Meet the partners: Blåbær Production

Blåbær Production, based in Bergen, Norway, is a design and production company with a clear mission: to combine design, functionality and sustainability in the creation of clothing, footwear and textiles. As a small but highly committed enterprise, Blåbær is known for its strong focus on sustainable materials, chemical safety and responsible supply chain practices, all of which align seamlessly with the goals of the BioSusTex project.

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The company’s involvement in BioSusTex is led by a dedicated and multidisciplinary team. Md Ibrahim Khalil Ullah, Design & Product Developer, holds a Bachelor of Science in Textile Engineering and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Manufacturing. Since joining Blåbær in 2022, he has worked closely on product development, materials performance testing, and quality control. Rolf-Erik Lund, CEO, founder and co-owner, brings extensive experience across several industries, with a strong focus on private label development and ensuring alignment with consumer needs. He also oversees the company’s efforts in ethical trade, responsible purchasing, and supply chain due diligence. Elin Follnes, Designer and co-owner, is a graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, with professional experience in fashion, footwear and accessories across both high-end and mainstream markets. Her design background brings a user-centric perspective to Blåbær’s sustainability ambitions.

BioSusTex marks Blåbær Production’s first formal participation in a European collaborative R&D initiative, and the company joins with a clear ambition: to learn, contribute and help define a new standard for circularity in the textile sector. As a small manufacturer operating in real-world markets, Blåbær brings crucial industry insight to the project, particularly regarding how sustainability goals must translate into functional, scalable, and market-ready products.

Blåbær's participation focuses on addressing the practical challenges of applying sustainable and circular solutions in everyday production, especially under demanding quality and performance standards, such as those required in children’s wear. The team contributes valuable perspectives from daily product development, material sourcing and supplier collaboration, helping to ensure that innovations emerging from BioSusTex can be realistically applied and adopted within industry contexts.

The project also builds naturally on Blåbær Production’s broader sustainability work. The company has long integrated chemical risk assessments, responsible purchasing policies and continuous supply chain improvement into its operations. While BioSusTex introduces a more formal research framework, many aspects of the project directly reflect the company’s day-to-day focus on safer, more transparent and more sustainable production practices.

Blåbær Production’s involvement in BioSusTex exemplifies the importance of including industry-driven, practical voices in collaborative research. By bringing market realities and production constraints into the conversation, Blåbær helps bridge the gap between research ambition and commercial feasibility, ensuring that sustainable textile solutions are not only developed but also viable, scalable and fit for purpose in the real world.