NBI Hosts Local SME Innovate-UK Project Winner’s Dissemination Event

The Innovate-UK Dissemination Event came to the University's NBI building to present the iBiotech's project progress, offer workshops around material sustainability, and provide a stage for the fashion show before facilitating an opportunity to network. 

On Wednesday 15 November, the Innovate-UK Dissemination Event was hosted at the University's National Brownfield Institute (NBI) building by iBiotech LTd to showcase their 6-month project, funded by Innovate-UK under the Transformative Technologies grant scheme, which successfully achieved all milestones, meeting the criteria set forth by the award. As a culmination of the project, the dissemination event was held in the igloo at the University Springfield Campus within the NBI.

The event attracted a diverse audience, including company stakeholders, potential investors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), academics and University students. The event not only highlighted iBiotech's achievements but also created an environment conducive to raising awareness, fostering collaboration, and encouraging engagement in the realm of sustainable fashion.

Following an introduction by the NBI Manager, Janet Bailey, the event progressed with a presentation from the company founder detailing their journey and emphasizing the critical importance of mitigating plastic pollution. This segment of the proceedings underscored the significance of bio-leather as an alternative to conventional plastic-based “vegan leather”, highlighting a key point that many faux leathers, often incorporate plastics and are not home compostable at all.

Subsequently, Riina Õun, who just returned from teaching Biodesign workshops in Mexico City and Guadalajara, took the stage. She is an iBiotech Designer and a seasoned leather accessories and materials designer based in London with over a decade of experience in the fashion industry. Her presentation delved into sustainability and showcased the materials produced by the project. Riina skilfully demonstrated various use cases for the material, providing the audience with a unique opportunity to examine, smell, and touch the samples firsthand.

A range of use cases, such as cardholders and bags, were discussed, and a few questions from the audience were answered. The next exciting phase of the event unfolded in the igloo, utilizing 360-degree cinema technology. A professionally produced video, created by Henry Go Park the Car and iBiotech, offered a futuristic perspective on the advantages of vegan materials, illustrating how mass-scale adoption of such processes could lead to significant reductions in emissions, land use, and water usage.

The mini fashion show followed, where students from the School of Art and Design, wore some of the garments featuring biomaterial details produced by iBiotech.

After the show, guests had the opportunity to network while enjoying a variety of drinks and snacks. Janet Bailey remarked: "The event was a success and proceeded very smoothly. The guests were impressed with the immersive technology at the National Brownfield Institute and appreciated the active networking opportunity."

Riina Õun, iBiotech designer, expressed: "It is exciting to witness fully biodegradable and regenerative materials entering the market in the near future. Fashion materials that, at the end of their life cycle, nourish nature."

During the summer, iBiotech secured funding from Sky's the Limit, a USA-based platform supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses. This success not only attracted interest from abroad but also expanded their network. In addition, in early December, iBiotech reached a noteworthy milestone by progressing to the semi-finals in the Santander X finals. They clinched a spot among the top 50 UK startups in the UK, against over 1500 entries in a fiercely competitive contest. These accomplishments stand as a testament to the team's dedication and underscores the importance of their message, demonstrating that their efforts are gaining traction and resonating with a wide audience.

For those interested in staying updated on sustainable fashion and iBiotech's journey, you can follow them on LinkedIn for more information.