HeiQ, Switzerland-based textile technology innovator have teamed up with Patagonia a sustainable outdoor clothing brand for an exclusive strategic research partnership to explore new ways for a sustainable textile finishing technology to achieve breathable and durable water repellence (DWR) with best-in-class performances.

Patagonia widely recognized as a global leader in corporate, social and environmental responsibility was recently awarded the Accenture Strategy Award for Circular Economy Multinational among 230 applicants at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) in recognition of its accomplishment in reducing waste in its production processes and products.

Recently there have been numerous human health and environmental studies quantifying the hazardous impacts of perfluorinated chemistries (PFCs) and some brands in the outdoor industry have begun to switch to currently available first-generation non-fluorinated DWRs.

Among HeiQ’s product portfolio, there are already several industry-leading fluorine-free DWR technologies, including HeiQ’s enormously successful HeiQ Eco Dry product.

To date, there remains a lot to be explored in DWR effects in the areas of non-fluorinated water, stain and oil repellency performance. According to a survey conducted by HeiQ Textile Market Knowledge Centre with 40 outdoor, apparel and fashion brands in August 2016, 56 percent of the respondents expressed a need to learn more regarding the DWR performance function.

For decades, Patagonia has been leading the industry towards building high-performance products with the vision to a greener and more sustainable future for environment. A central component to Patagonia’s material innovation strategy is to minimize the proliferation of toxic chemistries.

Matt Dwyer, director of material innovation and development at Patagonia said that shattering the status quo for DWR is of paramount importance to Patagonia. However, they will not be successful unless they also achieve the quality and performance that their customers demand, a calculated partnership is a key means of doing so.

HeiQ is a natural partner in its ability to conduct world class research while commercializing high performing, sustainable textile finishes and they believe that together they can find a solution.

At HeiQ, they carefully choose their brand partners before initiating a cooperative research project to ensure that the joint effort is going to create the highest value possible for both parties, and more importantly, for consumers, said Colin Lantz, vice president of HeiQ Brandforce.

The basis for Patagonia and HeiQ partnership is that they share the same vision that technology can perfect their every-day textile products.