The Chinese textile industry achieved a historic moment at the 2025 National Science and Technology Awards: the project 'Key Technologies for Green and Intelligent Manufacturing of Polyester Fiber Industry Chain,' led by Tongkun Group and involving ten institutions including Donghua University, won the First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. This marks the first time a general fiber full-industry-chain technology has reached the highest national honor, signaling that China's independent innovation capability in the 'industrial staple' sector has entered the global first tier.
Technical Breakthrough: From Single-Point Improvement to Full-Chain Reconstruction
The project pioneered a PTA-PET direct-coupled low-carbon manufacturing model, fundamentally changing the energy-intensive, high-emission process of traditional polyester production. The application of environmentally friendly titanium-based catalysts replaced traditional heavy metal catalysts, reducing environmental risks at the source. On the smart manufacturing front, the project achieved large-scale domestic substitution of DCS control systems, enabling full-process automation from raw material input to finished product packaging. The 'multi-head, multi-tail' series-parallel composite polymerization technology platform enables a single production line to produce multiple differentiated varieties simultaneously, significantly enhancing flexible manufacturing capabilities.
This technology system integrates materials science, information intelligence, and mechanical engineering, forming a complete intellectual property matrix covering 76 invention patents, 10 software copyrights, and 14 national and industry standards. Expert panels have assessed the overall technology as internationally leading. For buyers, this means significantly improved product quality stability, delivery reliability, and customization capabilities.
Industrial Implementation: Supply Chain Transformation Behind 200 Billion Sales
The technology has been implemented in industrial bases in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Xinjiang, as well as in more than ten enterprises. Cumulative new sales exceed 200 billion yuan, with profits and taxes over 10 billion yuan and export earnings of US$1.8 billion. For downstream fabric and apparel companies, the green and low-carbon transformation of upstream polyester fiber means a reduced carbon footprint across the entire supply chain, which will become a core competitive factor as the EU's CBAM takes effect.
The Paradigm of Industry-University Collaboration
The project, led by Donghua University researcher Wang Huaping with deep involvement from academician Zhu Meifang, and in cooperation with Tongkun Group, represents a decade of collaborative research. This model of 'university R&D + leading enterprise transformation + multi-enterprise promotion' provides a replicable innovation path for the Chinese textile industry. Donghua University also received the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award, further confirming China's open stance in global textile science collaboration.