1. General Overview
a. What was the primary vision behind establishing Open Lab, and how does it seek to drive change within the textile and fashion industries?
Open Lab, a pioneering initiative by HKRITA and the H&M Foundation, aims to transform the fashion and textile industry in the fight against climate change through rapid innovation, impactful inspiration, and scalable collaboration. Our approach is threefold: showcasing sustainable solutions at scale, fostering a collaborative platform for industry-wide partnerships, and contributing to problem-solving and resource optimization, thereby driving the industry toward a sustainable future.
Open Lab serves as a central hub, connecting stakeholders across the supply chain with the shared goal of advancing toward a “planet-positive” future. By promoting collaboration, we harness diverse expertise and resources to address the pressing challenges of climate change. We also plan to host activities such as site visits, collaborative trials, sharing sessions, workshops, and conferences to share our research findings and inspire further innovation.
2. Physical Infrastructure
a. What are the advantages of having a dedicated R&D space like Open Lab for scaling up sustainable solutions in the fashion industry?
A dedicated R&D space like Open Lab offers significant advantages for advancing sustainable solutions in the fashion industry. The physical Open Lab houses both a Pilot Plant and a Fashion Future Lab, each designed to support innovation and scalability. 
Open Lab provides a critical platform for advancing scalable sustainable solutions in fashion. Its Pilot Plant is an industrial-scale upcycling line that enables real-world demonstrations and technology trials. With an AI-powered garment sorting system and the Green Machine 2.0, which recycles PET-cotton blends at a rate of 1 ton per day, the plant illustrates the feasibility and benefits of circular production, inspiring wider industry adoption.
The Fashion Future Lab supports early-stage innovations with a flexible, modular design, allowing for rapid, scalable development. Its “Farm-to-Garment” project, which includes hydroponic cotton cultivation and garment knitting, embodies sustainable, adaptable production.
By sharing these research outcomes, Open Lab promotes collective industry action on climate change. Through collaboration and innovation, it aims to reduce the industry’s environmental impact and empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.
3. A. Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
a. Could you share examples of projects or initiatives that directly align with these SDGs?
At Open Lab, several key technologies directly contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to water, innovation, responsible consumption, and production.
For instance, our AI-powered smart garment sorting system aids recycling efforts by categorizing used garments by type, structure, material, and colour, improving efficiency and material recovery. The Green Machine further supports circularity by decomposing cotton into cellulose powder and recovering separated polyester fibres for reuse, using water, heat, and minimal biodegradable chemicals.
We also have Acousweep, an acoustic wave technology that separates microplastic fibres during water treatment, reducing pollution. Additionally, our vertical hydroponic cultivation initiative grows extra-long-staple cotton while optimizing water, fertilizer, and space usage, directly supporting sustainable agriculture goals.
These projects underscore our commitment to sustainable innovation, enhancing responsible production practices that align with the SDGs.
B. Approach and Core Activities
a. Open Lab focuses on developing agile solutions to address climate change. Can you elaborate on the specific types of innovations you are currently showcasing?
At Open Lab, we are showcasing several cutting-edge technologies designed to address climate change within the fashion and textile industry. Our AI-powered smart garment sorting system enhances recycling by efficiently sorting used garments by type, structure, material, and color, streamlining the recycling process.
The Green Machine decomposes cotton into cellulose powder and recovers separated polyester fibers for reuse, utilizing water, heat, and less than 15% biodegradable chemicals—demonstrating a sustainable method for textile recycling. We also use Acousweep, which employs acoustic waves to separate microplastic fibers during water treatment, helping to reduce water pollution.
Additionally, our vertical hydroponic cultivation system enables the growth of extra-long staple cotton with optimized use of water, fertilizer, and space, supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing resource consumption. These innovations exemplify our commitment to scalable, sustainable solutions for climate resilience.
b. How do you engage different stakeholders across the industry’s value chain to foster collaboration and problem-solving?
To engage stakeholders across the industry, Open Lab employs several approaches. We organize regular visits, allowing stakeholders to see our innovative technologies and industry trials firsthand. We also collaborate with interested parties to conduct practical trials, demonstrating the real-world viability of our technologies.
Additionally, we hold sharing sessions, workshops, and conferences to disseminate research findings, creating a platform where talent can grow and industry experts can learn from one another. Our online presence—including our website, social media channels, and e-newsletters—further supports continuous communication and engagement.
For example, Open Lab has collaborated with ISS (facility services provider) and Redress (an environmental NGO). These organizations have contributed used uniforms and worn-out fashion items for recycling trials, which are currently in their initial stages. Through these partnerships, we’re fostering a collaborative environment that drives meaningful progress in sustainability.
C. Technological and Research Infrastructure
a. What types of technologies or research methodologies do you use to address resource optimization and environmental challenges in fashion production?
To tackle resource optimization and environmental challenges, we utilize a range of advanced technologies and research methodologies. Open Lab showcases over 80 sustainable projects developed by HKRITA, each designed to reduce resource consumption and environmental impact. These technologies, detailed on our website, include options for licensing by industry players, facilitating widespread adoption of sustainable practices.
For technologies still in the early stages, we co-develop with industry partners to scale them effectively. To assess impact, we conduct life cycle assessments on select projects, focusing on business viability, environmental sustainability, and social equity. By organizing events and outreach, we actively engage the industry, encouraging sustainable innovation in fashion production.
D. Physical Lab Facilities: Pilot Plant and Fashion Future Lab
1. Pilot Plant
a. How does the Pilot Plant’s industrial-scale demonstration inspire and encourage the adoption of circular practices within the broader industry?
The Pilot Plant demonstrates the feasibility of circular production through its advanced, industrial-scale recycling processes. At the heart of this facility is an AI-powered smart garment sorting system, which uses image analysis to sort used garments by type, structure, material, and colour with 90% accuracy. By automating sorting, it addresses a major bottleneck in the recycling business, speeding up processing and increasing efficiency.
Additionally, the Pilot Plant’s Green Machine treats cotton-polyester blends—a common textile material—by decomposing cotton into cellulose powder while separating polyester fibers. These fibres can then be re-spun into new yarn, and the cellulose powder can be converted into regenerated fibres or superabsorbent polymers for agriculture, forming a circular production system.
This setup not only demonstrates the practicality and benefits of circular processes but also serves as an inspiration for other industry players to adopt similar practices, ultimately fostering a more sustainable approach to textile production.
2. AI-Powered Smart Garment Sorting System
a. What potential do you see for scaling this technology in other parts of the fashion and textile industry?
Open Lab’s technology shows strong potential for scaling across the industry, particularly in handling post-consumer garments with diverse materials, construction, and colors. The AI-powered Smart Garment Sorting System can sort these varied materials to identify those suitable for further processing by the Green Machine.
The system’s flexible design allows it to be customized for specific business needs. It can operate as stand-alone units or be configured in various arrangements to handle specialized sorting tasks and operations. This adaptability enables the technology to be scaled across different industry segments, facilitating the widespread adoption of circular practices and contributing to a more sustainable future for fashion and textiles.
3. Green Machine 2.0
a. Could you share insights into how this technology is being received by industry partners, and its potential to revolutionize textile recycling?
The technology has garnered a positive reception from industry leaders, highlighting its potential to revolutionize textile recycling. By selectively decomposing cotton into cellulose powder and separating polyester fibres through a process using water, heat, and minimal biodegradable chemicals, it offers an efficient, eco-friendly solution for recycling blended fabrics.
This technology has already been licensed by notable industry players like ISKO, a leading denim producer, and Looptworks, a U.S.-based textile recycler. Such partnerships underscore the confidence in its scalability and impact, paving the way for a more sustainable and circular textile industry.
4. Fashion Future Lab
1. Modular & Dynamic Space
a. How do you foresee this space evolving to meet future sustainability challenges in fashion?
Our solution calculates energy savings by continuously monitoring energy consumption and performance metrics, allowing for precise analysis of efficiency improvements and operational adjustments. This data-driven approach has enabled our clients to achieve measurable impacts, such as reducing their energy consumption by up to 25%, significantly lowering their overall environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.
The modular design of Open Lab enables quick adjustments and responsiveness, making it well-suited to address evolving sustainability challenges in fashion. With this adaptability, Open Lab can pivot to meet shifting market demands and incorporate emerging technologies seamlessly.
Since its official launch in September, Open Lab’s Fashion Future Lab has already initiated the Farm-to-Garment project, a location-independent production line that spans hydroponic cotton cultivation to yarn processing and garment knitting. This project exemplifies how Open Lab is pioneering adaptable, sustainable production models, laying a foundation to tackle future challenges in resource use, waste reduction, and circularity within the fashion industry.
2. Farm-to-Garment Project
a. How does vertical hydroponic farming in this context contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of cotton cultivation?
The Farm-to-Garment project leverages vertical hydroponic farming to make cotton cultivation more sustainable. In a soilless, stacked system, plants are grown in controlled environments where nutrients are delivered directly to the roots through water, significantly reducing water consumption and minimizing fertilizer use.
This innovative model enables a streamlined supply chain, where cotton can be grown, harvested, processed into yarn, and knitted into garments in a single location. Being location-independent, this approach minimizes transportation needs, lowering the carbon footprint associated with moving raw materials.
The vertical farming system’s modular design allows it to scale flexibly based on demand, from small-batch production to industrial-scale manufacturing. It also enables urban and localized production, reducing reliance on rural agricultural land and bringing textile production closer to consumers. This all-in-one approach not only conserves resources but also cuts emissions, supporting a more sustainable future in fashion.
