Care Applications Wins the National QIA Award Thanks to CLOSE-N® Technology

We are delighted to share exciting news. Romano Campese, CTO, and Carmina Ferri, CEO of Care Applications, received the National QIA Award last Monday 17th at the CSIC in Madrid, in the category Innovation in Microenterprises & Startups, thanks to our CLOSE-N® technology, supported by Rafael Escamillas and IVACE. We will proudly represent Spain in the international phase of the #QualityInnovationAward.

CLOSE-N® is a modular system that we customise and adapt to existing machinery to extend its useful life and make it more efficient. It enables dyeing processes in a controlled inert atmosphere (without oxygen, replaced by nitrogen) using reducing dyes, achieving:

• Significant chemical savings
• Higher process quality
• Lower pollutant load in wastewater
• A reduction in water consumption of 25% to 35%

More information:

CLOSE-N®

This award strengthens our commitment to a more ethical and future-oriented textile industry. We thank the QIA committee, CEX, collaborating organisations, and our clients and partners for their support. Congratulations as well to the other winners:

Imatek Advanced Technologies: Potential Innovation

CFAA - Advanced Manufacturing Centre for Aeronautics: Circular Economy

OSI Donostialdea ESI: Healthcare Sector

Politeknika Txorierri: Education Sector

Auziker | K9 Training Kits: Public Sector

Laboratorios Ojer Pharma: SME

Dragados SA: Large Company

Honourable mentions:

PANSSARI

Ibersyd | Iber Sustainability and Development

Hospital Gregorio Marañón

Smowltech - Proctoring Solutions

Centro San Luis

Asesor Virtual Zazú

Proteckthor

Celestia

Etecnic

Vexiza

TSK Electrónica y Electricidad

FROM WINE TO FASHION: CARE APPLICATIONS AND LEBIU TURN CORK WASTE INTO ECO-FRIENDLY TEXTILES THANKS TO ECOFINISH® TECHNOLOGY

Do vinho à moda: os teus próximos sapatos, casaco ou mala podem ser feitos de cortiça reciclada – uma alternativa ecológica, renovável e vegana ao couro tradicional.

Uma nova linha de tecidos a partir de resíduos de cortiça

Quase todas as garrafas de vinho abertas hoje contêm uma rolha de cortiça. Este material, muitas vezes ignorado, é um dos “supermateriais” naturais mais versáteis. Agora, um número crescente de designers e tecnólogos têxteis está a reutilizá-lo para dar vida a novos tecidos sustentáveis.

No âmbito de uma colaboração europeia entre a Lebiu Design, uma empresa de design inovadora sediada na Sardenha, e a equipa de processamento têxtil ecológico da Care Applications (Alcoi, Espanha), nasce NanoCork, uma linha de tecidos e peles veganas feitas a partir de resíduos de cortiça.

Tecnologia inovadora e ética

A NanoCork utiliza a tecnologia ECOFinish, desenvolvida pela Care Applications, que permite aplicar acabamentos naturais sem imersão em água, com uso mínimo de produtos químicos e energia. Graças a um sistema de atomização, a solução de cortiça é distribuída de forma controlada sobre o tecido, garantindo alta qualidade e reprodutibilidade do acabamento. Esta tecnologia foi concebida para se adaptar aos sistemas de produção já existentes.

Resultados do apoio do projeto ELIIT

Graças ao apoio do projeto europeu ELIIT, a Lebiu pôde implementar a tecnologia da Care Applications no seu laboratório na Sardenha e preparar a sua entrada no mercado com novos produtos em bio-denim. O financiamento de e o apoio técnico permitiram que a tecnologia passasse de um nível de demonstração (TRL 6) para um sistema pronto para o mercado (TRL 8).

O NanoCork demonstra como a inovação sustentável pode unir tecnologia, design e economia circular para transformar a indústria da moda, gerando alternativas ao couro sem prejudicar animais nem ecossistemas.

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE LAB: SUSTAINABLE CO-CREATION WITH THE EASD VALENCIA MASTER’S PROGRAM

Care Applications opens its doors to the next generation of designers to promote responsible innovation through collaboration.

On April 12, Care Applications welcomed the students and faculty of the Master’s in Co-Design for Fashion and Sustainability at EASD Valencia to its facilities, in a day dedicated to the exchange of knowledge, hands-on experimentation, and the promotion of a new vision of textile design grounded in co-creation and real sustainability.

The visit, led by Carmina Ferri, CEO of Care Applications, allowed the students to learn first-hand about our ecological finishing technologies such as ECOFinish (dye atomization with zero discharge) and Close-N, an innovative reduction dyeing system that removes oxygen through nitrogen introduction. Both technologies represent a clean, reproducible shift in the industry by offering sustainable alternatives to highly polluting processes.

They also had the opportunity to see our new sampling machine, UNO 1, in operation—a tool that enables real production parameters to be simulated at small scale, essential for quality control and industrial optimization before scaling up.

Education and industry: essential partnerships for real change

We believe sustainability in fashion cannot be addressed in isolation; it requires dialogue between industry, designers, scientists, and educational institutions. Encounters like this allow future designers not just to visit a company, but to co-create with us, ask challenging questions, and bring fresh perspectives.

Co-creating to transform

Today’s environmental, social, and economic challenges demand innovative, viable, and ethical responses. These solutions emerge from the intersection of design and technology. Training future designers with this collaborative mindset from the academic level is key to driving disruptive solutions aligned with the real needs of the planet and the sector.

We thank the EASD Valencia Master’s in Fashion and Sustainability for their visit and reaffirm our commitment to supporting emerging talent, shared research, and building networks between companies, universities, and designers.

Only by co-creating can we build a fairer, more circular, and future-ready textile industry.

REMANUFACTURING WASTE: A NEW SHADE OF BLUE FOR THE FUTURE OF FASHION

ECOFinish makes it possible to transform denim waste into new garments without generating additional waste.

The project A New Kind of Blue, led by designers Tim van der Loo and Sandra Nicoline Nielsen, proposes a radically new way of understanding textile waste: not as refuse, but as a raw material with aesthetic, functional and sustainable potential. At Care Applications, we supported this circular and zero-waste innovation by contributing our ECOFinish atomization technology to optimize and add value to the process.

Recycled denim, treated with intention

It all begins with discarded jeans collected locally in Berlin. These garments are broken down into fibers through shredding, soaking and blending. The result is a new fleece-like material that can be worked by hand or through industrial processes.

Using a digital industrial embroidery system, specific areas of the textile are reinforced, which then become the pattern pieces for the new garments. The unreinforced zones dissolve during washing—and those fibers can be reused—creating a closed-loop production chain with no waste.

This unique approach required an equally innovative finishing method. ECOFinish, our atomization system, enabled the application of dyes and functional finishes without generating wastewater, which was essential for maintaining the project’s circular integrity.

Textile research with 45 samples and 4 final finishes

Within the framework of the Re-FREAM European project, we collaborated with the A New Kind of Blue team to design and test 45 recycled material samples, applying different ECOFinish treatments. Four finishes were ultimately selected for the final collection.

This stage was crucial for understanding how this new material reacts to different finishes: we analyzed shrinkage behavior, fiber loss, and product absorption. Atomization ensured precise, uniform and residue-free application, even on heterogeneous textile surfaces.

Garments that redefine waste

The final collection includes jumpsuits, jackets, trousers, shorts, caps, and a bag, all produced in Berlin and dyed in Valencia. Three versions of the new material were used: New Blue Industry Basis, New Blue Craft Basis, and New Blue Craft Black.

Each piece is proof that design, technology, and sustainability can work together to build a new model for textile production.

By preserving the value of post-consumer denim, the project not only prevents it from ending up in landfills, but also reduces the need for new materials—saving significant amounts of water and energy compared to conventional textile production.

A new collaborative model

At Care Applications, we especially value how this project reconfigures the textile system as a whole: from local waste sourcing, to circular processes, to collaborative production with small studios and independent designers.

GARMENTS THAT AWAKEN THE SENSES: THE BOTANICAL REVOLUTION OF ALEXANDER BELLO

The power of natural scent and color come together in a new textile experience thanks to ECOFinish technology.

Within the European project Re-FREAM, designer Alexander Bello has shaped an innovative and deeply sensorial proposal: Neo Botanical Tailoring. His idea starts from a premise that is both simple and revolutionary: what if clothing were not only worn, but also felt, smelled, and capable of influencing our mood?

At Care Applications, we supported this vision by taking our ECOFinish atomization technology to the next level. Together with Bello, we developed processes that allow natural dyes and aromatic microcapsules to be applied directly onto fabrics and finished garments, reducing environmental impact while enhancing the sensory well-being of the user.

Clothing that smells, cares, and evokes emotion

The collection combines natural plant-based dyes — such as lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, beetroot, or thyme — with microencapsulated essential oils that are released through friction. The result is a series of garments that awaken emotions: a linen jacket with a lavender scent, a two-piece suit dyed and scented with thyme, or a laser-printed tie infused with eucalyptus essence. A 3D-printed structure with an integrated diffuser was also created to re-scent the garments at home or at local care points.

Thanks to ECOFinish, these processes use minimal water and energy, unlike traditional natural dyeing, which requires large volumes and high temperatures. This enables more efficient, cleaner production that can be scaled industrially.

Deep research, local impact

One of the greatest achievements of this project was translating traditional knowledge — such as the ancestral use of aromatic plants — into contemporary and scalable textile processes. Tests were conducted with different mordants and fabrics (cotton, linen, wool) to achieve a harmonious and stable color palette. Each plant selected was analyzed for both its dyeing potential and aromatic profile, resulting in a multifunctional finish that goes beyond aesthetics.

The project also fostered dialogue between design, technology, and local agriculture, integrating crop waste (such as olive leaves or citrus peels) as a resource for sustainable fashion.

A new way of making: multisensory and circular

In Neo Botanical Tailoring, every stitch releases fragrance, transforming not only the experience of the wearer, but also that of the artisan who creates the garment. This emotional and experiential dimension proposes a new narrative for the fashion industry: one where sensory pleasure, personal care, and sustainability coexist.

Additionally, by incorporating natural repellent properties — such as lavender’s protection against moths — these garments not only enhance well-being but also extend their lifespan, offering a real solution to sustainability challenges in the textile sector.

This project opens the door to new business models based on well-being, localized personalization, and circularity.

At Care Applications, we continue to champion collaborations that merge technology, ethics, and emotion.

Photography by Geray Mena.

FASHION TO DISASSEMBLE AND REASSEMBLE: THE MODULAR SYSTEM OF ELISABETH JAYOT

Within the framework of the European Re-FREAM program, Care Applications has collaborated with French designer Elisabeth Jayot on her innovative project Fragments Garments, a proposal that aims to radically transform the textile production model through modular design, on-demand customization, and the use of sustainable technologies.

Circular fashion from fragments: a new design logic

For Jayot, sustainability is not only about garment durability but also about their ability to transform. Her approach envisions clothing as a system of assembleable pieces—like a puzzle—that the user can freely disassemble and recombine. In this way, fashion becomes evolutionary, interactive, and more aligned with the changing needs of its wearer.

ECOFinish technology: innovation at the service of design

The use of atomization in Fragments Garments allowed natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, wool, and Piñatex® to be dyed with minimal environmental impact. Additionally, successful dyeing tests were conducted on 3D-printed components, opening new possibilities for creating modular, customizable elements that can be dyed later according to trends or aesthetic preferences.

This ability to dye both fabrics and rigid components within the same production system consolidates the project’s modular vision, offering designers and brands a versatile and environmentally friendly technological solution.

An open, adaptable, and decentralized system

One of Jayot’s most original developments is her “Plug & Play” anchoring system, which allows garments to be assembled without technical knowledge or tools. This logic facilitates repair, adaptation, or upgrading of garments by the end user.

Moreover, the project presents a real alternative to outsourced mass production, proposing a network of urban micro-factories inspired by Fablabs, where modular digital patterns are downloaded, produced locally, and customized according to the user. This concept could completely redefine the textile supply chain.

A model for the future

At Care Applications, we celebrate the Fragments Garments approach as a tangible example of how technology applied with a circular mindset can lead to new, more sustainable, inclusive, and creative consumption patterns. Collaborations like this reinforce our mission to develop responsible solutions for the textile sector of the future.

As Care Applications’ CTO Romano Campese states: “Elisabeth’s work has shown that it is possible to design modular, personalized, and zero-waste garments thanks to a deep understanding of materials and finishing technologies such as atomization. The result is a collection that is beautiful, functional, and sustainable.”