This month’s patent alert highlights innovations of selected OEKO-TEX® STeP certified companies to illustrate that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.

PRG PROJECTS NV, an Ostend-based company, has created a unique inflatable structure to display images 360° visibly. The innovative design of this structure demonstrates the leading position of Belgian companies in advanced entertainment technology.

The current innovation pertains to floor covering yarns that display diverse characteristics along their entire length, as well as techniques and equipment for manufacturing such yarns.

The Centexbel patent-cell conducted a search inspired by the EPO "Patent Index 2023" and its specific report for Belgium, focusing on patents from Belgian companies related to textiles and plastics published in the last year.

This month’s selection highlights the wide range of applications for fiber reinforced plastics or composites from mobility, to renewable energy production and safety.

Artificial turf mat and manufacturing method for better shock-absorbance, draining, without formation of microplastics.

Patent filings at the EPO were up 2.9%, as innovation accelerated in the areas of digital and green transformation. Europe's technology market remains attractive globally, with filings from P.R. China and R. Korea seeing the greatest absolute growth. The new Unitary Patent also proved popular with applicants around the world.

Covering the topic of circular textiles and plastics, the patent selection of this month starts with textiles and plastics obtained from renewable sources.

The invention relates to a weaving machine that includes an insertion element, such as a gripper, and a device for selecting and presenting weft threads to the insertion element.

Upwardly extending posts are well-known and commonly utilized in the construction of fences or as a form of collision protection. These posts are positioned on a surface within a building, such as a warehouse, or on a paved area like a parking lot.