Research and Development
In 2024, the Lenzing Group focused its innovation activities to an even greater extent on customers’ specific requirements, and on the goal of implementing developments more rapidly. Technological and basic developments are combined within a central area, while product and product application developments are assigned to the commercial teams as separate groups. Lenzing also reorganized its Operational Service Group, which deals with continuous improvements, among other areas. These groups are closely networked and also work together with other teams such as the sustainability department in order to gradually strengthen Lenzing’s innovative capabilities.
Due to these organizational adaptations, key innovation indicators can only be compared with previous years to a limited extent. At the end of 2024, a total of 205 staff were engaged in the various innovation areas (compared with 222 employees at the end of 2023). Research and development expenditures calculated according to the Frascati method (less grants received) amounted to EUR 30.4 mn (compared with EUR 31.6 mn in 2023). Lenzing’s products and technologies were protected by 1,114 patents and patent applications (from 144 patent families) in 46 countries and organizations as of the end of 2024.
Focus areas in 2024
In addition to the clear focus on customers and consumers, sustainability is a key guiding principle for all of the Lenzing Group’s innovation activities, including process and product development, with a special focus on decarbonization and the circular economy. Almost all of the development projects reflect key aspects of environmental sustainability and support the ambitious target of net zero by 2050. These especially include projects to close production cycles and reduce wastewater emissions, as well as to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Lenzing has been increasingly active at the European level in recent years and has been involved in several successful project submissions. Lenzing is a partner in a total of four research projects funded by the European Union. Lenzing is one of the main partners in the CELLFIL project, which was launched in 2024 and addresses the production of lyocell filaments and their applications. The company is also involved in the LIFE-TREATS (textile recycling), CISUTAC (textile sustainability), and ESCIB (new methods for sustainability assessment) projects.
In 2024, Lenzing also continued to advance the textile recycling topic, particularly in cooperation with its partners. The partnership with Swedish pulp producer Södra, which is focusing intensively on developing the recycling of used textiles and the construction of a pilot plant, features as a flagship project in the textile recycling area (including as part of the LIFE-TREATS project). Moreover, various recycled pulps were evaluated and tested for their usability in fiber production during the reporting year.
The innovation areas also supported the Lenzing Group’s performance program in the reporting year. Activities that show positive short-term effects focus on saving energy and resources and on enhancing plant efficiency.
The acquisition of a minority interest in Swedish cellulosic fiber company TreeToTextile AB represented a further highlight in the innovation area. Lenzing joined existing investors H&M Group, Inter IKEA Group, Stora Enso, and LSCS Invest. TreeToTextile was founded in 2014 as a joint venture to develop a more sustainable process for cellulosic fiber production. The company has been operating pilot plants since 2015, and invested in a demo plant in 2021. The next step will be to scale up production. The closing of this transaction occurred in February 2025.
Further information and key figures about “Sustainable innovations” can be found in the non-financial statement in the Annual and Sustainability Report.