A technology covering the entire polyester fiber industry chain has won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award for the first time, marking a shift from single-point breakthroughs to systematic independent innovation in China's chemical fiber industry.
Technological Breakthroughs and Industrial Value
The project was led by Tongkun Group as the primary unit, collaborating with ten institutions including Donghua University and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University over more than a decade. Core breakthroughs span three dimensions: green manufacturing, intelligent manufacturing, and service-oriented manufacturing. In green manufacturing, the project pioneered a PTA-PET direct coupling low-carbon production model and developed environmentally friendly titanium-based catalysts, creating a full lifecycle low-carbon path from raw materials to products. In intelligent manufacturing, it achieved large-scale domestic substitution of DCS control systems, establishing an integrated process and quality management system. Service-oriented manufacturing, through a 'multi-head, multi-tail' polymerization technology platform, enables flexible customization of differentiated polyester fiber products and multi-region collaborative production.
To date, the project has formed a complete independent intellectual property system with 76 authorized invention patents, 10 software copyrights, and 14 national and industry standards. An expert panel of academicians has determined the overall technology to be at an internationally leading level. Results have been promoted in industrial bases in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Xinjiang, and in over 10 industry entities, with cumulative new sales exceeding 200 billion yuan, profits and taxes over 10 billion yuan, and export earnings of 1.8 billion US dollars. This data shows that technological dividends have already transmitted from the lab to the industrial end, substantially impacting the cost structure and product competitiveness of chemical fiber enterprises.
Signals of Industry Restructuring
Polyester fiber accounts for the largest share of China's chemical fiber output, with 70% of global chemical fiber produced in China. Over the past decade, 28 textile-related projects have won National Science and Technology Awards, but first prizes were mostly concentrated in sub-sectors like carbon fiber and intelligent printing. The award for the entire polyester fiber chain sends a clear policy signal: the state now gives highest recognition to technological upgrades in this 'industrial staple'.
For buyers, this means significantly improved stability and quality control at the upstream supply end. After project promotion, industry energy consumption and defect rates have dropped sharply, directly reducing quality risks for downstream fabric and garment enterprises. For chemical fiber factories, this 'China solution' provides a replicable digital transformation template, especially the localization of DCS, which will lower the cost of intelligent upgrades for small and medium enterprises.
Notably, the project also helped Tongkun Group be selected as one of the first national 'Zero-Waste Enterprise' cases and be recognized as a 'National Service-oriented Manufacturing Demonstration Enterprise'. This indicates that green manufacturing and circular economy will become core competitiveness indicators for chemical fiber enterprises. When exporting to markets like the EU with strict carbon footprint requirements, suppliers with such technology endorsements will have a clear advantage.
Demonstration Effect of Industry-Academia Collaboration
Another highlight of this award is that Donghua University simultaneously won the People's Republic of China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. Professor Elsa Reichmanis from Lehigh University, USA, was honored for her long-term promotion of Sino-US scientific cooperation and deep involvement in Donghua's fiber materials discipline. She has served as academic committee chair for multiple international conferences on advanced fibers and polymer materials, co-trained several national talent program awardees with Donghua, and co-published 18 high-level papers.
This depth of international cooperation means China's chemical fiber technology breakthroughs are not developed in isolation but are built on global academic frontiers. For foreign trade enterprises, this 'international endorsement' helps alleviate overseas clients' doubts about the independence of Chinese technology, especially in marketing high-end differentiated polyester fiber products.