Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MY-FI (Reinventing a smart, circular and competitive textile industry with advanced myco-fibres)
Reporting period: 2020-11-01 to 2022-04-30
The MY-FI project aims at providing an innovative, functional, high-value, and environmentally responsible biobased textile, naturally grown by means of fungal fermentation. MY-FI has developed a unique biofabrication technology that relies on partnering with fungal microorganisms and employing their vegetative body – the mycelium – as the key living ingredient, binding and transforming residual substrates, and turning them into an unprecedented class of flexible materials, for fashion, automotive, and beyond.
The main idea behind it relies on shifting from an exploitative paradigm, depending on exhaustible resources, to a thoroughly generative one, rooted in cooperation with Nature.
By applying this concept, the MY-FI project is working towards the achievement of four high-level goals:
• Empowering the European textile industry to face the forthcoming challenges, such as increasing its resource efficiency, environmental sustainability, products functionalities, job creation, and ultimately value generation
• Meet the consumer demand for new functional and high-quality textiles sourced from renewable resources
• Relief the environmental pressure related to the European textile industry, in terms of generating near zero losses and zero microplastics, reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption in industrial processes
• Engage the textile stakeholders and provide guidelines for policymakers, with the purpose of supporting the industrial development and market uptake of mycelium fabrics at European level
According to the principles of circular economy, prioritized by the European Union, MY-FI is deploying a circular by design and biobased approach, by converting low-value substrates from the textile or food industry into valuable materials, through a mild and green process that aims at minimizing the input (energy, water, land and chemicals) and the wastes, and at avoiding toxic compounds for safer manufacturing.
The result is a vegan-friendly material that can be grown in any size and shape with near-zero losses, through a sustainable, scalable and cost-competitive process.
The MY-FI process paves the way for a new biobased industry in Europe that can reduce its dependency from non-EU countries for raw material supply, by relying on local, residual, and generative resources.
MY-FI is providing the EU with a powerful alternative and an unprecedented solution for the creation of an ethically responsible future.
The main idea behind it relies on shifting from an exploitative paradigm, depending on exhaustible resources, to a thoroughly generative one, rooted in cooperation with Nature.
By applying this concept, the MY-FI project is working towards the achievement of four high-level goals:
• Empowering the European textile industry to face the forthcoming challenges, such as increasing its resource efficiency, environmental sustainability, products functionalities, job creation, and ultimately value generation
• Meet the consumer demand for new functional and high-quality textiles sourced from renewable resources
• Relief the environmental pressure related to the European textile industry, in terms of generating near zero losses and zero microplastics, reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption in industrial processes
• Engage the textile stakeholders and provide guidelines for policymakers, with the purpose of supporting the industrial development and market uptake of mycelium fabrics at European level
According to the principles of circular economy, prioritized by the European Union, MY-FI is deploying a circular by design and biobased approach, by converting low-value substrates from the textile or food industry into valuable materials, through a mild and green process that aims at minimizing the input (energy, water, land and chemicals) and the wastes, and at avoiding toxic compounds for safer manufacturing.
The result is a vegan-friendly material that can be grown in any size and shape with near-zero losses, through a sustainable, scalable and cost-competitive process.
The MY-FI process paves the way for a new biobased industry in Europe that can reduce its dependency from non-EU countries for raw material supply, by relying on local, residual, and generative resources.
MY-FI is providing the EU with a powerful alternative and an unprecedented solution for the creation of an ethically responsible future.
During the first Reporting Period, MY-FI achieved important advancements in biofabrication.
The dynamic liquid fermentation process has been optimized to increase biomass production and the tensile strength of the resultant material. Optimization tests show that the process is ready for upscaling, and preparations to move on to the 400 L scale are ongoing.
Materials obtained from the static liquid fermentation process have proved to be promising for transformation processes and applications in the fashion and automotive industries. The biofabrication protocols have been improved to increase the material thickness, reduce back part residues, increase process reproducibility, and produce larger materials. A pilot plant has been set up for the scale-up, employing bigger growing rooms and industrial equipment for blending and drying. Further steps are foreseen for the industrialization of the process.
In addition, the combination of mycelium biomass with recycled fabrics can get brand-new materials.
Thanks to the joint efforts and expertise of MY-FI partners, the materials can be transformed into semi-finished products. The focus has been on enhancing mycelium fibers' physical, aesthetical and functional properties. Crosslinking and treatments with biobased polymer dispersions have been applied to enhance mechanical performances; on the other hand, processing technologies for plasticizing and dyeing have been employed to improve aesthetic properties.
By combining the different treatments, a preliminary semi-finished material has been obtained. Even if it is not yet suitable for prototyping, important conclusions have been drawn as the basis for further improvements.
Industrial partners in the fashion and automotive industry have helped in the definition of material requirements and are providing continuous feedback on the prototypes produced. Preliminary tests have been conducted on raw mycelium materials; future tests will be performed according to the progress made in the definition of suitable transformation protocols.
Raw mycelium fabrics have been evaluated for biodegradability, and the basis has been set for the implementation of the Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis. A virtual model of the factory is at its early stages, including all processes that will be developed during the project.
The exploitation and communication plan is following step by step the progress of the MY-FI project. The partners have been directly involved through workshops and questionnaires to define a strategy for the protection of Intellectual Property, outline the competitive landscape and prepare the final exploitation strategy.
The most significant results are shared through the MY-FI website, the social media channels, the newsletter, and the participation in conferences and events.
Stakeholders from different areas have been identified, and the first event will be held in 2022.
The dynamic liquid fermentation process has been optimized to increase biomass production and the tensile strength of the resultant material. Optimization tests show that the process is ready for upscaling, and preparations to move on to the 400 L scale are ongoing.
Materials obtained from the static liquid fermentation process have proved to be promising for transformation processes and applications in the fashion and automotive industries. The biofabrication protocols have been improved to increase the material thickness, reduce back part residues, increase process reproducibility, and produce larger materials. A pilot plant has been set up for the scale-up, employing bigger growing rooms and industrial equipment for blending and drying. Further steps are foreseen for the industrialization of the process.
In addition, the combination of mycelium biomass with recycled fabrics can get brand-new materials.
Thanks to the joint efforts and expertise of MY-FI partners, the materials can be transformed into semi-finished products. The focus has been on enhancing mycelium fibers' physical, aesthetical and functional properties. Crosslinking and treatments with biobased polymer dispersions have been applied to enhance mechanical performances; on the other hand, processing technologies for plasticizing and dyeing have been employed to improve aesthetic properties.
By combining the different treatments, a preliminary semi-finished material has been obtained. Even if it is not yet suitable for prototyping, important conclusions have been drawn as the basis for further improvements.
Industrial partners in the fashion and automotive industry have helped in the definition of material requirements and are providing continuous feedback on the prototypes produced. Preliminary tests have been conducted on raw mycelium materials; future tests will be performed according to the progress made in the definition of suitable transformation protocols.
Raw mycelium fabrics have been evaluated for biodegradability, and the basis has been set for the implementation of the Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis. A virtual model of the factory is at its early stages, including all processes that will be developed during the project.
The exploitation and communication plan is following step by step the progress of the MY-FI project. The partners have been directly involved through workshops and questionnaires to define a strategy for the protection of Intellectual Property, outline the competitive landscape and prepare the final exploitation strategy.
The most significant results are shared through the MY-FI website, the social media channels, the newsletter, and the participation in conferences and events.
Stakeholders from different areas have been identified, and the first event will be held in 2022.
MY-FI aims at bringing improvements at the socio-economical, environmental, scientific and industrial levels:
- Enabling bio-based textile value chains to become more resource efficient and circular, and reduce their CO2 and water footprint
- Reduce microplastic generation
- Increase the market share of biobased textiles
- Demonstrate solutions for the circular innovation of the whole EU innovative biobased textile system, building a shared vision and engaging stakeholders
- Deliver results allowing for efficient feedback into EU policymaking in research, innovation, and technology
- Raise awareness and create a better framework for systemic innovation and uptake of results through stakeholder engagement
MY-FI aims to integrate with future industry models and lead innovation. One of the project’s goals is to pave the way for a new textile industry where biofabrication is an established manufacturing technique aided by digital technologies.
Thanks to the MY-FI process, mycelium fabrics can be produced entirely in a single plant of limited size, providing companies with full control of the manufacturing process, to ensure higher quality standards, a minor environmental impact, transparency and local economic growth.
The desired outcome of MY-FI can be defined as follows:
- Reuse of textile and agroindustrial residues to create nonwoven materials
- Improved biofabrication protocols
- Upscale of the biofabrication and transformation processes
- Achieve a functional, performing, high-value biobased material with attractive potential for brands, designers and creators
- At least 2 patent applications
- Demonstrate the viability of mycelium fabrics in the fashion and automotive industry, increasing awareness about mycelium possibilities
- Assessment of environmental footprint and economic sustainability and providing ecolabelling
- Provide a tool for circularization of the textile value chain
- Enhance the creation of a biobased industry, rising the market demand for sustainable products and contributing to a regulatory framework for a circular economy
- Enabling bio-based textile value chains to become more resource efficient and circular, and reduce their CO2 and water footprint
- Reduce microplastic generation
- Increase the market share of biobased textiles
- Demonstrate solutions for the circular innovation of the whole EU innovative biobased textile system, building a shared vision and engaging stakeholders
- Deliver results allowing for efficient feedback into EU policymaking in research, innovation, and technology
- Raise awareness and create a better framework for systemic innovation and uptake of results through stakeholder engagement
MY-FI aims to integrate with future industry models and lead innovation. One of the project’s goals is to pave the way for a new textile industry where biofabrication is an established manufacturing technique aided by digital technologies.
Thanks to the MY-FI process, mycelium fabrics can be produced entirely in a single plant of limited size, providing companies with full control of the manufacturing process, to ensure higher quality standards, a minor environmental impact, transparency and local economic growth.
The desired outcome of MY-FI can be defined as follows:
- Reuse of textile and agroindustrial residues to create nonwoven materials
- Improved biofabrication protocols
- Upscale of the biofabrication and transformation processes
- Achieve a functional, performing, high-value biobased material with attractive potential for brands, designers and creators
- At least 2 patent applications
- Demonstrate the viability of mycelium fabrics in the fashion and automotive industry, increasing awareness about mycelium possibilities
- Assessment of environmental footprint and economic sustainability and providing ecolabelling
- Provide a tool for circularization of the textile value chain
- Enhance the creation of a biobased industry, rising the market demand for sustainable products and contributing to a regulatory framework for a circular economy