A textile chemical fiber project led by an enterprise has claimed the top honor at the 2025 National Science and Technology Awards. The First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, announced on July 8, was granted to the 'Key Technologies for Green and Intelligent Manufacturing of Polyester Fiber Chain' project, jointly completed by Tongkun Group, Donghua University, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, and seven other institutions. This is not a lab concept; it has been implemented in industrial bases across Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Xinjiang, generating over 200 billion RMB in new sales.
Industrial Logic: Why Polyester Fiber?
Polyester fiber accounts for the largest share of China's chemical fiber output, with the country producing 70% of global capacity. This means upgrading polyester fiber technology is not a niche optimization but a reinforcement of the entire textile industry's foundation. The PTA-PET direct coupling model reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions, easing the structural conflict between grain and cotton cultivation. On the manufacturing side, full-process automation and localization of DCS control systems reduce dependence on imported equipment. Industry data shows the project has significantly lowered energy consumption and defect rates, generating over 10 billion RMB in profits and taxes and 1.8 billion USD in export earnings.
Technology Penetration: Three Dimensions Restructure the Chain
The team spent over a decade integrating green, smart, and service-oriented manufacturing. In green manufacturing, environmentally friendly titanium-based catalysts replace antimony-based ones, reducing heavy metal pollution; the invention of crude oil-based fiber oil eliminates reliance on imported products. In smart manufacturing, localized DCS systems give factories control over core operations. In service-oriented manufacturing, the 'multi-head, multi-tail' series-parallel polymerization platform enables flexible production of differentiated polyester fiber products, offering downstream fabric and apparel companies shorter lead times and lower customization thresholds.
Industry-Academia Collaboration: From Lab to Industrial Belt
Lead researcher Wang Huaping from Donghua University and Professor Zhu Meifang's team were deeply involved, but it was Tongkun Group that scaled the technology. Tongkun's production bases in Tongxiang, Shuyang, and Alar became testbeds. The results have been rolled out at over 10 enterprises, forming a replicable 'China solution.' Tongkun was named a national 'Zero-Waste Enterprise' and a National Excellent Smart Manufacturing Demonstration Factory. This model of 'university provides intelligence, enterprise provides scenarios' is becoming a standard path for tech breakthroughs in textile chemicals.
International Vision: Cooperation Award Reflects Discipline Influence
Alongside the First Prize, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award was given to Professor Elsa Reichmanis, chair of the International Advisory Committee of Donghua's State Key Laboratory for Advanced Fiber Materials. The US academician has long promoted US-China collaboration in fiber materials. Donghua is the only university to win both top national honors in this ceremony, signaling that China's textile discipline is shifting from technology import to technology export, boosting global academic influence.
Industry Implications: How to Convert Tech Dividends?
For buyers, mature polyester fiber chain technology means more stable upstream supply and greater product differentiation. The 'multi-head, multi-tail' flexible manufacturing model significantly speeds up response to non-standard orders. For foreign trade companies, the $1.8 billion export figure shows this technology is globally competitive. However, tech diffusion takes time; core results are currently concentrated in leading enterprises, leaving a gap for smaller factories.