From pumps to partnership 
The collaboration began pragmatically: Spinnova needed pumps. But what they found in Sulzer was far more - a partner willing to learn, co-develop, challenge, and engineer entirely new process steps alongside them. 

Over the years, Sulzer supported Spinnova and its ecosystem companies in multiple critical phases of their growth. Already by 2020, Sulzer was engaged in process and layout design for Spinnova’s first textile fiber processes and later meant for contributing to the creation of a demo plant and research facility. These early steps built trust, and trust enabled ambition. 
 
Engineering the impossible 
Spinnova’s process is unlike any other fiber technology. It requires pumping, mixing, refining, dewatering, and handling an unconventional, highly viscous MFC mass, at scales the industry had not seen before. 

Sulzer stepped into that uncertainty with determination: Sulzer’s early involvement focused on pumping and mixing trials, layout design for the pilot plant, and supporting commissioning, followed by continuous optimization over the years. The year 2026 marks a new phase, as Spinnova brings together an ecosystem to scale Spinnova’s fibre technology innovation, where we contribute through in-kind support, specialist expertise, and dedicated workshops. 

Sulzer’s footprint is visible across almost every technical milestone: 

• Medium consistency pumping and mixing systems for multiple pulp types 
• SNS process pumps enabling water and condensate flows 
• Dynamic mixer for specialized mixing needs 
• Continuous dialogue on handling process challenges in a completely new industrial setting 

Sulzer was not just supplying equipment, they were helping define the process. 

Supporting scale-up and real industry impact 
When the first demo-scale facility producing wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre, Woodspin, was built, Sulzer supported project layout design, delivered agitators, tanks, pumps, and mixers and trained customer teams on pumping and mixing of MFC. 

Later on, Sulzer supported Spinnova in the creation of a piloting environment for MFC production for testing development ideas and to support optimization of a pilot plant.   

As Spinnova enters its next chapter, bringing its operations under one structure and forming an international ecosystem of partners, the focus now is on optimizing and streamlining the existing process, reducing energy consumption, and strengthening the case for future industry investment. 

None of this evolution would have been possible without the constant support Sulzer offered: expertise, piloting capacity, inkind engineering hours, and a willingness to experiment. 
 
Looking ahead: The 2026 collaboration framework 
Today, the partnership is more structured, more ambitious, and more collaborative than ever. The 2026 activity plan outlines joint: 

• Workshops to streamline and optimize the current pilot process 
• In-kind engineering support from Sulzer’s process specialists 
• Pumping & mixing tests 
• Heat exchange trials at Sulzer’s research center 
• Equipment availability for evolving needs

This collaboration goes beyond a conventional customer–supplier relationship; it is a true partnership built on shared goals and joint development. 
 
Shared vision: A cleaner textile future 
What binds Sulzer and Spinnova isn’t a contract - it’s conviction. A belief that the textile industry doesn’t have to choose between performance and sustainability. A belief that engineering can unlock radically new materials. A belief that industrial partnerships should feel less like transactions and more like shared journeys. 

Thanks to Sulzer’s support, Spinnova has strengthened its technology foundation and scaled its operations. And thanks to Spinnova, Sulzer continues to expand its role as a key enabler of sustainable industrial innovation. 

Together, they are not just building fiber. They are building a future where innovation, responsibility, and engineering excellence are interwoven into something strong enough to reshape an industry.