The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) and the H&M Foundation have launched the Open Lab, a new initiative aimed at promoting sustainable practices in the textile and fashion industries. The mission of Open Lab is to connect laboratory innovations with large-scale industry applications, offering practical solutions to combat climate change.

Open Lab's goal is to support HKRITA’s research while also becoming a center for applied solutions that can scale up to industrial levels, helping tackle the issues related to climate change. Credit for this initiative goes to the H&M Foundation.

This 6,000-square-meter facility has two main sections: the Pilot Plant and the Fashion Future Lab. The Pilot Plant includes a complete upcycling system, featuring advanced technologies like an AI-powered smart garment sorting system and the Green Machine 2.0, which can process up to one ton of PET-cotton blended textiles per day.

On the other hand, the Fashion Future Lab focuses on early-stage innovations, such as the “Farm-to-Garment” project, which combines growing cotton using hydroponics with processing yarn and knitting garments.

Open Lab also manages a database of over 80 sustainable projects developed by HKRITA. By turning lab-based research into practical industry solutions, Open Lab aims to promote a circular economy in the industry. These solutions are available for licensing at a minimal cost to ensure widespread use.