FENC Wins Dual Honors of the 22nd National Innovation Awards and the 2025 National Innovation Advancement Awards

Far Eastern Group R&D Center (referred to as “R&D Center” below) has achieved another milestone in the field of innovation with receiving two prestigious awards: the 22nd National Innovation Award and the 2025 National Innovation Advancement Award which recognize Far Eastern New Century’s(FENC’s) leadership in circular economy and green materials innovation.

On December 17, Executive Vice President Dr. Fanny Liao represented R&D Center of FENC at the award ceremony. (Photo Credit: Research Center for Biotechnology and Medicine Policy)

Winner of the National Innovation Award: High-Value Materials Driving Textile and Footwear Recycling 

With the rise of fast fashion, over 40 million tons of textile waste and 300 million pairs of shoes are generated globally each year. Due to complex material compositions, most of shoes and textile wastes end up in landfills or incinerators. Far Eastern New Century set a goal of “single polyester system, fully recyclable” for textiles and shoes and developed recycled thermoplastic polyester elastomer (rTPEE) using PET bottles as raw materials. This innovation replaces non-polyester components in shoes and textiles, enabling polyester chemical recycling after disposal and reprocessing into new apparels and footwears to realize true circularity.

By enabling the use of recycled resources, rTPEE helps reduce carbon emissions and wastes, while elevating the value of recycled materials, empowering brands to achieve net-zero goals. Furthermore, Far Eastern New Century partnered with French brand Salomon to launch the world’s first river tracing shoes featuring rTPEE midsoles, successfully commercializing the technology and opening a new chapter in sustainable shoe materials.

Upgrading Recycling Technology for Next-Level Carbon Reduction

The second award-winning technology is the continuous advancement of TOPGREEN® ChemCycle process, a textile chemical recycling technology. The process now incorporates BHET as products, solving the issue of by-product waste produced from the previous process. The new product, recycled Bis(2-HydroxyEthyl) Terephthalate (rBHET), can be directly repolymerized into rPET and has potentials to develop diverse high-value polyester materials. Compared to conventional virgin PET, rPET produced by this technology reduces carbon emissions by 23%.

With the pilot production line now expanded and the demo plant under construction, Far Eastern New Century is collaborating with multiple brands to validate the feasibility of recycling various polyester waste streams while meeting quality requirements for versatile applications. This patented technology not only avoids high energy consumption and complex purification steps but also demonstrates strong market potentials. Looking ahead, Far Eastern New Century will actively apply for international patents to build a comprehensive intellectual property protection network.

Far Eastern New Century’s Commitment to Sustainability

Far Eastern New Century will continue to focus on resource circularity and low-carbon technology development. The company will actively promote innovative applications and collaborate across the industry to build a complete sustainable ecosystem. We believe that through technological advancement and cross-sector partnerships, the implementation of circular economy can be accelerated. These efforts will create tangible impacts on global carbon reduction and environmental protection, achieving a win-win solution for corporate growth and social responsibility while moving toward a greener future.