Future Fibres Group Weaves Innovation at the 3rd Philippine Textile Congress

By Dr Ken Aldren Usman

The Philippine Textile Congress (PTC) is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, and government to discuss advancements, challenges, and opportunities in the textile industry. It serves as a platform for showcasing research, innovation, and sustainable practices in textiles, emphasizing collaboration and technological advancements to address the needs of local and global markets.

Considered as the biggest textile conference in the Philippines, the importance of this event to the textile economy was exemplified by the support and talks from top Philippine government officials during the congress ranging from the country’s Science and Technology Ministers, National Scientists, and several Senators (with one giving a plenary talk and four others giving online messages). The opening session of this year's congress held on November 14, 2024 also drew approximately 200 attendees on-site (at Dusit Thani Hotel, Manila) and over 1,200 viewers via Zoom.

During this session, Associate Professor Christopher Hurren from our Future Fibres group at Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials, and a leading expert in textile research, presented the third plenary address. Leveraging his vast industry experience as a textile colourist, spinner, and fabric finisher, Assoc Prof Hurren provided attendees with a comprehensive view of the textile manufacturing process. He highlighted innovations and strategies for promoting circular sustainability, from creating textiles using sustainable resources to the institute's research on the degradation of textiles and colorants after a garment's life cycle. Aside from the team’s fundamental research, Chris highlighted the institute’s collaborations with numerous industry partners (via the Future Fibres Hub), which have resulted in market-ready products such as pigments derived from recycled coloured textiles and fibres produced from seaweed and bacterial cultures.

Other plenary speakers included Elmer Jose P. Dadios, Professor at De La Salle University - Manila, Dr Matthias Alexander Abbt, Head of Technology Center at ITA Augsburg, Germany, and Dr Helena Britt, Program Leader at Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Innovation Dialogues between DOST-PTRI and Deakin-IFM

In addition to delivering plenary talks, representatives from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) and Deakin-IFM, led by Assoc Prof Chris Hurren (joined virtually by Fibres Hub Director Prof Joe Razal and myself), participated in the fourth Innovation Dialogue on November 15, 2024, held at the TELA Gallery, DOST-PTRI, Bicutan, Taguig City.

The discussion focused on potential collaborations between PTRI and IFM, including projects on nanomaterials for biocompatibility and the creation of spacer fabrics. IFM also commended DOST-PTRI for its exceptional partnerships with stakeholders, highlighted by the establishment of numerous Natural Fiber Innovation Hubs (NTFIH) throughout the country.

The discussions also delved into the techno-economic aspects of DOST-PTRI's projects, emphasising the importance of achieving financial independence for ongoing collaborations by making them profitable and commercially viable, thus minimising dependence on government funding. Additionally, an exciting opportunity emerged for students to pursue further studies at Deakin University, with potential scholarship options including full Deakin scholarships or a joint scholarship program between the two institutions.

Plans are in progress to strengthen the collaboration between DOST-PTRI and IFM, which will be further reinforced through visits to Deakin University in Victoria, Australia. The engagement concluded with a tour of PTRI’s research facilities.

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IFM Early Career Researchers share their expertise at the 2024 PTC Research Colloquium

Two early career researchers from the Future Fibres Group were also invited to give webinar talks about the research they are undertaking at IFM.

Dr Lucas Rosson explored sustainable production methods for regenerated cellulosic fibres, focusing on reducing environmental impact throughout the manufacturing process. His talk provided methods on how to improve the efficiency and sustainability of fibre production by utilising eco-friendly materials and processes.? His talk also emphasised on minimising resource consumption, waste, and carbon emissions (referred to as closing the “cellulose gap”) while enhancing the fibres’ performance and recyclability.

I also spoke, and introduced our team’s research on MXenes—a group of materials that are being used to create flexible films and coatings with improved conductivity (allowing for better energy flow) and ion transport, which makes them ideal for products such as smart wearables and energy storage devices such as supercapacitors. The presentation also highlighted some of the top breakthroughs discovered at IFM included the team’s discovery of MXene Liquid Crystals.

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Overall take-aways

With over 1,200 online participants, the event highlighted the potential of textile research to tackle environmental challenges and spur industrial innovation, setting the stage for more sustainable and efficient solutions in the future. Led by Assoc Prof Hurren, our representatives shared expert insights from Australia at the congress while also gaining an understanding of the global scale of textile research. IFM’s recent engagements with PTRI, bolstered by this congress will surely provide mutual benefits to both institutions on the future.

About the author: Dr Ken Aldren Usman is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for Frontier Materials. He specialises in solution-based processing of MXene and was selected into the prestigious CAS Future Leaders Program in 2024.