Performance textiles have traditionally forced brands to navigate trade-offs between technical performance, complex material constructions and the transition to more sustainable materials. A new material development from Finnish green-tech company Brightplus brings together complementary bio-based technologies to explore another way forward. By eliminating the need for a separate adhesive layer, the concept opens up new possibilities for simpler, more sustainable performance textile constructions.

Two bio-based technologies. One performance fabric.

At the heart of the development is simpler material construction. The BrightBio film is laminated directly onto the NovaPolyPEF textile, providing both the functional layer and bond without the need for a separate adhesive layer. This simplifies the construction from a conventional three-layer structure to two functional layers. The development brings renewable material innovation to both the textile substrate and its functional layer, while keeping the demanding functional and aesthetic requirements of performance textiles at the centre.

Rather than replacing only one component of a conventional textile construction, the concept brings together complementary technologies across different layers of the material. This approach offers new possibilities for textile manufacturers and brands seeking to simplify material constructions while increasing the use of renewable materials in high-performance applications.

Performance without compromise

BrightBio is a next-generation bio-based coating technology developed to provide an alternative to conventional fossil-based functional textile coatings while maintaining the performance required for demanding applications.

It uses certified renewable raw materials, including non-edible biomass side streams and captured CO2. The technology is designed as a drop-in solution compatible with existing textile production processes, enabling manufacturers to adopt the technology without major changes to their production lines.

The concept combines NovaPolyPEF, a 100% bio-based PEF (polyethylene furanoate) textile platform, with BrightBio, the bio-based functional lamination technology developed by Finnish green-tech company Brightplus. The new material concept will be presented at Performance Days in Munich on 13–14 October 2026.

BrightBio (Brightplus), Booth IN21I NovaPolyPEF, Booth IN22