Expansion of Schoeller Textil's new subsidiary

18 Feb '12

3 min read

Holistic health is a mega trend and has become a key economic factor for many branches and companies. Schoeller Textil AG is also expanding its range in response to new demands and expansion opportunities. Clearly signaling the strategic expansion of the Swiss company into the fast-growing health market are such developments as the Swiss Technology Award-winning iLoad fabric and a range of incontinence underwear.

In March 2002, Schoeller-CEO Hans-Jürgen Hübner first presented his textile vision for a “mega health market” before a trade public in Taiwan. Ten years and numerous R&D projects later, the vision has become reality. “With our developments, we are moving ever-closer to the cosmetic and medical areas.”

For that reason, we have developed a new company that now concentrates solely on activities of this kind. is how Hübner, CEO of Schoeller Medical AG, explained the establishment of the new company last year. The first ready-for-market product is a range of underwear addressing the incontinence area.

The latest subsidiary of the Swiss Schoeller Textil group is starting its sales activities with a customized e-shop. Schoeller Medical AG aims its range primarily towards active, discerning consumers experiencing light to medium incontinence. For the first time in its long history, the Sevelen based company is now also offering a consumer product.

“Our incontinence line is called functionMED. With this brand, we are combining the sustainable functional expertise of the textile specialists, Schoeller, with the specific demands made of a medical product,” explains Beatrice Gille, COO of Schoeller Medical AG. The underwear not only looks fashionable and offers excellent wearer comfort, it also provides protection from unpleasant odors and, in combination with a specially-tailored functionMED pad, a high level of leakage protection. With both options, the high-tech material is highly breathable and ensures an ideal body climate.

This first consumer product will be followed by an innovation with the name iLoad. This is a textile carrier material that can be individual loaded with beneficial and therapeutic substances, and recharged. “The foundation of this project has been laid, now we have to examine and expand on possible application techniques,” explains Hübner. To this end, Schoeller has, among other measures, acquired a laboratory with first-class research and analyses apparatus for chemical synthesis and analysis and for microbiological testing.

“The future market for cosmetotextiles – i.e. for the integration of cosmetics into textiles, generally on the basis of micro capsules – is estimated to be around 500 million euro. We want to be part of that,” adds Hübner. The technological approach for the iLoad textiles geared to this area is considered highly innovative, which is why Schoeller received the Swiss Technology Award for it in November 2011.

The Schoeller e-shop is online with immediate effect and looks forward to greeting visitors from Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

Schoeller Textil AG

More Schoeller Technologies AG News... More Textiles News - Switzerland...