The R&D activities of Centexbel-VKC support the textile, plastic converting and related companies with the explicit aim to reinforce the innovation capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and to assist the industry in its transition to a sustainable future. As a research institution created by and for the industry, we initiate and participate in publicly funded pre-competitive research projects and in market-oriented contract research projects.

To guarantee total impartiality and to avoid any conflict of interest, we explicitly exclude all product development in those areas covered by the CE certification scope for which we are accredited.

DEBOND proposes to develop new materials and processes to improve the debonding performance of flexible packaging and textiles applications for an easier recycling.

Regions for Green Textiles – known as RegioGreenTex –is a quadruple-helix partnership initiative aiming at mapping and reducing the difficulties, which currently exist in the implementation of a circular economy model within the textile ecosystem across the EU.

As we all want to maintain our current standards of living, our society faces the limits of what our ecosystem (including climate issues) can manage in terms of petrochemical production of essential small molecular building blocks necessary for fine chemicals, medicines or high-performance materials.

SUSPENS will develop a holistic approach, from bio-sourced and recycled materials to faster and lesser energy demanding processes, to produce sustainable composite structural parts, ensuring their manufacturability from the design conceptualization.

The EU-funded DigInTraCE project will use innovative tracking, sensing and sorting techniques to develop a transparent and interoperable decentralised traceability platform focusing on the pulp and paper and chemicals sectors.

The goal of the Living Lab Carpet is to give a second life to carpets by establishing the framework conditions for reuse, repair and refurbishing business models.

Blueprint to reduce textile waste by 80%

Bio-Uptake aims to promote the sustainable adoption (a 39% increase) of bioplastic composites in the European manufacturing industry through a combined green and digital transformation.

The ALIGNED project will deliver a modelling framework to assess and optimise the environmental and socio-economic performance of bio-based industries.

CISUTAC will find a solution to the current bottlenecks in the transition to circular and sustainable textiles and clothing.