DE-THE-LYCRA-COMPANY
29.9.2022 02:01:44 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
The LYCRA Company,a global leader in developing innovative fiber and technology solutions for the textile and apparel industry, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Qore® to enable the world’s first large-scale commercial production of bio-derived spandex using QIRA®, the next generation 1,4-butanediol (BDO), as one of its main ingredients. This will result in 70% of the LYCRA® fiber content being derived from annually renewable feedstock. This change could potentially reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44%* versus equivalent product made from fossil-based resources, while maintaining the same high-quality performance parameters of traditional LYCRA® fiber.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005020/en/
The LYCRA Company signs an agreement with Qore® LLC to enable large-scale production of bio-derived spandex. Pictured – Julien Born, CEO of The LYCRA Company (left), and Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore® LLC (right), at The LYCRA Company’s headquarters in Wilmington, DE, USA. (Photo: Business Wire)
QIRA® will be produced at Cargill’s biotechnology campus and corn refining operation in Eddyville, Iowa. The facility, which is currently being built, will commence operations in 2024. The first renewable LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA® will be produced at The LYCRA Company’s Tuas, Singapore manufacturing site in 2024. The LYCRA Company is currently seeking commitments with brand and retail customers who are pursuing bio-derived solutions for their apparel.
“As part of our sustainability goals, we are committed to delivering products that support a more circular economy while helping our apparel and personal care customers reduce their footprint,” said Julien Born, CEO of The LYCRA Company. “We are especially pleased to collaborate with Qore®, a company that shares our vision for innovative, sustainable solutions. Their expertise in operating fermentation processes and understanding of the chemical value chains makes them the ideal partner to help develop a bio-derived LYCRA® fiber at commercial scale.”
“We are proud to partner with The LYCRA Company on bringing this sustainable material solution to the market. This collaboration demonstrates that QIRA® directly replaces conventional BDO and thus significantly improves the fiber’s sustainability profile,” said Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore®. “QIRA® is an innovative platform chemical that can be used in various applications across industries.”
The first generation of renewable LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA® will use feedstock from field corn grown by Iowa farmers and will enable a significant reduction in CO2 footprint. In addition to replacing a finite resource with an annually renewable one, another benefit for mills, brands and retailers is that there is no change in fiber performance, eliminating the need for any re-engineering of fabrics, patterns, or processes. Equivalent performance was demonstrated in 2014 when the world’s first bio-derived spandex was launched under the LYCRA® brand. The LYCRA Company has since been granted a patent for the process used to make renewable elastane from bio-derived BDO.
For additional information on renewable LYCRA® fiber, The LYCRA Company and Qore® invite interested parties to contact The LYCRA Company sales representatives.
*Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA® fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll US Consulting, Inc.
About The LYCRA Company
The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its innovative products, technical expertise, sustainable solutions, and unmatched marketing support. The LYCRA Company owns leading consumer and trade brands: LYCRA®, LYCRA HyFit®, LYCRA® T400®, COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX®, and TACTEL®. The LYCRA Company’s legacy stretches back to 1958 with the invention of the original spandex yarn, LYCRA® fiber. Today, The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers’ products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumer’s need for comfort and lasting performance. For more information, visit www.thelycracompany.com.
LYCRA® is a trademark of The LYCRA Company.
About Qore® LLC
Formed through a joint venture by Cargill and HELM, Qore® will help leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-derived intermediates. At the heart of the joint venture is the production of QIRA®, the next-generation bio-derived 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA® can save up to 93% of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing today’s widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. Bio-derived QIRA® can be used the same way as its fossil counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance.
For more information, visit www.myqira.com.
Qore® and QIRA® are trademarks of Qore® LLC.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005020/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
HealthCap Invests in AMRA Medical to Accelerate Global Growth in Quantitative MRI14.9.2026 15:19:00 CEST | Press release
Investment positions AMRA to meet growing global demand for precise, scalable advanced muscle and fat imaging in clinical research and healthcare. AMRA Medical today announced an investment from HealthCap, one of Europe’s leading life science venture capital firms. This milestone marks a significant step in AMRA’s growth, underscoring market confidence in the company’s vision to transform the measurement and understanding of muscle and fat. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914838191/en/ HealthCap Invests in AMRA Medical to Accelerate Global Growth in Quantitative MRI HealthCap’s backing comes as quantitative MRI gains vital importance in understanding how fat distribution and muscle composition influence disease, treatment response, and patient outcomes. Built on over 15 years of research, AMRA’s proprietary methods move beyond conventional metrics—like weight, and BMI and muscle function tests—to provide th
Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Announces 2026 Global Cohort of Innovators14.9.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Accelerator focuses on impact across four areas: Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Economic Empowerment, and Education & Human Capital 20 startups and four nonprofits in the Americas and EMEA were selected from thousands of applicants Five-month program provides capital, mentorship and access to the firm’s global network Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced the 2026 global cohort of its Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures (MSISV). This year’s cohort includes 20 startups and four nonprofits across the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) participating in the firm's five-month accelerator program designed to help early-stage innovators develop and scale their impact. Selected from thousands of applications, the 24 organizations will receive a $150,000 equity investment, or grant funding for nonprofits, as well as access to a curated curriculum, networking opportunities and office space. Founders will work closely with a dedicated MSISV team, Entrepreneurs in Residence
S&P Global Leads Strategic Investment in Kaiko, Extending Series B to $110 Million14.9.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
Global financial institutions are funding the leading provider of data services for 24/7 onchain finance, and establishing a Kaiko-chaired industry working group to focus on data infrastructure for tokenized markets. Kaiko, the regulated provider of data services for onchain finance, today announced that S&P Global has led a strategic investment in the company, extending Kaiko's Series B to $110 million. S&P Global was joined in the round by additional strategic investors: BNP Paribas, Bpifrance, Broadridge, Canton Foundation, Coinbase Ventures, DRW Venture Capital, Nasdaq Ventures, Royal Bank of Canada, Stellar, and Susquehanna Private Equity Investments. Existing shareholders Anthemis, Point Nine, and Revaia, also participated in the extension. The support of investors from across the financial ecosystem reflects a shift already underway: the institutions that run today's capital markets are now funding the data infrastructure required to operate tokenized markets. Alongside their in
Textron Aviation and Merlin Introduce Cessna SkyCourier UX Concept Aircraft14.9.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release
Concept pairs FAA-certified Cessna SkyCourier with Merlin Pilot autonomy to explore a scalable, autonomous approach to sustaining dispersed forces when traditional logistics routes are constrained or unavailable. Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and Merlin, Inc. today introduced a concept Cessna SkyCourier UX™ aircraft that combines Textron Aviation’s proven Cessna SkyCourier platform with Merlin’s aircraft-agnostic software solution for autonomous aviation. Revealed at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference, the concept explores a new cost-efficient and scalable approach to addressing logistical challenges with supplying forces dispersed across contested operational environments when traditional supply routes are constrained, vulnerable or otherwise unavailable. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914611105/en/ The Cessna SkyCourier UX concept explores autonomous resupply operations for di
fiskaly appoints Co-CEO to accelerate European growth14.9.2026 12:53:00 CEST | Press release
Former orderbird CEO David Feichter joins founder Johannes Ferner as co-CEO fiskaly grew 60% year-over-year, while scaling profitably Feichter will focus on operations, while Ferner will expand fiskaly's transaction compliance infrastructure across Europe FinTech scale-up fiskaly has appointed David Feichter Co-CEO, alongside founder Johannes Ferner. Together, they will lead the company through its next phase of European growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914948059/en/ Accredited to Leandra Schurz Photography Feichter will lead the operations and scaling of the organisation, while Ferner will focus on international partnerships, acquisitions and external representation. fiskaly will also stay active on M&A, building on its track record of acquisitions to keep moving quickly when the right opportunities arise across Europe. Feichter brings over 20 years of experience in POS and fintech across Europe and
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom