Yarn production

The "Yarn production" product group includes the preparation and the production of:

  • filaments (from polyester PES and polyamide PA),
  • fibres and yarns of polyamide PA,
  • polyester PES,
  • polypropylene PP...,
  • yarns (pure and blended) of cotton, wool, linen...

Besides independent spinning mills, there are also a number of integrated spinning mills (which are part of a textile company group and in that context produce yarn for its own weaving mills).

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Yarns are an indispensable stage in the textile value chain. Specialism and sustainability are its strengths.

Specialist niche

Across the Belgian textile industry, spinning is a small but specialist niche with a share of around 2%. Yarns are produced either by independent spinning mills, or integrated spinning mills (which are part of a textile company group and which produce yarn for its own weaving mills). Cotton-type spinning mills are the largest group in the total yarn production in Belgium (excluding extrusion). Yarns are an indispensable stage in the textile value chain. The main fibres used are cotton and polyester, although a wide range of synthetic yarns are also produced.

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Focus on the circular economy

The development of the circular economy is also increasingly coming to the fore in yarn production. Both to become more independent in terms of fibre supply and to use fewer primary raw materials, the circular economy is on the rise. Customers, both in the private market and governments as well as consumers, are pushing towards ecological and sustainable products. Still, recycling old textile materials into new fibres that can be re-spun remains a major challenge. Above all, it is no easy task to end up with at least as high-quality fibres, such that we can speak of a truly circular economy in textiles. The research and development of e.g. recycling of textile waste is progressing, and is already succeeding in the case of production waste (reasonably 'homogeneous'), but post-consumer textile waste is far more difficult. The input from the Centexbel textile technology centre is indispensable here.

Research into spinning 'new fibres' is also in full swing. One example is the research into the use of hemp fibres. This fibre has some great ecological assets. Among others, Hogent's FTiLab+ is actively involved in this research.

And during this whole ecological transformation process, Belgian yarn producers must also remain competitive against yarn suppliers such as Turkey and China, which do not follow the same rules of the game.

Key figures
Key figures 4
Number of employees 185
Turnover (in million EUR) n.b.
Exported quota 60 %
Activity evolution in 2014 (in volume) +9,3 %
Share in the total added value of the Belgian textile sector 2 %

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Kris Van Peteghem

Kris Van Peteghem

Clothing Textiles and Spinning Advisor