Image by NTX

10 July 2024

Can you tell us about NTX, how it started, and what the organisation does?

NTX® began over 20 years ago as a research consulting company focused on sustainable textile solutions and has since evolved into a full-service provider of eco-friendly textile technologies. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices through innovative processes like NTX® Cooltrans®, the first technology of its kind that is scalable and sustainable both environmentally and economically. We collaborate with textile manufacturers, brands, and innovation centers to integrate our technologies into the industry, helping our partners achieve their sustainability goals without compromising on quality or efficiency.

What problem is your innovation solving and how does the technology work?  

Our key innovation, NTX® Cooltrans®, addresses the significant environmental impact and inefficiencies associated with traditional textile coloration methods. By drastically reducing water usage by up to 90%, dye usage by 40%, and energy consumption by 65%, our technology provides a more sustainable solution for textile production. Unlike conventional dyeing methods that require high temperatures and harmful chemicals, NTX Cooltrans® uses precise and accurate colorization without heat, making it ideal for a full spectrum of fabrics. This not only enhances fabric quality and color fastness but also creates safer, more comfortable workplaces. 

NTX® Cooltrans® is a printing technology that enables ultra-fast production methodology and is modular, allowing it to be easily deployed and integrated into textile manufacturing sites. These factors give manufacturers the ability to react faster to market demand, lower excess inventory throughout the supply chain, and bring manufacturing on demand closer to reality. By integrating NTX® Cooltrans® into production lines, brands can streamline operations, reduce turnaround times, and better respond to market trends, all while supporting the Industry 4.0 production model to optimize inventory and reduce costs. Third-party certifications, such as the Higg Index and Bluesign® system partnership, attest to our commitment to sustainability and quality.

What have been the biggest successes so far? 

One of our biggest successes has been becoming a supply chain partner to a major apparel brand in 2022. By adopting NTX® Cooltrans® over traditional coloration methods, this brand alone has eliminated millions of gallons of water usage and hundreds of megawatts of energy consumption. Additionally, we’ve successfully expanded the application capabilities of NTX® Cooltrans® to some of the most resource-intensive apparel items, such as creating NTX® ECO-Denim jeans. This demonstrates our technology’s versatility and effectiveness in significantly reducing environmental impact.

What role does collaboration play in bringing innovations to scale? 

Collaboration with all our stakeholders is critical to our success. It takes the trust and capital investment of our manufacturing partners to roll out the infrastructure and jointly make our technology available to brands. Similarly, the trust and open-minded approach of our brand partners are essential to bring textiles that use our coloration technology to market. Working with accelerators like FFG exposes us to new opportunities and provides a broader view of the entire industry. In return, we’re able to offer solutions that other FFG partners are seeking to complete their sustainability offerings. These collaborative efforts ensure that our innovations are effectively scaled and integrated into the textile industry, driving meaningful progress towards sustainability.

How has Fashion for Good played a role in your journey so far?

Fashion for Good has played a crucial role in our journey by providing us with greater visibility into the industry’s needs and challenges. Their platform has given our technology more exposure to key industry players, facilitating valuable partnerships and collaborations. Through Fashion for Good, we’ve been able to connect with like-minded organizations and individuals who share our vision for sustainability, further amplifying the impact of our innovations. This exposure and networking have been instrumental in advancing our mission and scaling our sustainable solutions within the textile industry. 

Fashion for Good is an invaluable platform not just for stakeholders but for the entire industry. It fosters collaboration and facilitates connections, bringing innovative solutions to the forefront. An example of this is their promotion of innovators like CIRC, the company behind breakthrough textile recycling technology that is making significant impacts in the industry. By connecting disruptive innovators with brand partners and serving as a hub of knowledge and experimentation, Fashion for Good empowers its network to drive change towards a regenerative industry.

What’s next for you? 

Next, we aim to scale our technology further both geographically and in terms of applications. By expanding the capabilities of NTX® Cooltrans® through the use of the latest technologies like NTX® Ai for textile design and production planning, we can enhance our impact and efficiency. Additionally, our NTX® Cooltrans® technology is unique in its ability to accelerate local-to-local manufacturing. We achieve this through NTX® Bridges, our US-based innovation center that brings together academia, brands, and manufacturers to reinvent how the textile business operates. One key outcome is bringing apparel production closer to consumers. This transformation of the supply chain will improve speed to market and overall efficiency, ultimately revolutionizing the textile industry.