The potential of fast-growing fibers flax and hemp 

Among the diverse group of fast-growing fibers, flax and hemp stand out as successful raw materials for creating composite semi-finished products and yarns. Hemp, in particular, is one of the fastest-growing plants globally, capable of reaching heights of 4 meters within just 100 days. It is also highly efficient at sequestering carbon, with a single hectare of hemp able to absorb between 8 to 22 tonnes of CO2 annually. The quality of the extracted hemp fiber is influenced by several factors including the cultivation location and type, variety of hemp, timing of the harvest, processing methods, and the weather conditions throughout the growing season. 

Advantages of hemp over flax 

Hemp has several advantages over flax; it is simpler to cultivate organically, yields more biomass per hectare, and does not compete with food production—instead, it produces both nutritious seeds and fibers. Given its widespread cultivation across Europe, there is significant variability in hemp's raw material quality, which is further influenced by farming practices, particularly in pesticide-free and fertilizer-free organic agriculture. This variability impacts not only the fiber's quality but also its availability, as hemp cannot be repeatedly grown on the same plot each year without degrading the soil. 

Connecting with stakeholders during the JEC in Paris 

In Paris, we announced that the RAW project plans to bring Long Hemp Fibers into Structural Applications. Valentine Troi, the representative of our partner Innsbruck University, took some samples to the JEC World event, one of the leading composite events. At the fair, we had the opportunity to talk to the most important stakeholders at the Natural Fiber Village. 

Speculative mapping of the European ecosystem around hemp 

 RAW researchers have collaborated on speculative ecosystem maps. Valentine Troi (Innsbruck University) has a lot of experience and a broad network with fast-growing fiber stakeholders in Europe. Yuliya Sinke (CITA, Royal Danish Academy) comes in with her insights on CNC knitting, while the ITKE team under supervision of Axel Körner explores fiber winding. With the use of Gigamapping methods, Wendy Wuyts (Omtre), RAW engages in speculative mapping, trying to grasp the important actors in Europe and global, and also understand possible risks and gain and pain points that RAW inventions can address. In the end of May, Valentine Troi and Wendy Wuyts will organize an intense speculative ecosystem and science fiction prototyping workshop in Tyrol, with invited experts, to understand the possible futures of hemp CNC knitting and fiber winding.  

Positioning RAW’s expected innovations in the ecosystem 

Europe's ecosystem is bustling with flax processors who have mastered their craft in the textile industry, bringing it into flax based composite technologies. Inspired by their success, RAW aims to drive pioneering similar innovations—but with hemp, for the construction sector.  

 While the textile sector has seen some advancements with long fiber hemp yarns, we are taking a leap forward by introducing hemp long fiber rovings, positioning ourselves as pioneers in this exciting field. 

For more information, please contact Valentine Troi.