As bio-based materials move from pilot to commercial scale, the world’s largest spandex manufacturer is betting a billion dollars on sugarcane as the feedstock that can replace fossil-based fiber without sacrificing performance.
Hyosung TNC, the world’s largest spandex manufacturer by market share, is committing $1 billion to what the South Korean company describes as the first fully integrated bio-based spandex production system of its kind, spanning agricultural feedstock through to finished fiber. The investment centers on sugarcane as a renewable input, producing Bio-BDO (1,4-butanediol) and Bio-PTMG (polytetramethylene ether glycol) before converting these intermediates into Bio Spandex within a single connected value chain. The company is presenting the development at Functional Fabric Fair (FFF) in Portland, Oregon, running April 7–9, 2026.
Why sugarcane
Hyosung TNC is now positioning sugarcane, rather than corn, as the main feedstock for its Regen BIO Spandex program. The company says sugarcane offers established infrastructure at industrial scale and can deliver measurable carbon reductions compared with petroleum-derived inputs. It adds that the feedstock is verified through the VIVE platform, a traceability certification system for bio-based materials.
Hyosung TNC also claims its Bio Spandex performs on par with conventional spandex on durability, stretch and recovery, including in high-stress uses such as compression garments and athletic outerwear.
About
Hyosung TNC is the textile and trading division of Hyosung Corporation, a South Korean industrial conglomerate. The company claims the largest global market share in spandex production and markets its fiber products under the CREORA and regen brand families. Its regen range covers recycled and bio-based fiber variants used in apparel, activewear and industrial textile applications.
VIVE is a sustainability verification and impact measurement provider that supports producers, brands and investors with traceable, auditable data across agricultural supply chains. Its services span end-to-end verification modules for traceability and responsible sourcing criteria, as well as climate and regenerative agriculture monitoring against defined social and ecological KPIs, with local on-the-ground delivery in key sourcing regions.
