Advisory Board profile: Kemira
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemistry for water-intensive industries, with a strong focus on enabling more resource-efficient and circular value chains across industries. Within the textile sector, Kemira’s work is centred on developing chemistry-based solutions for cellulose-based textiles, nonwovens and textile recycling, supporting the transition toward more sustainable production and end-of-life systems.
As part of the BioSusTex Advisory Board, Kemira contributes a strategic industrial perspective grounded in its expertise in applied chemistry and large-scale implementation. The involvement reflects the commitment to advancing safe, sustainable and high-performance chemical solutions, particularly in replacing substances of concern with more environmentally responsible alternatives.
BioSusTex offers Kemira an opportunity to engage with a forward-looking research initiative addressing some of the most pressing challenges in the textile sector. These include the development of PFAS-free functional chemistries, recyclable coatings and printing formulations, and next-generation textile recycling processes. Through its advisory role, Kemira helps ensure that emerging solutions are not only scientifically robust but also scalable, safe and aligned with real manufacturing requirements.
From Kemira’s perspective, one of the most significant opportunities BioSusTex can unlock in the coming years is demonstrating that circular textile solutions enabled by Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) chemistry are both technically feasible and progressing toward industrial relevance. By advancing key innovations such as elastane and dye removal technologies, PFAS-free coatings and recyclable formulations to intermediate technology readiness levels, the project can help unlock textile streams that are currently difficult or impossible to recycle.
To maximise real-world impact, Kemira emphasises the importance of strengthening the research and development foundation while clearly defining pathways toward scale-up and industrial adoption. Validating technologies at TRL 4–5, supported by robust safety and sustainability assessments, is seen as a critical step in bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial implementation.
Looking ahead, success for BioSusTex would mean not only achieving its technical objectives, but also establishing a clear roadmap for further development, identifying future research needs, and creating a strong basis for continued innovation. Demonstrating the feasibility of new solutions and their potential for industrial uptake will be key to enabling broader transformation within the textile sector.
Through its participation in the Advisory Board, Kemira contributes into how sustainable chemistry can drive systemic change, helping to ensure that BioSusTex outcomes are positioned for long-term impact and real-world application.