Vietnam’s textile industry is on the verge of a major shift. ABB, the global engineering giant, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Swedish startup Syre to explore technologies for the country’s first textile-to-textile recycling plant, Indian Chemical News reports.
The planned facility in Gia Lai province will turn used textiles and industrial polyester waste into new polyester material. Polyester is one of the world’s most widely used fibers, but it is typically fossil-based. Recycling it can cut emissions and keep materials in circulation.
The partnership brings together industrial know-how and new recycling ambitions. ABB will assess how its automation, electrification, and digital solutions can support efficient and scalable operations. Syre will focus on producing circular polyester at industrial scale.
“This agreement reflects ABB’s role in supporting emerging industrial applications where automation and electrification can enable greater resource efficiency,” said Wilson Monteiro, Global Business Line Manager at ABB.
For Syre, the project is about turning a complex idea into reality. CEO Dennis Nobelius points to the challenge of scaling textile recycling and the need for strong industrial partners.
“Industrializing textile-to-textile recycling is a complex undertaking. Partnering with ABB brings the expertise and execution capability needed to make full industrial deployment possible.”
