Nonwoven Product Development and Innovation Short Course
September 9, 2025 - September 12, 2025
From market intelligence to technology choices to decision making via a hands-on case study – attendees will be exposed to the full lifecycle of nonwoven product development.
The Nonwoven Product Development and Innovation Short Course is a dynamic training, combining classroom activities with a hands-on exemplar. Attendees will have the opportunity to work through options for creating a new nonwoven product, examining tradeoffs from raw material selection to cost basis to end-product functionality. In doing so, emphasis will be placed on how to effectively utilize the stage-gate process to explore feasibility in terms of material availability, manufacturing readiness level and costs.
If you attend this course, you will:
- Understand relationships and team dependencies between product design, manufacturing, purchasing, marketing and business disciplines.
- Learn critical product development methodologies and tools to help ensure success (patent landscape, innovation culture, commercialization strategy, etc.)
- Get hands-on experience with a real-world product development exemplar in NWI’s state-of-the-art fabrication and testing labs, taking your product from lab to pilot scale and final testing.
Featured Topics Include:
- Product Development – Stage Gate
- Intellectual Property Considerations
- Market Research and Marketing Strategy
- Innovation Culture Practice
- Commercialization
- Sustainability and Circularity
- Design of Experiment
- Laboratory – Hands-on developing a specific product utilizing NWI’s world-class nonwoven production labs.
- Prototype Testing
Expert Instructors:
- Angelo Corino, Spunbond and Meltblown Lab Manager, NWI
- Tom Daugherty, Deputy Director, The Nonwovens Institute (NWI); former Procter & Gamble
- Raoul Farer, Ph.D., Executive Deputy Director, NWI; former Freudenberg Performance Materials
- Benoit Maze, Ph.D., Director of Education and Administration, NWI
- Amy Minton, Analytical and Filtration Testing Lab Manager, NWI
- Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., Executive Director, NWI
Who Should Attend?
- Business and Product Development
- Finance and Purchasing
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- Process and Plant Management
- Quality Control
- Research and Development
- Technical Sales and Marketing
2-Minute Tutorial:
Attendee Feedback:
- “This course was excellent, providing a balance of hands-on work, one-on-one detailed education, collaboration opportunities with a diverse group, and practical applications of the knowledge learned.” — Product Manager, Nonwoven End-Product Manufacturer
- “What I liked most about this course was the opportunity for collaboration and the great balance betweeen in-classroom and hands-on instruction” — Account Manager, Nonwoven Fabrics Manufacturer
- “Definitely the next step needed for my professional growth journey. I can’t wait to start implementing these learnings in my day to day adventures at work. We even got a chance to be hands on by processing our very own wipe prototypes!” — Chief Science Officer, Fiber Producer
Price:
- Non-Members: $3,300
- NWI/INDA Members: $2,500 (NOTE: If you are an NWI Member, please e-mail registrar@inda.org with your Member Name and Short Course title to register at the NWI Member Rate.)
- Group Discounts: If you have a group of 5 or more from your organization, the INDA/NWI Short Course Value Pack program enables organizations to purchase a block of registrations, which can be used by any combination of employees to register for any combination of training courses, at progressively discounted rates. Learn more.
Register Now Course Outline Instructor Q&A 2025 Short Courses
Course agenda and presenters subject to change. For questions about this course, email nonwovens@ncsu.edu.
This course is presented in partnership with:
Course Outline:
| TIME | TOPIC |
|---|---|
| September 9, 2025 | |
| 12:00-1:00 PM | Networking Lunch and Registration |
| 1:00-1:30 PM | Introductions and Course Overview |
| 1:30-3:30 PM | Product Development - Stage Gate Theory and Key Learnings |
| 3:30-3:45 PM | Coffee Break |
| 3:45-5:00 PM | Intellectual Property - Patents and Trademarks |
| September 10, 2025 | |
| 8:00-8:30 AM | Networking and Light Breakfast |
| 8:30-9:00 AM | Market Research and Marketing Strategy |
| 9:00-9:30 AM | Market Intel Example |
| 9:30-10:30 AM | Patent Search and Example |
| 10:30-11:15 AM | Case Studies In Product Development and Innovation |
| 11:15 AM-12:00 PM | Cost Model and Demostration |
| 12:00-1:00 PM | Networking Lunch |
| 1:00-2:00 PM | Testing, Characterization and Prototyping |
| 2:00-3:00 | Commercialization |
| 3:00-3:15 PM | Coffee Break |
| 3:15-4:00 PM | Design of Experiment - Intro and Practical Aspects |
| 4:00-5:00 PM | Wipes, Market Segments, Process Technologies and Requirements |
| 5:00-5:30 PM | Team Exercise (The group will be divided into two teams; each team will be assigned a mentor. Let the Competition Begin!) |
| 5:30-7:30 PM | Networking Reception |
| September 11, 2025 | |
| 8:00-8:30 AM | Networking and Light Breakfast |
| 8:30-10:00 AM | Team and Mentor Product Development Planning for the Day |
| 10:00 AM-12:00 PM | Hands-On Product Development In the Labs |
| 12:00-1:00 PM | Networking Lunch |
| 1:00-5:00 PM | Prototyping and Testing |
| September 12, 2025 | |
| 8:00-8:30 AM | Networking and Light Breakfast |
| 8:30-10:00 AM | Final Testing of Prototypes; Prepare Presentations |
| 10:00 AM-12:00 PM | Team Presentations |
| 12:00-1:00 PM | Networking Lunch |
| 1:00-1:30 PM | Q&A and Wrap Up |
