China's textile industry achieved a major milestone in 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 with ten partners including Donghua University, won the First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. This marks the first time the industry has reached this top honor in the full industrial chain of general-purpose fibers since carbon fiber technology won in 2017. The project generated over 200 billion yuan in new sales, more than 10 billion yuan in profits and taxes, and $1.8 billion in export earnings, while significantly reducing energy consumption and defect rates. These figures indicate that China's chemical fiber industry has moved from single-point breakthroughs to a systematic, self-reliant capability.
Background
Polyester fiber is the "industrial staple" of textiles, with China producing 70% of global chemical fiber, of which polyester ranks first. Upgrading this industry directly addresses the conflict between grain and cotton land use, industry chain security, and carbon neutrality goals. The project was led by Donghua University researcher Wang Huaping, with deep involvement from Academician Zhu Meifang and others, collaborating with Tongkun Group and other leading firms over a decade of research. It built an autonomous advanced manufacturing system with breakthroughs in green, intelligent, and service-oriented manufacturing.
Specifically, the project pioneered a direct PTA-PET low-carbon coupling model, developed eco-friendly titanium catalysts, established full lifecycle green standards, completed full-process automation upgrades, and replaced imported DCS control systems with domestic ones, forming a replicable "China solution" for intelligent manufacturing. Through a "multi-head multi-tail" series-parallel polymerization platform, it enabled agile production of differentiated products. To date, the project has formed a complete IP portfolio with 76 invention patents, 10 software copyrights, and 14 national/industry standards, with overall technology certified as internationally leading.
Industry Impact
The value of this award lies not only in the technology but also in its industrial application. Results have been rolled out in industrial bases in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Xinjiang, and at over ten industry players, driving upgrades across the entire chain from raw materials to end products. For downstream buyers, this means more stable supply, lower energy costs, and higher quality differentiated products. For foreign trade firms, the $1.8 billion export earnings show that China's polyester fiber competitiveness is shifting from scale to technology.
Notably, Professor Elsa Reichmanis, chair of the International Advisory Committee of Donghua University's State Key Laboratory for Advanced Fiber Materials, received the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. This U.S. National Academy of Engineering member has focused on semiconductor materials and flexible electronics, collaborating with Donghua since 2013 on joint training, publications, and international conferences. Her award reflects the rising global voice of China's fiber science and lays a foundation for future cross-border tech collaborations.