The Woolmark Company (TWC) is a company financed by Australian wool producers that focuses on profitability, international competitiveness and sustainability in connection with wool from Down Under. According to a press release, TWC has partnered up with the prestigious Italian wool processing firm Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC) and Haelixa from Kemptthal in the canton of Zurich in order to increase transparency around the origin and processing journey of Australian wool.
Haelixa, which was formed as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), offer solutions for the traceability of products on the basis of DNA, with the aim of supporting aspects such as supply chain transparency and the integrity of the product. In the investigations that have now been carried out, DNA markers are applied both to greasy wool and to scoured, i.e. washed, wool fibers. The first DNA marker is used to identify the producer of the wool, while the second determines the manufacturer where the wool has been further processed. The traceability achieved in the cooperation is an important means of verifying the authenticity and origin of wool products at this time of higher cost pressure and competition on the wool fabric market.
According to the press release, Gediminas Mikutis, CTO and co-founder of Haelixa, sees the partnership with TWC and Vitale Barberis Canonico as an important effort to develop transparent and sustainable solutions for global supply chains. ww