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Altri has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in AeoniQ, a Swiss company responsible for developing the world’s first biodegradable cellulose filament.
The agreement foresees that AeoniQ’s first industrial production unit worldwide will be built in Portugal, specifically at Altri’s fiber factory, Caima, located in Constância. Construction is planned for 2026, and once completed, it will have an installed capacity of 1,750 tons per year of cellulose-based fibers.
The goal is to scale the production capacity of the technology developed by AeoniQ in a project that will benefit from vertical integration — from eucalyptus fiber to finished yarn. In the medium term, the incorporation of recycled raw materials is also planned, such as cotton textile waste, agricultural residues, and bacterial cellulose derived from food waste, according to the official statement.
AeoniQ’s cellulose filaments stand out for being fully biodegradable in various environments and offer unique characteristics such as natural elasticity, softness, resistance comparable to synthetic fibers, and a textured finish that makes them particularly suitable for lingerie, home textiles, and other textile applications.
Sustainability is one of AeoniQ’s main strengths. Two Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies demonstrate that the production of this yarn can reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 3.2 kg per kg of yarn, compared to polyester production.
In Portugal, several textile companies already incorporate this innovative solution into their collections. Lameirinho, for example, used AeoniQ yarn in its Vegan Silk bedding line, presented at Heimtextil earlier this year. Companies such as Riopele and Impetus have also used this filament in their productions, demonstrating the growing interest of the national industry in sustainable and circular alternatives.