The use of nonwovens materials continues to be stronger than ever as the world recovers from the global Coronavirus pandemic. The use of face masks continues to be strong, and demand for other nonwoven products like disinfectant wipes and medical-related products is also growing. Manufacturers and converters of nonwovens have responded with continued investment across the globe that encompasses virtually all types of nonwovens.

At the same time, companies, particularly in the disposables category, have to be more mindful than ever before of the impact their products have on the Earth. This has led to new product formats, recycling programs, composting efforts and packaging technologies.

Surging Demand
Between 2020 and 2021, the nonwovens industry saw an unprecedented surge in demand which was met with a never-before-seen rate of investment in new lines. While this investment spanned virtually all nonwovens types, none was as strong as meltblown nonwovens.

According to a report from Smithers, the global market for meltblown nonwovens has been fundamentally reshaped by the experience of Covid-19. Demand for vital products like face masks and medical PPE saw meltblown sale rises from $809 million in 2019 to $1.68 billion in 2020 and growth has continued into 2021.

In the first days of the pandemic, professional and medical-grade PPE – especially N95 medical face respirators – became a vital commodity. Smithers’ data show how demand increased nearly 10-fold from 14,400 tons in 2019 to 121,800 tons in 2020, while other medical meltblown applications rose five-fold. This led to meltblown production sites running at near or overcapacity; and other production facilities, like SMS, being switched over to meltblown manufacture. A host of new lines have been commissioned worldwide to raise capacity and ensure domestic availability.

The reduction of the Covid threat through the first half is leading to a slight fall in the market for 2021 after this unprecedented peak but residual fears over Covid and the need to establish strategic stockpiles against similar outbreaks in the future mean that demand will remain well above pre-pandemic levels through 2026. A total of 302,700 tons, or 5.07 billion square meters, with a sales value of $1.17 billion will be sold in that year.

Meltblown manufacturers are also hoping to receive a boost from U.S. President Joseph Biden’s massive infrastructure bill, signed last month, which includes a provision that is already prompting more investments in U.S. production of personal protective equipment. This act, experts say, is critical to keeping the nation’s hospitals functioning in times of crisis by requiring federal agencies to buy U.S.-made PPE.

“We have done our part by establishing a reliable, domestic source for this vitally important PPE material,” says US Meltblown founder and CEO Robert Sires. “We are asking others to do their part by purchasing PPE products from companies here in the U.S., thereby supporting the economy and better protecting American citizens.”

US Meltblown installed a new meltblown production line, which was fully operational six months after Covid-19 and able to make materials that qualified for ASTM F2100 Level 1, 2, 3 and NIOSH 42 CFR 84 Subpart K (N95). In anticipation of the Make PPE In America Act, the company recently doubled production capacity and plans to quadruple capabilities within the 90-day period after the signing of the Infrastructure Bill.

Sires adds that U.S. mask producers recently have been forced to lay off workers because of competition from China. The made in America bill by the White House will require federal agencies to buy American-made masks and other PPE, which will help to protect the investments these companies have made to locate new production in the U.S. It will also ensure a steady, ongoing supply of quality PPE from domestic producers throughout the country.

Modernization of Spunbond
The rapid rate of spunbond investment globally is responding not just to increasing demand for hygiene items but also to technology advancements in the machinery sector. The majority of new lines being announced are based on Reifenhäuser’s latest spunmelt technology, Reicofil 5, which was introduced in 2017. These lines offer extremely efficient high speeds as well as the ability to customize raw material usage to meet a variety of consumer demands.

Most recently, Brazil’s Fitesa announced it would add a Reicofil 5 line at an undisclosed European location with start-up planned in the second quarter of 2023. The new machine will be equipped to produce full high loft and standard spunmelt products, using a variety of sustainable raw materials including bioPE and PLA.

“This line will be a state-of-the art machine capable of serving the growing demand for sustainable spunmelt products,” says Michael Baumgartner, Fitesa’s senior vice president for Europe and China. “Once the machine is online, we will ramp up production from our pilot lines which significantly increases our ability to supply the market with softer products and increased circular and green content produced locally in Europe.”

Fitesa is no stranger to R5 technology. The company is currently adding a line at its U.S. headquarters in Simpsonville, SC, which is scheduled for startup late next year.

Other companies who have opted for R5 technology include Avgol in Russia, Gulsan in Turkey and Egypt, PFNonwovens in South Africa, Pennsylvania and the Czech Republic, Union Industries in Italy and Berry Global, which has two R5 lines in Nanhai, China.

“We are committed to further partnering with our customers to pursue growth opportunities around the world. The added capacity achieved through this asset is a next step in advancing our market leading position in healthcare material solutions,” says Curt Begle, president of Berry’s Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division. “This investment comes on the heels of the successful commercialization of the first of its kind R5 asset in Berry’s Nanhai, China, facility, serving the high-loft soft material needs of the premium hygiene markets throughout the Asia region.”

Growth Continues for Nonwovens
In September, EDANA and INDA jointly published a new report forecasting strong market demand for nonwoven materials through the next five years. The report is titled Global Nonwoven Markets Report, A Comprehensive Survey and Outlook, 2020–2025.

This report provides in-depth information and analysis of the global nonwoven macro drivers, supply and demand, and regional trade. Among the highlights of the report:

• In the historical period (2010–2020) production increased 6.2% annually, led by growth in the spunlaid processes and drylaid hydroentanglement.
• China led the growth in production, adding an additional 4.7 million tons from the end of 2010 through to the end of 2020, representing a 11.5% annual growth rate.
• Across the nonwoven end use segments, the wipes, filtration and medical segments expanded at the fastest rates, given the industry’s rapid response to provide materials that keep the surfaces we touch clean, protect the air we breathe, and provide a barrier to keep our bodies safe.

“The worldwide nonwovens industry’s prospects are excellent and it remains an exciting industry in which to be involved,” says the report’s co-authors Jacques Prigneaux, market analysis and economic affairs director at EDANA, and Brad Kalil, director of market intelligence and economic affairs at INDA.

The report includes detailed regional information and forecasts on production, technology and investment requirements for North America, Greater Europe, Asia and the South America region. The report further features regional views of economic growth, population, product by end use, and trade flows. Other key topics include raw material usage and a detailed appendix.

“As strategic partners, INDA and EDANA are committed to promoting the sustained growth of the nonwovens industry. This report provides the industry’s best estimates on future demand by the key nonwoven segments and it is predicated on sound macro-economic analysis,” says INDA president Dave Rousse. “This Global Nonwoven Markets Report is an essential planning resource for all those involved in global strategic planning for nonwovens throughout the supply chain.”

“With the remarkable growth and global success of nonwovens, both industry insiders among our member companies and outsiders, from financial analysts to potential investors, require more than ever reliable sources of market information as well as forward-looking data. This new report issued by our two leading nonwovens industry associations builds on decades of experience, and on close observation and direct data collection from hundreds of companies,” says EDANA general manager Pierre Wiertz. “Produced by the industry for the industry, this is therefore a unique tool and a more legitimate and reliable source of data than any other report about nonwovens.”

Growth for Glatfelter
Sales at Glatfelter are primed to increase significantly thanks to a string of acquisitions by the Charlotte, NC-based nonwovens producer. In November, the company finalized a deal to acquire Jacob Holm Industries, a Swiss nonwovens producer with facilities in North Carolina, Tennessee, France and Germany, primarily aimed at the global wipes market. This acquisition will add about $400 million to Glatfelter’s nonwovens sales, which were reported at just above $900 million last year.

“Today’s announcement represents another significant step forward in Glatfelter’s transformation. The combination of Jacob Holm’s quality spunlace and advanced fiber products along with Glatfelter’s industry-leading airlaid and composite fibers products will provide a best-in-class suite of nonwovens technologies, applications, and expertise to serve customers’ growing global demand. By acquiring Jacob Holm, we will further diversify our nonwovens and substrate offerings and enhance our overall innovation capabilities,” says Dante C. Parrini, chairman and CEO.

Earlier this year, Glatfelter completed the purchase of Georgia-Pacific’s U.S. airlaid operations for $175 million. This deal included a large-scale airlaid manufacturing operation in Mount Holly, NC, as well as a nonwovens research and development center in Memphis, TN. It should add about $100 million of sales and $20 million in EBITDA to Glatfelter’s annual sales. Glatfelter already operates, an airlaid facility once owned by G-P, in Steinfurt, Germany, which it purchased in October 2018 for $185 million. This line added approximately 32,000 metric tons to the company’s global output.

These acquisitions, coupled with an organic capital investment in 2018 that added 20,000 tons of airlaid capacity in Fort Smith, AR, which came onstream in mid-2018, have significantly increased Glatfelter’s capacity as well as its technological scope.

In 2020, Glatfelter’s airlaid business achieved record sales of $392 million despite a slowdown in the tabletop business brought on by restaurant closures amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Feminine hygiene comprised the most of the airlaid segment’s sales, representing 52%. This market saw heightened demand in 2020 as consumers stockpiled necessity items.

Jofo Nonwovens Goes Global
Another company to watch is Jofo Nonwovens. The Shanghai, China-based nonwovens producer has made a series of investments and acquisitions that has not only boosted its sales but expanded its scope beyond Asia.

Within China, Jofo increased its local presence in May 2020 through the acquisition of a spunbond manufacturing facility in Wuxi, China, from PFNonwovens. By the end of the year, Jofo had already committed to adding a second line at the site, which had been in operation since 2009.

In addition to the Wuxi site, a second acquisition—a spunbond operation in Saudi Arabia—is helping Jofo increase its role in the global medical and hygiene markets while expanding its global footprint. The operation was formerly known as SAAF.

“The acquisition of PFN Wuxi made us enter the medical non-woven fabric market, and then the acquisition of SAAF made us become an important nonwoven fabric manufacturer in the world, a competitive player in the world nonwoven fabric market and the largest medium and high-end manufacturer of medical nonwoven fabrics,” says Rain Tian, CEO.

Having an operating site outside of China is also allowing the company to shorten its supply chain to its international customer bases.  “Global expansion has brought great advantages of global geography to our strategy. The global layout makes our global supply chain service more efficient and convenient, while reducing transportation costs,” Tian says.

Back in Asia, Jofo Nonwovens has partnered with Soshio Industrial Co., a Hong Kong-based contract manufacturer for wipes maker Rockline Industries, to begin contract manufacturing finished products.

“This strategic step enables Jofo to promote its process of vertical integration of the industrial chain, expand the scope of business and most importantly enter into the OEM field on the basis of existing material production,” says Tian. “It also builds a solid foundation for Jofo to provide comprehensive service to global customers.”

The partnership will also allow Jofo to expand usage of its JoForm materials, which is made using P&G’s Phantom technology, of which Jofo is a licensed supplier.

“If we want to capitalize on Phantom technology and enter a new market, Soshio helps us make it happen and achieve mass production of this technology. The partnership between Jofo and Soshio can provide our customers with better, cheaper and faster products/services.”

In terms of greenfield investments, Jofo has added a manufacturing site in Thailand to better serve its customers all over the world and increase its role particularly in Southeast Asia.

Wipes Growth
According to Smithers, the market for nonwoven wipes consumed 1.4 million tons of nonwovens in 2020 while its market value reached $19.6 billion. From 2015-2020 annual growth was reported at 7.9%. This figure rose significantly, however, amidst heightened demand for wipes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even after demand peaked during the second quarter of 2020, sales in some categories continue to be more than 20% higher than they were pre-pandemic.

This growth is being driven by more consumers than ever before using wipes. According to recent surveys, 30% more people use wipes regularly than did in 2008. Additionally, 44% more people are using surface disinfectant wipes than they were at the start of the Covid pandemic and this behavior is expected to continue.

This growth has been met with investment from most major wipes manufacturers and their suppliers looking to capitalize on this growth. The industry’s two largest wipes converters, Nice-Pak and Rockline Industries, have announced widespread investment in the U.S., largely devoted to surface disinfectant wipes, while disinfectant wipes leader Clorox has added a new production line in Atlanta, GA, and expanded its network of contract manufacturers both in the U.S. and globally.

As wipes usage continues to climb, the industry is being faced with the challenge of keeping its products green. This is being driven not only by government legislation like Europe’s Single Use Plastics Directive and similar measures being evaluated in several U.S. states, but also by consumer preferences for more natural products.

Circular Economy
Ontex, a leading European manufacturer of diapers and other hygiene products, has taken a leading position in alternative end-of-life solutions for disposable goods like baby diapers.

In March, the company announced a partnership with startup Woosh to enable the recycling of used disposable diapers. These efforts started in Belgium with plans to expand throughout Europe and possibly globally.

”As a major player in essential personal hygiene, we at Ontex recognize the need to find alternatives to landfill and incineration. We work with recycling companies to make our diapers easier to recycle, in line with our sustainability strategy to move toward a circular economy business model. We support the startup Woosh’s mission to make large-scale diaper recycling a reality in Belgium and other countries,” says Annick De Poorter, executive vice president for Innovation, Sustainability and Quality, Ontex.

Waste and incineration of diapers can be avoided by recycling used disposable diapers. This requires cooperation between different partners: from suppliers of materials for diapers and to manufacturers like Ontex, to waste collection and to recycling partners using the suitable technology.

Woosh’s mission is to ultimately enable diaper recycling on a large scale, first in nurseries and daycare centers throughout Belgium and eventually to other European countries. Currently, the limited separation of diaper waste from other garbage is limited which has hindered recycling efforts.

“In Belgium today, the separate collection of diaper waste remains limited, which hinders the progress of diaper recycling. Waste companies are not motivated to invest in the recycling because there is not enough separated diaper waste. Due to the lack of recycling facilities, there’s also little incentive to separate diaper waste,”  says Jeff Stubbe, co-founder of Woosh.

Ontex is also examining composting of diapers with Les Alchimistes. Together, Ontex and Les Alchimistes have set up a pilot project at Les Alchimistes’ industrial composting site with the aim of proving that composting Ontex diaper pads is possible and that waste and incineration can be reduced. The project requires cooperation between different partners: from suppliers of materials, diaper manufacturers like Ontex, to waste collection and to composting partners using suitable technology.

“Our goal is to make the separate collection and composting of used, compostable diapers a reality,” says Maïwenn Mollet, director of the Fertile Diapers program at Les Alchimistes. “We are very happy that Ontex and their brand Little Big Change are joining our mission. Ontex has the engineering knowledge and resources to design diapers that can be compostable. Our goal is to create a new circular economy loop with Ontex and other like-minded companies and to compost 500 million diapers by 2030.”

“Together with partner company gDiapers, which has 17 years of expertise in hybrid compostable diapers, the Ontex Little Big Change brand has developed a new diaper system. The system consists of a reusable outer diaper made of cotton and a disposable diaper pad which is designed to be industrially compostable. We are now testing if the diaper pads can be composted on an industrial scale by working together with a test group of 30 families in Paris who subscribe to Ontex’s baby diaper service Little Big Change,” says De Poorter.

Ontex is not the only hygiene producer focusing on limiting the number of diapers that end up in landfills. Procter & Gamble has established recycling operations in Italy and the Netherlands; Unicharm has developed advanced diaper recycling technology that is rolling out in Japan; and startup Dyper has a subscription-based composting program for its diaper brand.

Green Diaper Technologies
The drive to reduce the environmental impact of disposable diapers has not been limited to their disposal. Diaper producers, both large and small, have been developing new products and examining new raw materials to make these products greener than ever before.

In May, Procter & Gamble, the manufacturer of the world’s largest diaper brand, Pampers, launched Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid Diapers, its first diapering system that is part reusable, part disposable. The Pure Protection Hybrid Diaper uses trusted Pampers technology and provides superior dryness and leak protection from a diaper that uses 25% less disposable materials.

Pampers found that many parents try cloth diapers but not as many continue because leaks are common and changing them more frequently means more wash cycles. Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid Diapers combine what parents love about both cloth and disposable diapers by pairing soft, reusable cloth diaper covers with disposable inserts. Made to lock wetness away from skin for up to 12 hours, Pure Protection Hybrid Diapers help keep baby’s skin dry and healthy while producing less waste.

“At Pampers, we’ve spent thousands of hours speaking with and listening to parents globally about what will best fit their needs,” says Marty Vanderstelt, father of two and senior vice president – North America Baby Care. “That’s why we’ve created Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid for parents who want a diaper that produces less waste, but still seek the convenience and protection of a disposable diaper. Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid is one of our many steps forward in the journey to a sustainable planet, and a happy, healthy future for every baby.”

Pampers is committed to caring for every baby and the planet they grow up in. This includes improving sustainability for the generations to come. In addition to launching Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid, the Pampers business overall continues to innovate toward more sustainable diapering solutions to use 30% less diapering materials per baby over their diapering time. Over the past 25 years, Pampers has reduced its disposable diaper weight by 50% and its packaging by 70%, generating less use of resources in its products.

Kudos is a smaller diaper brand that launched earlier this year with the goal creating a diaper using as little plastic as possible. Amrita Saigal, an MIT grad, began developing the brand Kudos in early 2019.

Saigal started her career at P&G, working on the engineering and manufacturing side for brands such as Always pads and Gillette razors. She left P&G to start her first company in India—Saathi Pads—which makes biodegradable sanitary pads out of waste banana tree fiber. After leaving Saathi and returning to the U.S., friends of hers started asking if she could bring the same innovation she applied to pads in India to diapers in the U.S.

“I kept asking my friends, ‘What is the issue that you’re having with diapers?’ and I kept getting the answer, ‘I feel like I’m constantly having to choose between performance or natural, I can’t have them both,’” Saigal recalls. “They felt like they had to make a compromise between what would get them the most sleep and what was good for the environment.”

While working on Kudos, Saigal and her team considered what eco-friendly diaper brands had already developed. “These brands have their core made out of sustainably harvested wood pulp, but if you’re looking at the topsheet and backsheet, those are still nonwoven spunbond polypropylene materials,” she says. “I think existing brands have taken a step in the right direction, removing a lot of the added chemicals and fragrances that you find in traditional disposables, and using sustainably harvested wood pulp in the core. But then you’re still having your baby sitting in plastic all day—everything is still plastic minus the core.

“Our consumer research showed that whether it’s food, clothing, or baby products like diapers, today’s parents are looking for safe and sustainable plant-based options. Working with plant-based materials in a baby diaper presented some challenges when designing Kudos. It was critical that we understood the options available to us with nonwoven fibers and processes so we could design a diaper that would be effective, environmentally friendly and manufacturable,” Saigal adds.

The diapers feature a 100% cotton topsheet, for example, which makes Kudos the first disposable diaper to have earned the cotton natural seal from Cotton Inc., which recently published the results of a clinical study showing cotton is considered hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. This further solidified Kudos’ choice to use cotton as the main material touching baby’s skin.

Single Use Plastics Directive
The impact of the Single Use Plastics Directive, which was adopted by the European Parliament in 2018, on many nonwovens markets but particularly the wipes one, has become an area of concern in the nonwovens industry. The directive seeks to significantly reduce the amount of single use plastics (SUPs) going into European landfills by limiting the use of SUPs in certain categories and all out banning the use of certain SUPs like single use straws as the EU seeks to transition to a circular economy.

For wet wipes—as well as filtered cigarettes and feminine hygiene items—the biggest impact will be felt in labeling requirements that need to inform consumers about the appropriate disposal of the product and about the negative impacts of SUPs and littering on the environment. Additionally, EU members will be required to develop awareness programs educating consumers on reusable alternatives to products containing SUPs.

Because this legislation is targeting Europe, EDANA has been working overtime on the issue, but INDA and its North American member companies are anticipating these efforts’ impact on North America. While federal action is unlikely, already more than 20 states have introduced 100-plus bills concerning plastics. Probably the most ambitious is the California Circular Economy and Plastic Reduction Act, which seeks to significantly reduce the use of SUPs in packaging and products by 2030. This would be achieved through source reduction, recycling and composting.

According to INDA president Dave Rousse, the North American nonwovens industry needs to make sure that federal and state legislation in the U.S. does not simply replicate European language because the two regions do not face the same issues when it comes to waste. To that point, INDA and its members have formed a Plastics Initiative working group that will tackle the issue from several standpoints including monitoring legislative issues, working with manufacturers and creating a definition of plastics.

Sustainable Packaging
One area where hygiene manufacturers have been able to reduce the use of plastics without impacting product design has been in packaging. As these companies have sought more sustainable packaging solutions, makers of  packaging materials and machinery systems are responding with the development of packaging materials made from paper, cellulose and other plastic-free products.

Last year, Belgian hygiene company Drylock Technologies introduced the first paper packaging for baby diapers. This world-class innovation, which is now at several European retailers, aims to meet the needs of both customers and consumers for more environmentally friendly packaging. This development was the result of a year of intensive research and development from Drylock and its packaging partners who developed the Paper Bag project. Together, these companies created a new type of packaging in the hygiene industry which is truly recyclable and biodegradable and at the same time is robust and protects the integrity of the Drylock baby care products inside.

“Every day is a battle, speed is important, which translates into the company’s aim and vision—to lead innovation in the market and to be the best and the fastest. Drylock’s innovation projects continually result in a better performance, comfort and well-being with minimal environmental impact,” says CEO Bart Van Malderen. “There is no better example of this than the new paper packaging which maintains the integrity of the product using fully sustainable materials. Through this and other innovative developments, while helping to overcome daily needs in consumers’ lives, Drylock, together with its customers, is working towards a better tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, within the wipes market, Nice-Pak has developed packaging material that is 100% recyclable to improve the overall impact of its product. The material, which was under development for 18 months, was initially introduced in the company’s Aqualette baby wipes brand.

“We believe that both customers and consumers alike deserve more choice in meeting their environmental aspirations,” says Peter Bushell, international packaging development manager. “The mono-polymer project has been technically challenging but we are proud to have achieved this U.K. first as part of our ongoing efforts to improve the environmental footprint of our products. We have strived to render this product ‘recycle ready’ to support the future development and harmonization of the recycling infrastructure.”

The Optima Group has developed a paper packaging for sanitary napkins in collaboration with a global consumer goods group. This is the first paper packaging to be used in this market segment.

Sustainability is a future-oriented issue. The way forward is being set today, and it requires interdisciplinary strategies. It is not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. The sustainable packaging solution that was co-developed at Optima is proof of this. “We are receiving more and more requests for the flexible processing of different packaging materials right from the outset,” reports Markus Urich, key account manager at Optima Nonwovens.

In a project concerned with the packaging of feminine hygiene products, fully recyclable paper was used as packaging material for the first time in the world. This case demonstrated that paper with reduced printing and without any plastic coating for hygiene products can definitely be an alternative to plastic.

The packaging will soon be available in retail outlets everywhere and has even received the German Packaging Award 2021. The jury comments: “Paper is not always an appropriate substitute for plastic when it comes to FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) packaging. Here, paper is a sustainable alternative that can easily be recycled.”

To provide its customers with a greener packaging option, W+D and Bicma have developed Green Manta, which replaces PE individual packaging in a sanitary napkin or a light incontinence product with a neat, flat paper bag, similar to an envelope, to avoid plastic. The new Green Manta module brings together W+D‘s Mail Solutions and Bicma’s Hygiene Solutions technology to create an environmentally friendly and efficient individual wrapping made of paper. The environmental benefit is high. For sanitary napkins, the new concept saves about 25 million square meters of plastic film in the course of one year—corresponding to an area of almost 3500 soccer fields.

This type of packaging is suitable for panty shields, sanitary napkins and products for light incontinence. W+D Bicma offers this concept for its own production lines and as retrofits for existing machines of all brands.

“The transition from today’s standard products to new solutions with sustainable materials and new creative packaging solutions needs time,” says Kersten Zander of W+D Bicma. “In the beginning, manufacturers might not be sure about market acceptance and production volumes for the new product types. As a machine might not be fully loaded with production volumes of the new products in the beginning, interim solutions to run both the old and the new versions need to be found.”

A Return to In-Person
In October, 18 months after its originally scheduled date, INDEX 2020 was held, in-person, at PalExpo in Geneva, Switzerland. The event was the first major in-person trade exhibition held by the global nonwovens industry since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.  The event featured more than 500 exhibitors on more than 45,000 square meters of exhibition space.

“With over 9300 visitor entries over the four days, and an overwhelming sentiment among exhibitors of an unexpected attendance and quality of key decision-makers from across the globe, we are told by all those we have met that this is undoubtedly a resounding success under the circumstances,” says Pierre Wiertz, general manager of EDANA.

The visitor count is more remarkable considering that over a thousand further professionals joined the online version of INDEX, as the show was presented for the first time ever in a hybrid format, allowing exhibitors to match their live with virtual stands featuring their products and services.

“We are delighted to note that this ‘augmented reality’ offer was so well received, and since the Swapcard platform which supported this will continue to be accessible to the 2500 pre-registered delegates for several weeks, as well as any other new visitors, we expect that those who missed the numerous side events such as the six sector seminars, or wish to prolong their contacts with exhibitors, will continue to benefit from INDEX in an innovative way” says Magali Fakhry Dufresne, INDEX Exhibition Director, Palexpo.