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6. November 2020 / DNFI Award 2020: Dr Noureddine Abidi Honored During Award Ceremony

DNFI LogoDr Noureddine Abidi, Professor and Director, Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI), Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA, was honored during an Award Ceremony conducted by the Discover Natural Fibres Initiative (DNFI) on October 30, 2020 on the campus at Texas Tech. Dr Terry Townsend, Chair of the DNFI Award Committee, handed the award trophy to Dr Abidi.

As reported before (see Bremen Cotton Report of October 22) Dr Abidi won the 2020 DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibres Research Award for developing a process to produce a substitute for oil-based plastic from cotton by dissolving the fibres to form a gel which can be transformed into bioproducts, including plastic films. This technology can be developed as an inexpensive alternative to petroleum-based plastics, providing a solution to plastic accumulation in the environment.

The Ceremony was overseen virtually by the Chair of DNFI, Ms Elke Hortmeyer, Director of International Relations and Communications, Bremer Baumwollbörse, Bremen, Germany. Ms Elke Hortmeyer noted that the Innovation Award emphasizes the great importance of natural fibres and their impressive possibilities. “The Award promotes the development of new products, components and applications using natural fibres, as well as new processes for the manufacture of environmentally friendly products. The DNFI Innovation Award recognises not only the innovations themselves, but also the people and institutions responsible for them, with the goal of raising public awareness of the achievements of the natural fibre sector as a whole. This applies to this year’s award winner in particular”, said Ms Hortmeyer.

Other virtual participants included Ms Dalena White, Secretary General of the International Wool Textile Organization, Brussels, in her function as second chair of the DNFI as well as Mr Stefan Schmidt, Director Department of Technical Textiles, the German industry association IVGT (Industrieverband Veredlung – Garne – Gewebe – Technische Textilien e. V.), Frankfurt and Dr Christian Schindler, Director General of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation, Zurich.

The Award Ceremony was attended in person by Dr William Brown, Dr Glen Ritchie and Dr Eric Hequet as leading scientists at the Texas Tech University. Dr Dean Ethridge, retired as Director of FBRI, and representatives from the cotton industry were also able to attend.

More information: www.dnfi.org

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