Julien Born appointed new CEO of HeiQ AeoniQ Holding

HeiQ, the textiles technology firm based in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich, has appointed Julien Born as CEO of its subsidiary HeiQ AeoniQ Holding, which is headquartered in Villigen in the canton of Aargau. Born will be tasked with driving growth in connection with the innovative cellulose-based fiber HeiQ AeoniQ, further details of which can be found in a press release. The technology is set to go into commercial production in Portugal by the end of 2025.

The new CEO of the HeiQ subsidiary boasts comprehensive leadership qualities and extensive experience of the textiles industry, the press release states. Born has worked for renowned companies such as DuPont und Koch Industries, while his most recent position was as CEO of The Lycra Company, a role he has occupied since 2021. HeiQ and the specialist for stretch fabrics based in Wilmington in the US State of Delaware have been working together since July 2021.

The appointment of Julien Born to head up the company comes on the back of the nomination of Robert van de Kerkhof to the HeiQ Board. He will also serve as the Chairman of the HeiQ AeoniQ Holding Board.

HeiQ is a company with a “meaningful purpose, a passion for innovation, and tremendous growth potential”, comments Julien Born in the press release. In conjunction with the company’s partners, there is an opportunity to build “a unique ecosystem around the HeiQ AeoniQ technology that can truly change the game on sustainability in several industries”, as the new CEO explains further.

In terms of the production activities planned for 2025 in Portugal, the press release states that land and buildings worth 5 million euros have recently been purchased for the 15,000 square meter facility situated in Maia in the metropolitan region of Porto and near to a major commercial port. This all comes as part of a two-year project, for which the total investment will reach 80 million euros.

HeiQ, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), is headquartered at the IJZ, an innovation and start-up park located in Schlieren. The company is also a member of Start Smart Schlieren. ce/gba