STYLEPARK TEXPERTISE
Rethinking production

Anna Moldenhauer: You are a professor of textile finishing and ecology at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and also head the Research Institute for Textiles and Clothing. Can you explain what your current teaching and research focuses are?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: The research institute was founded in 2009 in response to the Bologna Process, when German universities converted their diploma programs to bachelor's and master's programs. Since master's programs are intended to prepare students more intensively for research and development, we wanted to create a structure at our university of applied sciences that would enable academic further qualification. The institute thus initially arose from teaching. Early on, there was a clear need for research, development, and, above all, transfer—especially in the small and medium-sized enterprises of our textile industry. Until then, many companies had no access to practical research, as basic research was mainly carried out at universities. The originally teaching-oriented idea therefore developed into an institution that strongly addresses the needs of industry. Today, around 60 people work at the institute. A major advantage is that our students are closely involved. In addition to textile and clothing engineers, researchers from the disciplines of chemistry, biology, physics, marketing, and logistics work with us – an enrichment for the entire teaching program. Students can write research and theses and, if they perform well, even earn some extra money as assistants. It's a real win-win situation.

What motivates students to choose this field of study?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: Many have a keen interest in fashion and textiles—often combined with the desire to start their own label or work in an aesthetically demanding industry. The interesting combination of material aesthetics, quality, technical science, and social factors plays a major role in this. Other students come from regions with a strong textile background and are familiar with local companies. They are particularly interested in technical textiles and want to develop innovative products – less so in classic fashion and home textiles.

Textilfabrik 7.0 recently received significant funding from the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. What is this about?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: Textilfabrik 7.0 is a transfer center that aims to further develop research results that have not yet made their way into industry and make them marketable. Many good ideas only make it as far as scientific publications and are not implemented. Our goal is to specifically promote these approaches and translate them into concrete products and processes. To this end, we want to encourage start-ups to use the center, but also motivate established companies to spin off. The overarching goal is to create new jobs through an innovative, sustainable, and strengthened textile and clothing industry.

What are the biggest challenges for a sustainable textile supply chain?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: The central problem in the fashion industry is overproduction. If we could reduce this, it would be a huge step forward for sustainability. However, the global supply chains that have emerged in recent decades systematically encourage this: for safety reasons, disproportionate quantities are ordered to avoid supply bottlenecks. This means that overproduction is practically a given. Added to this is the great geographical distance: many companies have no direct insight into production conditions or environmental impacts. For consumers, much of this remains invisible. With the Green Deal, the EU pursued very ambitious goals – from lower-emission production to a circular economy and durable products. Currently, individual goals are being watered down so as not to overburden industry. I now tend to refer to it as a “Lean Deal.” Nevertheless, important impulses are emerging, for example for quality, durable products, and recycled raw materials. At Textile Factory 7.0, we want to demonstrate functioning cycles, work on biotechnological raw materials, and address the issue of microplastics, among other things. An important component will be on-demand production – linked to microfactory engineering, automation, and AI. Agile, regional, or national production units could counteract overproduction. However, this is ambitious in view of advancing globalization.

How do you view the European situation in an international context?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: Europe sets important standards and can exert global influence through norms. But we should be realistic about our role: China dominates the textile value chain, especially in fibers, and can therefore dictate prices. Europe has relinquished its technological leadership and is now predominantly a consumer, no longer a producer. This means that many European initiatives have only a limited international impact. At the same time, pressure from Asian direct sales is increasing. It is therefore crucial to strengthen European production and promote innovation in a targeted manner. This is particularly important in areas where Germany and Europe as a whole are still strong, namely in the technical textiles product segment.

How do you rate tools that analyze and prioritize risks along the supply chain?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: Sustainability reporting introduced materiality analysis, which assesses environmental and social risks along the entire value chain and, when applied consistently, can protect companies. This is reminiscent of the introduction of quality management in the 1980s: it was very costly, but effectively led to structural improvements. The difference is that while in the past it was possible to check and assess many things within one's own company, today's textile supply chain is global and complex. Nevertheless, this analysis remains a key step in making companies more resilient.

Why do many sustainable materials – such as textiles made from banana leaves or mushrooms – never make it beyond the laboratory stage?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: There is definitely movement: bast fibers from leaves or stems now account for six to seven percent of the market share. Nevertheless, the new materials are often more difficult to obtain and process, more expensive, and not as high-performance as cotton or polyester. In addition, there is a lack of functioning supply chains. Even though the market for sustainably grown cotton is growing, other alternative fibers are currently a niche segment that initially requires a high level of investment in technology and processes.

As chair of the board of trustees of the Wilhelm Morch Foundation, you support young talent. Have there been any projects that have surprised you?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: The great diversity is particularly impressive. In addition to fashion-related work, there are many technical approaches and significant advances in virtual product development. It is also interesting to see how many entries come from outside the field ­– from business administration, architecture, biology, or art. This shows the appeal of the textile industry. The enthusiasm and high level of competence of the applicants is, of course, a joy every year. This is not surprising, because if you want to achieve something and be among the best in the country, you have to “give it your all.” That has always been the case and will probably remain so.

What are you currently working on?

Prof. Dr. Maike Rabe: The biggest project at the moment is Textile Factory 7.0. At the same time, I am working on integrating sustainability and sustainability management more strongly into teaching – always in conjunction with basic technical knowledge. Without technical understanding, sustainability cannot be managed effectively. We are also increasingly promoting start-up ideas from the student body. On the research side, my focus is on chemical recycling and bio-based polymers – fibers that are made from waste and produced using biotechnological processes. For me, these are key topics for the future.