The South Korean fibre major is betting that bio-based stretch materials need infrastructure, not just brand interest, to move from niche adoption to mainstream apparel use.
Hyosung TNC used the Global Fashion Summit 2026 in Copenhagen to position its bio-based spandex platform as a scalable alternative to fossil-based elastane, highlighting a nearly $1 billion investment in an integrated production system in Vietnam. The summit, held May 5–7 under the theme “Building Resilient Futures,” brought together fashion, sustainability and finance leaders focused on practical decarbonisation pathways.
From sugarcane to stretch fibre
Hyosung’s central message was that lower-impact stretch fibres cannot scale through material substitution alone. The company’s Vietnam platform is designed to connect sugarcane-derived inputs, bio-BDO, bio-PTMG and ultimately bio spandex within one value chain. Its sugarcane feedstock is being linked to verified sourcing through the VIVE platform, giving brands a clearer chain of custody for renewable raw material claims.
For apparel brands, the commercial relevance is direct. Elastane remains essential in activewear, sportswear, compression garments, underwear and performance fashion, where stretch, recovery and durability cannot easily be compromised. Hyosung says its bio elastane is engineered to match the performance demanded in these applications while reducing reliance on fossil-derived inputs.
Why recycled spandex is not enough
During the summit panel “The Decarbonisation Pathway: Transitions and Turning Points,” Hyosung TNC Vice President of Marketing Sora Yoo argued that recycled spandex has structural limits. Much of today’s lower-impact elastane relies on pre-consumer waste, which remains fossil-based in origin and is constrained by the volume of manufacturing waste available.
That limitation explains Hyosung’s push toward upstream bio-based chemistry. The company is not only marketing a fibre; it is attempting to build the production infrastructure required for brands to source bio-based stretch at industrial scale.
Cost remains the adoption barrier
Price perception remains the main obstacle. Hyosung executives stressed that broader adoption will require collaboration across fibre producers, brands, retailers and consumers, particularly if buyers continue to judge new materials mainly against conventional fossil-based alternatives.
The next test will be commercial uptake: whether major brands are willing to commit volume, pay the transitional premium and integrate bio-based spandex into mainstream collections rather than limited sustainability capsules.
