEIM - Speciality viscose manufacturer Kelheim Fibres has entered into a partnership with MagnoLab, the Biella, Italy-based network of textile and testing companies.

For Kelheim, the partnership will offer an enhanced level of practical testing, accelerating the implementation of its latest fibre developments whilst highlighting the importance of collaboration between different companies to drive innovation and sustainability in the industry.

Kelheim Fibres already operates several pilot and technical facilities and the close collaboration with MagnoLab, which boasts an impressive array of state-of-the-art textile machinery, is expected to allow for even more effective and efficient research and development.

Through its 'Open Innovation' approach, the company hopes to foster a further exchange of ideas and knowledge to jointly develop sustainable solutions for the future.

Dr. Marina Crnoja-Cosic, director of new business development, marketing & communications at Kelheim Fibres, emphasised the advantages of the collaboration: "Through close networking with the companies organised under MagnoLab, we can produce small quantities of samples and prototypes using various technologies. This enables us to develop solutions based on our speciality fibres that can be directly transferred to our partners' production facilities within the textile value chain."

Giovanni Marchi, president of MagnoLab, also expressed his enthusiasm: "Kelheim Fibres is the first fibre manufacturer we are collaborating with. Together, we now cover the complete textile chain, making our work even more valuable."