Lycra opens R&D center in China

The Lycra Company is opening a new research and development laboratory in Nanhai, China, today. Named ‘Advanced Textile Innovation Center’ (ATIC), it is the company’s fourth facility of this kind. The goal is to integrate science with apparel market research in order to help Asian mills, brands and retailers, as well as Western companies with local sourcing offices, to create innovative fabrics and garments using Lycra’s fibers.

“Developing groundbreaking innovations and creating new garment categories are part of our company’s heritage and critical to our success going forward”, said Lycra’s Chief Technology Officer, Bob Kirkwood, in a statement.

Spanning over 4,500 square meters, the new laboratory features commercial equipment to simulate “real world” manufacturing processes such as knitting, weaving, dyeing and finishing. It also has garment engineering, fabric certification and analytical testing tools.

Founded in 1958 in Wilmington, Delaware, Lycra currently operates in 14 countries and has over 1,000 patents and 2,300 registered trademarks. In addition to the four R&D labs, the company owns eight manufacturing facilities.