Spinnova has entered into a yarn development cooperation agreement with the Portuguese spinner Tearfil, where Tearfil will operate Spinnova’s R&D yarn-spinning line. Tearfil is a visionary spinning mill, recognised for its quality yarns for circular knitting and key role in the textile sector. The yarn-spinning line is intended for product development and will be located in Guimarães, Portugal at Tearfil's facilities. 

Finland based Spinnova has developed breakthrough patented technology for making textile fibre from wood or waste, such as leather, textile or agricultural waste, without harmful chemicals. The Spinnova fibre creates zero waste and side streams or microplastics, and its CO2 emissions and water use are minimal. Spinnova materials are quickly biodegradable and circular.     

The rationale behind the yarn-spinning line is for research and development into using Spinnova's fibre in commercial scale yarn production and to streamline development work with industry partners. Spinnova will benefit from the extensive industry know-how of a strong partner and from the proximity of Europe’s most significant textile industry hub in Portugal. This will improve Spinnova’s access to global textile markets.  

The technology delivery and installations are expected to take place in the fall of 2023, and the spinning line is intended to be operational by the end of the year. Tearfil is responsible for the yarn-spinning line's operations, and Spinnova will use a part of the line capacity for its product development. 

In 2021, Spinnova announced that it would establish an R&D yarn-spinning line in Jyväskylä, Finland. The decision to change the location was made during the feasibility planning and discussions with potential partners. This change in location and operational model will slightly decrease the capital expenditure and will lead to lower operational expenses. 

"We are very pleased to have agreed a cooperation model with Tearfil where we are able to benefit from Tearfil's decades of experience and expertise in yarn-spinning. The location in Portugal speeds up our product development work and gives us the opportunity to cooperate on development with key players in the industry," says Spinnova interim CEO Ben Selby.  

"We look forward to starting cooperation and working together with Spinnova's best-in-class R&D team to further develop innovative textile materials. We are very proud and confident that this collaboration will scale up our impact further," adds Maria de Belém Machado, CEO at Tearfil.  

The technology supplier for Spinnova's new spinning mill line is the Swiss-based company Rieter, one of the world’s leading supplier of systems for manufacturing yarn from staple fibres. Cutting-edge spinning technology from Rieter contributes to sustainability in the textile value chain by minimising the use of resources. Rieter has a significant contribution in yarn development for Spinnova blends and spinning with various spinning techniques.   

“Sustainable innovation is in the DNA of Rieter and Spinnova. We test and learn passionately to ensure that our operations and products create the biggest possible positive impact,” says Franziska Häfeli, Head Sales and Marketing at Rieter.

www.spinnova.com        

www.tearfil.pt    

www.rieter.com