The Nonwovens Institute’s (NWI’s) Spring 2025 Industrial Advisory Board Meeting will be held May 13-14 on the Centennial Campus of NC State University.
The semi-annual IAB meeting is where NWI’s member companies gather with faculty and student researchers to review the latest results from the consortium’s portfolio of industry-identified nonwovens research projects. This is an opportunity for member companies, government agencies, faculty and students to engage around some of the fundamental challenges facing the nonwovens industry today. The IAB meeting will feature the presentation of the latest findings from NWI’s pre-competitive nonwovens research portfolio, along with poster sessions, tours of NWI’s state-of-the-art pilot- and lab-scale nonwoven production and testing facilities, and a variety of networking events.
5 Reasons to Attend the IAB
- Review the latest findings from NWI’s industry-identified research portfolio.
- Network with leaders in the nonwovens industry.
- Help shape the consortium’s research project portfolio as it evolves.
- Connect with top talent in nonwovens subject matter areas to support your company’s recruiting initiatives.
- Gain a better understanding of the fundamental challenges facing the nonwovens industry today and as we look toward the future.
IAB Schedule: May 13-14, 2025
May 13
- IAB Introductions and NWI Student Awards Ceremony: May 13, 8:00–9:00 am (Convocation Center, Wilson College of Textiles)
- The meeting will kick off with attendee introductions followed by an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding presentations from the Fall 2024 IAB meeting.
- IAB Student Research Presentations: May 13, 9:00 am–4:30 pm (Convocation Center, Wilson College of Textiles)
- NWI student researchers present their latest findings. Ample time will be provided to allow attendees to evaluate each presentation, ensuring the projects receive necessary feedback and are well prepared for next steps.
- IAB Member Introductions: May 13, 12:00–1:30 pm (Convocation Center, Wilson College of Textiles)
- Several NWI member companies will present on their capabilities as they relate to nonwovens, providing attendees an opportunity to learn about their fellow members.
- IAB Faculty Proposal Pitch and Poster Session: May 13, 5:00–6:00 pm (The Clubhouse at Lonnie Poole Golf Course on NC State’s Centennial Campus)
- NWI principal investigators (PIs) will pitch prospective new projects in poster format – an excellent way to learn more about the projects that will be presented to the consortium for future funding.
- IAB Networking Reception: May 13, 6:00–8:30 pm (The Clubhouse at Lonnie Poole Golf Course on NC State’s Centennial Campus)
- This is the IAB meeting’s premier networking event, where attendees will gather to engage in conversation while enjoying drinks, hors d’oeuvres and wonderful views of the university golf course and Raleigh skyline.
May 14
- IAB Student Research Presentations: May 14, 8:00–11:30 am (Convocation Center, Wilson College of Textiles)
- The research project presentations continue through the first half of Wednesday May 14.
- IAB Student Poster Session: May 14, 11:30 am–1:30 pm (Convocation Center, Wilson College of Textiles)
- Upon conclusion of the research project presentations, students will present posters highlighting their work. Take this time to interact directly with the students and learn more about the projects that have been presented during the meeting. New NWI student researchers will also be presenting posters, so attendees can learn about upcoming projects as well.
- IAB Research Project Review/NWI Business Update: May 14, 1:30–4:30 pm (Convocation Center, Wilson College of Textiles)
- The Research Project Review session is perhaps the most important element of the meeting, as this is where NWI members will discuss the projects that have been presented and finalize evaluations. This candid forum is critical to ensuring the projects are evolving in an optimal way. The results of this discussion will also determine the NWI Student Awards for Best Technical, Best Presentation and Best Overall. Following the project review, NWI will provide an update on the institute’s recent activities and business operations.
- NWI Pilot and Lab Facility Tour: May 14, 4:45–5:30 pm (NWI Labs)
- The IAB meeting concludes with a tour of NWI’s state-of-the-art fabrication and testing labs. The tour will cover NWI’s large pilot-scale Meltblown, Spunbond and Staple labs, as well as the Fiber and Polymer Science, Analytical and Physical Testing and Filtration Testing labs. If you have a specific technology platform or test method you would like to discuss during your time at the IAB meeting, please email us at nonwovens@ncsu.edu. We will be happy to customize a tour focused on your specific areas of interest.
What’s New?
- New Research Presentations Include:
- “Thermo-Rehological Behavior of Biopolymer and Biopolymer Blends,” Sarvesh Nadkarni, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NC State
- “Understanding and Improving Charge Retention in PLA Meltblown Fabrics,” Negar (Nora) Karimian Ardestani, Fiber and Polymer Science, NC State
- “Development of Deep Learning-Based Nonwoven Uniformity Analysis,” Mingwei Gao, Textile Engineering, NC State
- “Single-Shot Polarization Imaging of Defects in Fiber Spinning,” Hossam Elnaggar, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NC State
- Faculty Proposal Pitch and Poster Session:
- This session builds upon the success of the Faculty Poster Session and Networking Reception introduced at the Fall 2024 IAB meeting … but with a bit of twist. Rather than focusing on their research interests in general, principal investigators (PIs) will be presenting posters and pitching new research topics for future funding. This dynamic exchange will kick off the IAB Networking Reception, helping IAB participants gain a better understanding of the research projects currently under consideration.
- IAB Networking Reception Moves Back to Day One
- In response to feedback from our attendee survey following the Fall 2024 IAB, the IAB Networking Reception will be moved back to day one of the meeting. This timing was preferred by the majority of meeting participants. And with the Faculty Proposal Pitch and Poster Session leading into the reception, we feel attendees will have much to discuss with their industry peers during the networking session.
If you are a current NWI member and would like to register for the IAB meeting, please contact Jimei Wang at jwang41@ncsu.edu or +1 919-515-6582.
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