Bio-based innovation is moving beyond individual fibers and feedstocks. At the PERFORMANCE DAYS October Show, the latest material developments reveal how renewable resources, advanced constructions and new functional systems are expanding the performance textile toolbox, while raising new questions around longevity, circularity and end-of-life.
Performance textiles are entering a new material era. For years, much of the sustainability debate focused on replacing virgin fossil-based raw materials with recycled alternatives. Today, the conversation is becoming more complex. Bio-based polymers, man-made cellulosic and natural fibers are moving into increasingly technical applications, while performance, longevity, recyclability and end-of-life need to be considered together.
This development will take center stage at PERFORMANCE DAYS on October 13–14, 2026, in Munich. Under the Focus Topic “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric,” the fair explores how far bio-based innovation has progressed, from alternative feedstocks and new fiber technologies to functional fabrics and increasingly sophisticated material systems.
The conversation will also extend to the Expert Talks stage, where, for the first time, PERFORMANCE DAYS CEO Marco Weichert will join an expert panel to discuss “The Road to Fossil Free Performance.”
From fiber to function
One of the most significant developments is the way bio-based innovation is moving further along the textile value chain. The conversation is no longer limited to where a raw material comes from or how much fossil feedstock can be replaced. Increasingly, the question is what these new materials can achieve in demanding performance applications.
New developments demonstrate how bio-based polymers and fibers can be translated into stretch, insulation, protection, comfort and other technical functionalities. At the same time, material developers are combining new feedstocks with increasingly sophisticated fabric constructions and technologies. The result is a shift from fiber to function and ultimately towards more complete material systems.
“Bio-based materials are entering a decisive phase. It is no longer enough to focus only on where a fiber comes from. We also have to look at how it is processed, what functionality it delivers, how durable it is and what happens at the end of its life. For the performance industry, the real breakthrough comes when a more responsible feedstock also delivers the technical qualities the final product genuinely needs. That is why our Focus Topic follows the entire journey ‘From Fiber to Fabric”
Marco Weichert, CEO, PERFORMANCE DAYS
A premier on the expert talks stage
The discussion will also move from the Trend Forum to the stage. For the first time at PERFORMANCE DAYS, CEO Marco Weichert will join the Expert Talks as a panelist himself. In “The Road to Fossil Free Performance,” he will bring his more than 20 years of textile expertise into the conversation, joining industry experts Dominik Fuss, The Natural Laboratory and Satish Taylor, Vollebak, to explore where true material innovation will come from and what it will take to move performance textiles away from fossil-based resources.The session reflects one of the central questions running through this season’s Focus Topic: how can the industry move from alternative feedstocks to materials that deliver the functionality, durability and performance required for real-world applications?
The Trend Forum: Where change becomes tangible
The PERFORMANCE DAYS Trend Forum provides a particularly clear snapshot of this changing material landscape. The latest jury selections reveal that innovation is taking place across virtually every layer and product category. Bio-based synthetics are entering lightweight stretch applications and insulation concepts, while new constructions are being developed to deliver functionality through fabric architecture rather than simply through additional treatments.
In shirting, material choice, stretch, structure, UV protection and cooling are increasingly being considered together. Midlayers demonstrate a growing diversity of bio-based synthetics, natural fibers, man-made cellulosic and hybrid constructions. Softshell developments show greater attention to construction, durability and fiber shedding, while baselayers increasingly combine traditional performance requirements with skin comfort and wellbeing.
Wool, too, continues to move into more technical territory, with new structures and blends extending its potential beyond traditional insulation. What connects these developments is not one dominant fiber or technology. Instead, the material toolbox itself is becoming broader.
“We are seeing a much broader definition of performance. It is no longer simply about making a fabric lighter, stronger or more waterproof. We are looking at new fiber sources, skin comfort, longevity, circularity and entirely new constructions. What is particularly exciting is that many of these developments are now coming together, performance, responsibility and innovation are no longer separate conversations.”
Regina Goller, Head of Material Strategy & Future Trends, PERFORMANCE DAYS
Cellulose enters a new era
One of the clearest examples of this diversification can be found in cellulosic and natural fibers. Cotton, lyocell, Modal, hemp and other cellulose-based materials have traditionally been associated primarily with fashion, lifestyle or next-to-skin applications. New fiber technologies, blends, constructions and finishing approaches are now extending their potential much further into performance.
This shift became particularly visible during the latest PERFORMANCE DAYS jury process. Experts were positively surprised by the number and technical level of cellulosic submissions, including functional constructions for applications in which such materials have traditionally played a much smaller role. Across baselayers and midlayers, meanwhile, new blends demonstrate how cellulosic fibers can contribute softness, breathability, moisture management, thermoregulation and next-to-skin comfort. There are also clear areas for further development. Hemp, for example, remains a fiber with considerable untapped potential, while more mono-material concepts could help address future circularity requirements.
The new Cellulose Forum at PERFORMANCE DAYS gives this development a dedicated platform, bringing together selected materials and demonstrating how cellulose-based and natural fibers are moving into a new generation of performance applications.
Not replacement, but a trigger toolbox
Yet the emerging material landscape is not simply a story of natural fibers replacing synthetics. Different fibers deliver different properties. In many cases, the most promising developments come from choosing and combining materials according to the requirements of a specific application. Natural fibers, man-made cellulosic, recycled synthetics and new bio-based polymers can therefore all form part of the same performance toolbox.
The challenge for designers and developers is becoming more sophisticated: Which material delivers the right functionality for the intended application, and what are the wider consequences of that choice? This means looking beyond a single sustainability metric and considering performance, durability, sourcing, construction and end-of-life together.
Circularity: From content to compatibility
This growing material diversity also adds a new dimension to the circularity discussion. Recycled content remains important, but it is no longer enough to assess a material simply by the percentage of recycled fibers it contains. Designers and developers increasingly need to understand whether the finished product can eventually be identified, sorted and processed within existing or emerging recycling systems. This becomes particularly relevant as new bio-based polymers, membranes, coatings, blends and complex constructions enter the market.
Longevity and fiber shedding are also becoming part of the conversation. A material designed to last longer may reduce resource consumption over its useful life, while constructions that minimize fiber loss can address another aspect of environmental impact. Circularity therefore begins much earlier than at the recycling stage. Decisions made during fiber selection and material development can determine what is possible years later.
The next generation of circular design starts with a simple question: What will happen to this material at the end of its useful life?
From material to garment
To reflect this broader perspective across the entire supply chain, PERFORMANCE DAYS is also introducing the new Garment Tech Forum in October. While material innovation remains at the heart of the fair, the new forum takes the next step, from fabric to finished product. It focuses on garment construction and processing technologies, including seams, bonding and other solutions that influence functionality, durability, efficiency and ultimately the circular potential of a product. By bringing material development and garment technology closer together, the forum highlights an increasingly important reality: the performance and environmental impact of a product are determined not only by the material itself, but also by how it is constructed.
The next generation of performance
From the Focus Topic “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric” and the Trend Forum to the new Cellulose and Garment Tech Forum, PERFORMANCE DAYS in October offers a snapshot of a performance textile industry in transition. The direction is not defined by one winning fiber, one technology or a universal replacement for conventional materials. Instead, the next generation of performance textiles is emerging from a more sophisticated understanding of feedstocks, functionality, construction, longevity and end-of-life and from the ability to consider these factors together.
The future of performance may therefore be less about finding the next universal material and more about learning how to use an increasingly diverse material toolbox intelligently.
PERFORMANCE DAYS
October 13–14, 2026 | Messe München | Halls A4–A6
Find more information at PERFORMANCE DAYS.com
