The Next-Gen Material Innovation Revolution is Now

Despite increases in secondhand shopping, consumers will never completely forego buying new garments, so the solution to a more sustainable fashion industry must come from better fibers. Material scientists have amped up their efforts in response, developing next-gen biomaterials with new zeal and knowledge, plus more novel textile-to-textile recycling methods.

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“Every year that goes by, we see more innovators entering the space and they are constantly getting smarter about what is needed, what works and what doesn’t.” These words, spoken by Suzanne Lee, CEO and founder of biomaterials consultancy and design firm Biofabricate in Sourcing Journal’s Material Innovation Report , sum up the state of material innovations today. It’s an exciting arena, with promising steps forward plus learnings from challenges and missteps.

Do next-gen silk, next-gen leather, next-gen down and next-gen fur have a viable market? What about mushroom leather, seaweed fiber, prosciutto purses and fruit skin silk suits? The Material Innovation Institute (MII) says yes, noting the 380 collaborations in 2023 and the 40 in 2024, so far.

Polybion’s celium, for example, is making its world debut, following the operational success of its solar-powered bacterial cellulose manufacturing facility in Central Mexico. The material science company’s leather alternative is now globally available, marking a significant milestone for both the firm and the fashion industry as this brings biomaterials one step closer to mainstream commercialization.

“We have been applying creativity and ingenuity toward being able to use bacteria as a platform,” Alexis Gómez-Ortigoza, Polybion’s co-founder and CEO, told Sourcing Journal. “After 10 years of hard work, I would say one of our key objectives is to be able to make lab-grown materials—such as bacterial cellulose—a widespread option for brands across the globe.”

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And while overall venture capital funding in this space dropped 42 percent and deal count fell 30 percent to a six-year low, backing for next-gen material companies nonetheless increased by 10 percent, according to the MII State of the Industry Report. The Fashion for Good-backed brand Biophilica , to name one example, raised roughly $1.3 million in 2022 in a seed funding round to bring its plastic-free leather alternative to the market, with Biophilica’s total grants to date totaling roughly $1.57 million.

Bio-based polymers have emerged to supplant fossil-based ones, but while total volume production of bio-based polymers in 2023 was 4.4 million tons, it accounted for only 1 percent of the total production volume of fossil-based polymers. Clearly, there is room to grow.

Legal parameters are also driving the charge. Upcoming regulations could put 8 percent of EBIT at risk for brands that don’t comply by adjusting their materials portfolio mix, per Boston Consulting Group’s analysis for an average-size fashion brand in the European Union.

Download the Material Innovations Report to learn:

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• What’s next for Renewcell, rebranded Circulose under its new private equity owner.
• How Under Armour is pushing the envelope with its new Neolast fiber
• What Ganni’s playbook, “How to Get Started Creating a Sustainable Business,” can teach startups and existing businesses alike
• How textile-to-textile recycler Ambercycle is scaling up and exploring new relationships to bring its signature creation, Cycora, to the masses.
• Why the global market for biopolymers is set to grow by 17 percent over the next five years, according to a report by the nova-Institute.