Jyvaskyla – Sustainable textile material company Spinnova, whose products are finding increasing applications in the knitting sector, has signed a deal with Swiss machinery manufacturer Rieter for an industrial scale spinning facility at its new factory in Finland.

Following successful trials at its SpinCenter in Winterthur, Switzerland, Rieter will install the system at Spinnova's plant at Jyväskylä, Finland, by the end of 2022.

Spinnova says the investment will enable it to streamline its commercial textile development, enhance brand collaborations and further improve market entry capabilities.

The company is in the process of building its first commercial factory at Jyväskylä, with strategic partner Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer. Work is due to be completed by the end of this year.

Spinnova's proprietary manufacturing technology produces textile fibre out of wood or waste, including leather, textile and food, without the use of harmful chemicals.

Also minimising CO2 emissions and water use, the process has attracted interest from leading industry names including H&M, Bestseller, The North Face and Adidas.

Spinnova said it decided to make the €2.2 million (US$2.5m) investment in an in-house yarn spinning facility for research and development (R&D) purposes.

Having the facility available on site would enable it to launch bigger scale R&D trials and enable faster product development turnaround with brand partners.

Spinnova’s CEO and co-founder Janne Poranen said: "The close proximity of a spinning facility will make a huge difference in our commercial phase.

"We can make fast trials, not lose lead time, and test smaller batches than before. This will significantly improve the textile R&D with our wood-based Spinnova fibre, and is also a valuable investment in future R&D with our alternative, waste raw material verticals."

Rieter says its system is about 20 per cent more energy efficient than lines made up of machines from different suppliers, further helping to keep Spinnova's carbon emissions low.

Roger Albrecht, head of machines and systems at Rieter, added: "Sustainability is an integral part of the Rieter strategy, and fibres with minimal environmental impact play an important role in sustainable yarn production. Rieter is pleased to contribute with its state-of-the-art machinery to Spinnova’s product development."