Hyosung TNC Partners With Geno In Development Of BIO Spandex: Hyosung TNC, the world’s largest spandex manufacturer, has joined forces with sustainable materials leader Geno to construct facilities in Vietnam for producing BIO BDO from sugarcane, starting in Q2 2026.
BDO, a key ingredient in spandex production, is traditionally made from fossil fuels. However, with Geno’s plant-based BDO technology, which uses sugars from sugarcane, Hyosung aims to create a more sustainable alternative.
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This partnership establishes the world’s first fully integrated site for bio-based spandex production, from raw material to fiber. The project plans to produce 50,000 tons of BIO BDO annually by the second half of 2026, with a potential expansion to 200,000 tons/year to meet industry demands.
Sora Yoo, Hyosung’s Chief Marketing Officer for Textiles, emphasized the goal of increasing production efficiency, meeting customer needs faster, and reducing the carbon footprint across the value chain with regen™ BIO Spandex.
Geno, based in San Diego, CA, is a leader in biotechnology, specializing in sustainable materials. Its technology replaces fossil fuels with plant-based resources, offering supply chain resilience and sustainability benefits to global brands like Lululemon and Unilever.
John Gugel, Geno’s president, highlighted the partnership’s significance in accelerating the transition to responsible and transparent supply chains.
Hyosung anticipates up to an 80% reduction in carbon footprint for its regen™ BIO Spandex by 2026, with no differences in physical properties compared to spandex made from fossil fuels. The company has received international certifications for its BIO-spandex production process.
With a $1 billion investment in its BIO BDO business, Hyosung reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable future, continuing to provide customers with regen™ BIO Spandex while transitioning to the new product by 2026.
