From the beginnings of the current pandemic in China in late 2019 to the present, our industry has responded swiftly to provide the vital personal protective equipment (PPE) needed by frontline workers and the public. By forming partnerships, increasing production and developing new products, it has contributed significantly to help prevent the uncontrolled spread of the virus responsible. Editor Nick Butler picks the as-yet unfinished story of HeiQ’s commercialisation of a new anti-viral textile treatment as a prime example among many impressive achievements.

As the  covid-19 pandemic began to take its toll in the USA from late February 2020, medical facilities rapidly became overwhelmed with patients, existing stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) were exhausted and global supply chains broke down. Happily, local textile manufacturers were able to adapt their output to compensate for shortages. John McCurry tells the stories of a few of them.

Concerns about our ability to feed everyone as the world’s population continues to expand are creating opportunities for agrotextiles, according to Sarah Gibbons and Keith Nuthall, but the next generation of such products must be developed to reduce their overall burden on the environment.