The LYCRA Company Announces Collaboration With Qore® to Use QIRA® for Next Generation Bio-derived LYCRA® Fiber at Scale
The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative fiber and technology solutions for the textile and apparel industry, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Qore® to enable the world’s first large-scale commercial production of bio-derived spandex using QIRA®, the next generation 1,4-butanediol (BDO), as one of its main ingredients. This will result in 70% of the LYCRA® fiber content being derived from annually renewable feedstock. This change could potentially reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber by up to 44%* versus equivalent product made from fossil-based resources, while maintaining the same high-quality performance parameters of traditional LYCRA® fiber.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005020/en/
The LYCRA Company signs an agreement with Qore® LLC to enable large-scale production of bio-derived spandex. Pictured – Julien Born, CEO of The LYCRA Company (left), and Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore® LLC (right), at The LYCRA Company’s headquarters in Wilmington, DE, USA. (Photo: Business Wire)
QIRA® will be produced at Cargill’s biotechnology campus and corn refining operation in Eddyville, Iowa. The facility, which is currently being built, will commence operations in 2024. The first renewable LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA® will be produced at The LYCRA Company’s Tuas, Singapore manufacturing site in 2024. The LYCRA Company is currently seeking commitments with brand and retail customers who are pursuing bio-derived solutions for their apparel.
“As part of our sustainability goals, we are committed to delivering products that support a more circular economy while helping our apparel and personal care customers reduce their footprint,” said Julien Born, CEO of The LYCRA Company. “We are especially pleased to collaborate with Qore®, a company that shares our vision for innovative, sustainable solutions. Their expertise in operating fermentation processes and understanding of the chemical value chains makes them the ideal partner to help develop a bio-derived LYCRA® fiber at commercial scale.”
“We are proud to partner with The LYCRA Company on bringing this sustainable material solution to the market. This collaboration demonstrates that QIRA® directly replaces conventional BDO and thus significantly improves the fiber’s sustainability profile,” said Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore®. “QIRA® is an innovative platform chemical that can be used in various applications across industries.”
The first generation of renewable LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA® will use feedstock from field corn grown by Iowa farmers and will enable a significant reduction in CO2 footprint. In addition to replacing a finite resource with an annually renewable one, another benefit for mills, brands and retailers is that there is no change in fiber performance, eliminating the need for any re-engineering of fabrics, patterns, or processes. Equivalent performance was demonstrated in 2014 when the world’s first bio-derived spandex was launched under the LYCRA® brand. The LYCRA Company has since been granted a patent for the process used to make renewable elastane from bio-derived BDO.
For additional information on renewable LYCRA® fiber, The LYCRA Company and Qore® invite interested parties to contact The LYCRA Company sales representatives.
*Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA® fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll US Consulting, Inc.
About The LYCRA Company
The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its innovative products, technical expertise, sustainable solutions, and unmatched marketing support. The LYCRA Company owns leading consumer and trade brands: LYCRA®, LYCRA HyFit®, LYCRA® T400®, COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX®, and TACTEL®. The LYCRA Company’s legacy stretches back to 1958 with the invention of the original spandex yarn, LYCRA® fiber. Today, The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers’ products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumer’s need for comfort and lasting performance. For more information, visit www.thelycracompany.com.
LYCRA® is a trademark of The LYCRA Company.
About Qore® LLC
Formed through a joint venture by Cargill and HELM, Qore® will help leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-derived intermediates. At the heart of the joint venture is the production of QIRA®, the next-generation bio-derived 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA® can save up to 93% of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing today’s widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. Bio-derived QIRA® can be used the same way as its fossil counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance.
For more information, visit www.myqira.com.
Qore® and QIRA® are trademarks of Qore® LLC.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220928005020/en/
Contact information
Karie J. Ford karie.j.ford@Lycra.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
GigaDevice Launches GD25NX Series xSPI NOR Flash with Dual-Voltage Design25.11.2025 09:00:00 EET | Press release
GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, today announced the launch of its new generation of high-performance dual-voltage xSPI NOR Flash products – the GD25NX series. Featuring a 1.8 V core and 1.2 V I/O design, the GD25NX series connects directly to 1.2 V system on chips (SoCs) without an external booster circuit, significantly reducing system power consumption and BOM cost. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124814328/en/ Building on the success of the 1.2 V I/O GD25NF and GD25NE series, the new GD25NX further extends GigaDevice’s expertise in dual-voltage Flash design. With high-speed data transfer performance and outstanding reliability, the GD25NX series is ideal for demanding applications such as wearables, data centers, edge AI, and automotive electronics that require exceptional stability, responsiveness, an
Friendly Fraud Expected to Increase by 25% Between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, Warns ACI Worldwide25.11.2025 09:00:00 EET | Press release
'Friendly fraud’ is expected to increase by 25% between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, according to an analysis of billions of transactions of global eCommerce businesses by ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), an original innovator in global payments technology. ‘Friendly fraud’ or ‘return fraud’ occurs when legitimate customers dispute transactions post-purchase. Often mistaken for true fraud, these disputes are a growing industry challenge and cost retailers $103 billion in 2024 alone, according to a recent industry report. The average transaction value for a ‘friendly fraud’ item during this year’s holiday season is expected to reach $291, $52 higher than during the same period last year, representing a 21% YoY increase. “These numbers are staggering and show just how bold consumers have become,” said Erika Dietrich, VP Analytics & Optimization Payments Intelligence, ACI Worldwide. “Over the past several years, refund abuse and friendly fraud have surged, driven by frictionless eCommerce
Ant International’s WorldFirst launches Enterprise Solution to Power Enterprises Global Growth25.11.2025 05:59:00 EET | Press release
WorldFirst, Ant International’s global account service provider, has launched an API-integrated and AI-driven solution tailored to global enterprises It leverages WorldFirst's unified global account, full-range financial services, and AI capabilities such as smarter treasury management to help streamline global funds distribution, unlock new revenue streams, and strengthen customer relationships. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124796928/en/ WorldFirst CEO Clara Shi unveiled the new enterprise solution at Ant International’s Global Voyage Event in Singapore McKinsey research predicts that within six years, digital platforms will facilitate over 30%—about $60 trillion—of global economic activity. Yet as enterprises operate digitally and expand globally, they face critical financial obstacles: inefficient payments, high costs, compliance complexity, and fragmented customer experience—all creating friction tha
Original “Titanic Cherub” From James Cameron’s Epic Film Heads to Auction December 9 & 1024.11.2025 22:48:00 EET | Press release
One of the most recognizable and beloved set pieces from James Cameron’s Titanic heads to auction on December 9 &10 —the original Grand Staircase Cherub, seen in multiple scenes of the 1997 blockbuster, including the pivotal moment when Jack and Rose meet in front of the First Class Dining Room and the climactic moment when the Atlantic Ocean bursts through the skylight and floods the staircase, and cherub. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124056883/en/ The iconic “cherub” with Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet in James Cameron’s “TITANIC”. The ornate fixture—crafted for the full-scale recreation of Titanic’s Grand Staircase—was gifted by the production to Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Global Entertainment, whose immersive exhibitions have brought the world’s most famous ship to millions of fans. It now resurfaces as a rare offering in Heritage Auctions’ Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Signature Auction (Sale
Access Advance Announces Major Growth in Its HEVC and VVC Patent Pools24.11.2025 17:10:00 EET | Press release
Access Advance LLC today announced significant expansions of both its HEVC Advance and VVC Advance Patent Pools during the second and third quarters of 2025, underscoring continued industry confidence in the company's balanced and transparent approach to video codec licensing. This growth follows the successful January 2025 launch of Access Advance's Video Distribution Patent ("VDP") Pool, demonstrating the company's expanding role in comprehensive video codec patent licensing solutions. Among the many highlights, Sharp Corporation joined the HEVC Advance Patent Pool as a Licensor, bringing valuable intellectual property assets to the pool's already extensive patent portfolio. Additionally, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., already an HEVC Advance Licensor and Licensee, expanded its collaboration with Access Advance by joining the VVC Advance Patent Pool as a Licensee. HP Inc. also expanded its license to include the VVC Advance Patent Pool after previously joining HEVC Advance in 2024, w
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom