8AM - 4PM ET | 2PM - 10PM CET
7:00 am Registration & Networking
7:45 am Opening Remarks
8:00 am Growing Next-Gen Materials
Synopsis
The Material Innovation Initiative accelerates the development of next-generation sustainable materials for the fashion, automotive, and home goods industries, with a focus on replacing animal-based materials.
In this presentation Nicole will set the scene for 2 days, sharing her perspectives on this growing industry, and outlining key innovations shaping the next-generation materials space
8:25 am Consumer Trends in the Next-Generation Alternative Materials Industry
Synopsis
Consumer demand is shifting, with consumers becoming more engaged in sustainability.
In this presentation Keri will:
Discuss a US exploratory study on consumer perception and purchasing behavior
Discuss a US study on consumer perception of nomenclature choices for new materials
8:50 am Live Q&A – Ask the Speakers Your Burning Questions
9:00 am Virtual Speed Networking
Synopsis
Recreating the face-to-face networking in the virtual world. We will pair you up with fellow attendees to break the ice and make new business relationships!
9:30 am KEYNOTE: Spiber: Brewing the Future of Biomaterials
Synopsis
Brewed Protein ™ is a protein material made from plant-derived biomass as the main raw material by Spiber’s unique microbial fermentation (brewing) process.
Kenji will:
• Discuss how to further scale-up through collaboration with leading designers, creators and joint R&D projects to accelerate towards mass production in 2021 and beyond
9:50 am Live Q&A – Ask the Speakers Your Burning Questions
10:00 am PANEL: How can bio-based materials match quality of traditional materials?
Synopsis
• Achieving durability whilst balancing biodegradability
• Creating custom textures & properties of materials
• Achieving consistency between batches
10:40 am Meetings & Live Demo Area
Synopsis
• Live Demo in Virtual Exhibition Hall
• Time to schedule meetings with fellow attendees or chat via the People tab to make new business relationships!
Communicating with the Consumer
11:00 am Bringing Bio-Based Materials to Market
Synopsis
Merch.bio develops biomaterials from food waste and agricultural side streams as circular waste-free natural alternatives to the animal and synthetic/petroleum based textiles and materials. In this presentation, Camilla will discuss how Merch.bio directly brings to the market its biomaterials in form of consumer products through its DTC e-commerce while communicating the benefits of these materials to the consumer.
Explaining how Merch.bio materials don’t just live in laboratories, but are successfully reaching the consumers with a click, and solve major environmental problems at the same time through strategic partnerships with Influencers and GenZ Brands.
11:20 am Industrial Scale Innovation at Ecovative’s Aerial Mycelium Farms
Synopsis
• Beyond prototypes and small batch goods, how Ecovative cracked large scale mycelium materials
• Operating the world’s largest aerial mycelium farms
• Leveraging High Throughput: Rapidly developing new material properties in mycelium
11:40 am Pioneering Biofabrication for a Healthier Planet
Synopsis
- What if our most trusted and loved products had a positive impact on
the planet?
• Intro to Modern Meadow and our Sustainability Principles: Climate Action,
Balanced Ecosystem, and Circularity / Responsible End of Life
• Biofabrication reaches beyond bio-inspiration, bio-mimicry, and biobased
materials
• Bio-AlloysTM: Designed at the molecular level to optimize sustainability
and performance
• Creating an operating system for ZOA: A new world of materials
12:00 pm Live Q&A – Ask the Speakers Your Burning Questions
12:10 pm PANEL: The Future of Next-Generation Bio-Based Alternative Materials
Synopsis
Next-Generation materials are transforming the textiles industry, one fibre at a time.
Panelists will discuss their perspectives on the future of bio-based alternative materials, touching on:
-Supply chain integration
-The future of materials from a brand perspective
-Innovation beyond replacing traditional materials
-Achieving scalability
-Developing nomenclature, education & value proposition
-Encouraging adoption beyond a single collection
-Educating to consumer on benefits of bio-based alternative materials
12:40 pm Lunch Break
Synopsis
Grab lunch from the comfort of your own kitchen and schedule meetings with fellow attendees or chat via the People tab to make new connections, exchange virtual business cards and maybe even see a friendly face or two!
Next-Generation Materials & Technologies
1:15 pm Plants not Plastic
Synopsis
Plants are inexhaustible in their abundance on Earth and unrivaled in their ability to meet the needs of the world’s population.
In this presentation Luke will:
• Explore why the world should use plants instead of plastics, touching on the harm done by the petrochemical industry
• Discuss what NFW does to create materials from plants instead of using any petrochemicals and fossil resources.
• Outline some examples of applications and products that are entering the market
1:35 pm Making Waste Beautiful
Synopsis
Beyond Leather produces plant-based and eco-friendly alternatives to animal leather Based on the waste in cider production.
In this presentation Mikael will:
• Discuss how you can upcycle food process by-products into high-end sustainable fashion textiles
1:55 pm Real Leather. Low Impact.
Synopsis
Nothing beats the feel of real leather. So instead of creating an “alternative”, VitroLabs work with nature to create real leather that’s simply more humane and more sustainable.
Join Ingvar to:
• Explore how to develop fully scalable real leather using breakthroughs in stem cell research and tissue engineering.
2:15 pm Live Q&A – Ask the Speakers Your Burning Questions
2:25 pm Virtual Speed Networking
Synopsis
Recreating the face-to-face networking in the virtual world. We will pair you up with fellow attendees to break the ice and make new business relationships!
3:00 pm An Innovative Journey: Waste Pineapple Leaf Fiber
Synopsis
From initial sampling to developing a viable supply chain, the Piñatex® journey is inspired by the principles of a Circular Economy and Cradle to Cradle values.
In this presentation Mélanie will:
• Explore how to develop sustainable & scalable materials that are fit for use across fashion, accessories & upholstery and lessons learnt from Piñatex journey so far
3:20 pm Balancing Durability, Recyclability and Biodegradability
Synopsis
Chip[s] Board® have developed a range of innovative and sustainable circular economy materials using potato waste.
In this presentation, Robert will:
• Discuss how to balance durability, recyclability and biodegradability on innovative materials and lessons learnt for companies looking to do the same
3:40 pm Harnessing Planetary Genius to Solve the Microfiber Shedding Problem
Synopsis
- Conservation X Labs runs open innovation prizes and challenges to source transformative solutions for the underlying drivers of conservation problems
- The Microfiber Innovation Challenge is a global competition to source and award upstream innovations to prevent the shedding of plastic microfiber
4:00 pm Mycelium Materials for the Fashion Industry
Synopsis
• Sustainability in industrial value chains and real world scenarios
• Benefits and current limitation of biofabrication
• Properties of mycelium based materials