As European textile manufacturers confront strict mandates under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and shifting circularity targets, industrial recycling remains constrained by an unaddressed technical hurdle: empirical guesswork. While sorting and mechanical tearing have expanded, the lack of rigorous characterization and reproducible material data continues to trap recycled fibres in low-grade downcycling.

During the 66th edition of the Filo exhibition at Fiera Milano Rho, representatives from Città Studi Biella and its managed innovation cluster Po.in.tex outlined a structured roadmap to transform textile recycling from an artisanal trial-and-error process into an exact science. Speaking in an interview conducted by Sanjay Chawla, Founder and Global Convener of FashionatingWorld, researcher Grazia Simonetti, Giorgia Ciabattini and  Dritan Trimcev-Project Head broke down how the Piedmontese campus is mobilizing European research programs and building dedicated laboratory infrastructure to standardize fiber recovery.

Red Lab: Engineering data and metrics for textile waste

At the core of Po.in.tex’s upcoming infrastructure is the development of Red Lab (Recycling Laboratory), an initiative slated to bridge the gap between regional sorting plants and industrial spinning mills. "We are working to build a recycling laboratory—it is a project for the moment, called Red Lab," stated Simonetti. "We need to find the right way to recycle fabrics, garments, and textile materials, and determine the end-use destination beforehand: whether it is fibre-to-fibre,fibre for non-wovens, acoustic and thermal insulation for buildings, or reinforcement applications for the plastics industry. Our target is to create standardized benchmarks for different industries and discover new possibilities for utilizing recovered fibers."

Simonetti underscored that the transition from manual, craft-based sorting to automated, sensor-driven industrial recovery requires measurable parameters. She explains, "At the end of the year, a sorting facility may be operational to separate post-consumer waste by color and material composition. But what has been missing is the analytical laboratory. We cannot rely on hand evaluation alone, we are textile engineers, and we need numbers. Without numbers and statistical data, we cannot systematically understand why a process succeeds or fails."

To cross-pollinate waste streams with adjacent industries, Po.in.tex is actively evaluating alternative upcycling avenues. "I was speaking with an eco-leather manufacturer to explore whether pulverized textile fiber powder can be incorporated as a functional filler," Simonetti noted. "We are also investigating cross-sector applications for secondary fibers in paper packaging, Amazon shipping boxes, and composite materials."

The Architecture: Città Studi Biella and Po.in.tex

Città Studi Biella functions as a multifaceted academic and industrial campus spanning higher education, university partnerships, vocational training, and specialized research centers. Its industrial research spearhead is Po.in.tex (Polo di Innovazione Tessile), the official Piedmont Textile Innovation Cluster managed by Città Studi since 2009.

Operating under the direction of Paola Fontana, Po.in.tex connects over a hundred enterprises across the textile value chain, facilitating technology transfer, industrial problem-solving, and participation in competitive European consortia.

"Città Studi brings multiple disciplines together, from schools and university faculties to auditoriums and student residences; but its strategic industrial pillar is Po.in.tex," Simonetti  explained. "We operate as an innovation technology cluster spanning mechanical textile engineering and textile chemistry. We work extensively on European collaborative projects, connecting Italian and European enterprises to secure research funding, provide technical assistance, and troubleshoot industrial production issues."

Po.in.tex has actively participated in landmark European Union programs, including the recently concluded RegioGreenTex, a multi-regional initiative designed to scale circular textile solutions among small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as ongoing projects such as Skills for Circularity and Future-Proof Textile.

Ground-Level Realities: Upstream capabilities and policy barriers

Reflecting on the practical realities of industrial scaling, Simonetti highlighted the deep operational expertise rooted in the Biella district, drawing parallels from past engineering missions across Asia; "Technical troubleshooting and quality enhancement are identical whether in Italy or abroad," Dritan Trimcev observed, recalling earlier on-site technical assignments at spinning facilities in Nagpur, India and Lopburi, Thailand. "When companies want to improve yarn evenness or fabric performance, we provide direct engineering assistance to align production with stringent specifications."

However, when addressing cross-border technology transfers and co-funded manufacturing projects with non-EU industrial centers, Dritan pointed out the regulatory framework governing institutional resources. "When financing originates from European or regional public institutions, it comes with strict regulatory guidelines and jurisdictional mandates that govern where and how research funds can be deployed. It is not simply an open commercial choice. However, if external partners bring specific project capital and require technical validation, we can evaluate how to support their R&D objectives."

For Citta Studi, the ultimate objective of textile research remains clear: establishing precise engineering metrics so that recycled fibers cease to be inferior substitutes and instead become reproducible, high-performance industrial raw materials.

Filo: The upstream sourcing platform

Held biannually in Milan, Filo is the international B2B trade exhibition dedicated exclusively to upstream yarns, fibers, and advanced textile materials. Co-located at Fiera Milano Rho alongside Lineapelle, the salon serves as a strategic meeting point for spinning mills, raw material innovators, and luxury apparel brands.

Focusing heavily on technical excellence, circularity, and traceability, Filo 66 provided an industrial showcase where research institutions like Città Studi Biella and Po.in.tex present pilot methodologies to global buyers, advancing sustainable supply chains from the fiber stage outward.