Innovation: Product Development with Tencel (1985-94)

Work with potential customers started in secret in October 1985 based on Coventry pilot plant Tencel.  All the developments to 1994 were organised by Courtaulds Research in conjunction with sales offices outside the UK and Tencel sales. 
There's a bias to nonwovens and technical textiles here because I have little information on the development of apparel textiles. Comments and additional information from those involved is welcome as always!

1985:

Products:  Hydroentangled dry-laid nonwovens, woven Tencel gauze

Markets:  Surgical Swabs (cotton gauze replacement)

Partners:  Chicopee USA,  Johnson and Johnson

Key Players:  Alton Bassett, Eric Attle (CNA)
Products:  Hydroentangled Coverstock (Topsheet)

Markets:  Diapers, Femcare

Partners:  Unicharm (Japan)

Key Players:  Migaku Suzuki,
1986:

Products: Hydroentangled Nonwovens

Markets:  Disposable Wipes

Partners:  Chicopee NV, Johnson and Johnson

Key Players:  Derek Rochford, John Elves

Products: Thermal bonded nonwovens

Markets:  Interlinings

Partner:  BFF Nonwovens

Key Players:  Taki Tyropolis, Bill Kennard
Products: Thermal bonded nonwovens

Markets:  Wipes

Partners:  J W Suominen

Key Players: Jorma Suominen, Esa Paltaala

Products:  Wet-laid nonwovens/Special Papers

Markets: Abaca replacement, tea-bags, food casings
Partners: JR Crompton (UK)
Key Players: Brian Tomkinson, Ivan Gbur
Products: Wet-laid nonwovens
Markets: Drapes/Gowns/Central Sterilising Room Wrap
Partners:  Dexter USA
Key Players: Alan Meierhofer
Products: Latex bonded nonwovens
Markets:  Disposable Wipes
Partners:  International Paper,
Key Players:  Zoltan Mate, Eric Attle (CNA)
Products: Thermal bonded (Powder Bonding)

Markets:  High Loft absorbents

Partners:  Bonar Carelle

Key Players:  ?
1987:

Products: Wet-Laid Nonwovens

Markets:  Wet-Wipes (Viscose replacement - low odour)

Partners:  Stora Kopparberg

Key Players:  Stefan Fors, Peter Fredericks
Products:  Modified Apertured Fabrics

Markets:  "J-Cloths" (polyester replacement), Swabs

Partners:  Johnson and Johnson (Canada)

Key Players:  Errol Tan
Products:  Hydroentangled Nonwovens

Markets:  Surgical drapes and gowns (polyester replacement)

Partners:  Chicopee USA,  Johnson and Johnson

Key Players:  Alton Bassett, Eric Attle (CNA)
Products: Tampons

Markets:  Femcare

Partner:  Johnson and Johnson (Germany)

Key Players:  Fritz Weinstrauch, Rolf Altdorf
Products: Tampons

Markets:  Femcare
Partner:  Tambrands (USA)

Key Players:  Ken Merrill, Eric Attle (CNA)

Products: Dry-Laid Nonwovens - various bonding

Markets:  Interlinings

Partner:  Freudenberg (Germany)

Key Players:  Gerhard Schaut, Johannes Knocke
Products:  Hydroentangled Nonwovens

Markets:  Surgical Dressings (cotton and polynosic replacement)

Partners:  Unicharm (Japan)

Key Players:  Migaku Suzuki, Kunihiko Tozaki (CJL)
1988:

Products:  Flame Retardant Tencel
Markets:  Workwear

Partners:  Albright and Wilson(UK)

Key Player:  David Cole, Les Pearson

Products: Dry Laid Thermal Bonded

Markets:  Floppy Disc Liners

Partners:  Freudenberg

Key Players:  Holger Buchwald

Products: Dry-Laid Latex Bonded

Markets:  Battery Separators

Partners:  BFF

Key Players:  Andrew Kelly

Products: Hydroentangled Coverstock

Markets:  Diapers/Femcare

Partner:  Kendall/International Paper

Key Players:  Drew Horn
Partner: J&J Personal Products
Key Player:  Beth Stern
1989:
Products:  Paper

Markets:  Security Papers

Partners:  Portals (UK), Tumba Bruk (Sweden)

Key Player:  Paul Howland,

Products: Wet-Laid Hydroentangled

Markets:  Industrial Wipes

Partners:  Molnlycke (Holland)

Key Player: Bernt Johannsen

(1990's developments follow)

1990:
Products:  Dry-Laid hydroentangled (15 gsm 100% Tencel)
Markets:  Ultrasoft Diaper and Femcare Topsheets

Partners:  Veratec (USA)

Key Player:  Nick Simpson, Drew Horn,

Products:  Paper/Tissue

Markets:  Reinforced  Papers (polyester replacement)

Partners:  Kimberly Clark (USA)

Key Player:  ?,
Products:  Fluffing Pulp Reinforcement

Markets:  Air-laid Nonwovens, Absorbent cores

Partners:  Stora 

Key Player:  Stefan Fors
Products:  Latex Bonded Nonwovens

Markets:  Fabric Softner Sheets (polyester replacement)

Partners:  Veratec (USA)

Key Players:  Steve Lengyel,
Products:  Dispersible Paper

Markets:  Embroidery backing (PVA replacement)

Partners:  J C Binzer (Germany)

Key Players:  Neil Foster, ?
Products:  Cigarette Papers

Markets:  Cigarette Filters

Partners:  Schoeller and Hoesch (Germany)/Filtrona

Key Players:  Neil Foster, Balz Miller, Dick Shepherd
Products:  Wet-Laid Nonwovens

Markets:  Vacuum Cleaner Dust Bags (polyester replacement)

Partners:  Gessner (Germany)

Key Players:  Neil Foster, Albert Klimmek,

1991:
Products:  Needled/Wet-Felted Felts
Markets:  Traditional Felts (wool replacement)

Partners:  Fytisa (Spain)

Key Player:  Jose Betorz,

Products:  Tea-bag Paper
Markets:  Lightweight transparent bags

Partners:  J R Crompton (UK)

Key Player:  Brian Tomkinson,

Products:  Carboxymethylated Tencel ("Super Nova")
Markets:  Superabsorbent for Tampons

Partners: Tampax (USA)

Key Player:  Tony Butterworth, Hardev Bahia

Products:  Cigarette Tow
Markets:  Ultra low tar filters (acetate replacement)

Partners:  Philip Morris (USA)

Key Player:  Bill Edwards, Jerry Johnson

Products:  Filled Paper
Markets:  Soft gaskets (clay carrier)

Partners:  Hollingsworth and Vose (USA)

Key Player:  Randall Rogers,

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Security paper (cotton/linen replacement)

Partners:  Crane (USA)

Key Player:  Pat Opper

Products:  Wet-laid Hydroentangled
Markets:  Flushable Wet-wipes

Partners:  Dexter (USA)

Key Player:  Helen Viazmensky, Jerry Johnson

Products: Needlefelt
Markets:  Yellow dusters (viscose replacement)

Partners:  Kahnes (Germany)

Key Player:  Neil Foster, Herr Steinaecker

Products:  Dry Laid Hydroentangled
Markets:  Durable wipes (Chamois replacement)

Partners:  Dupont (USA)

Key Player:  Jim Summers,

Products:  Wet-laid/hydroentangled (pulp reinforcement)
Markets:  Diaper "textile" backsheet

Partners:  Veratec (USA)

Key Player:  Nick Simpson, Zoltan Mate

1992:
Products:  Paper
Markets:  Loudspeaker cones

Partners:  Dr Kurt Muller (Germany)

Key Player:  Fritz Busch

Products:  Pre-fibrillated Short Cut
Markets:  Papermaking

Partners:  Schwarzwaelder (Germany)

Key Player:  Herr Schoch

1993:
Products:  Kieselguhr Paper
Markets:  Beverage Filters

Partners:  Seitz Filter Werke (Germany)

Key Player:  David Cole, Neil Foster, Rudiger Leibnitz

Products:  Filled Papers (High titania)
Markets:  Photograph print paper

Partners:  Felix Schoeller (Germany)

Key Player:  Neil Foster, Claudia Schmidt

Products:  Membranes
Markets:  Filtration

Partners:  Schleicher and Schuel (Germany)

Key Player:  Neil Foster, Richard Mc Donagh

Products:  Felts (Traditional and Nonwoven)
Markets:  Laundry machinery fabrics

Partners:  Technical Textiles Lorrach (Germany)

Key Player:  David Cole, Neil Foster, Joseph Hummelbrum

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Fancy Wrapping Paper

Partners:  Tokushu Paper (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Hattori

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Double Layer Electrolytic Capacitor Dielectric

Partners:  Nippon Kodoshi (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Ueta

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Battery Separator

Partners:  Molza Corporation (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Mizutani

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Battery Separator

Partners:  Kuraray (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Hayashi

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Battery Separator

Partners:  Daifuku Seishi (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Hinoo

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Automotive Filters (micro-glass replacement)

Partners:  Toyo Tokushi (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Ezure

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Phenolic and Polyester composites (Printed circuit boards)

Partners:  Matsushita Denko (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Kontani
Products:  Wet-laid Hydroentangled
Markets:  Artificial Leather surface layer

Partners:  Mitsubishi Rayon (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Kimio Nagata

Products:  Paper
Markets:  Automotive Filters (micro-glass replacement)

Partners:  Toyo Tokushi (Japan)

Key Player:  Kunihiko Tozaki, Mr Ezure

Products: Courtaulds Lyocell HF100 fibre
Markets: Papermaking and Hydroentanglement where the standard fibre was too hard to fibrillate.  This was an attempt to correct for the reductions in fibrillation that had occurred as the fibrillation "problem" in textiles was progressively solved.
Key Players: ?

1994:
Products:  Air-laid Pulp reinforcement
Markets:  Disposable wipes

Partners:  Walkisoft (Germany)

Key Player:  Neil Foster, Tapio Niemi

Products:  Security paper
Markets:  Currency

Partners:  Tumba Bruk (Sweden)

Key Player:  Tore Sundberg

Products:  Foam-Laid Hydroentangled
Markets:  Industrial Wipes

Partners:  Molnlycke Tissues

Key Player:  Bernt Johannsen

Products:  Filter paper
Markets:  Oil and Fuel filters

Partners:  Toyo Tokushi (Japan)

Key Player:  Tomoko Gondow, Mr Kujira,  Mr Tanaka (Sansho Trading)

Products:  Cigarette Paper
Markets:  Filters

Partners:  Rothmans (UK)

Key Player:  Dick Shepherd (Filtrona)

Products:  Cigarette Paper
Markets:  Plug Wrap

Partners:  Japico (Japan)

Key Player:  Tomoko Gondow, Mr Hirano

Products:  Filter paper
Markets:  Oil and Fuel filters

Partners:  Toyo Tokushi (Japan)

Key Player:  Tomoko Gondow, Mr Kujira,  Mr Tanaka (Sansho Trading)

Products:  Wet Laid hydroentangled
Markets:  Artificial Leather

Partners:  Daiwabo Create (Japan)

Key Player:  Tomoko Gondow, Mr Yoshitugo Hirata

Products:  Dry Laid hydroentangled
Markets:  Disposable surgical Fabrics

Partners:  Nisshinbo (Japan)

Key Player:  Tomoko Gondow, Mr Kaihatsu

Products:  Sanitary Paper
Markets:  Acquisition/Distribution Layer

Partners:  Inogami (Japan)

Key Player:  Tomoko Gondow, Mr Matseki

During 1994, the CR nonwovens and technical products market development activity was transferred to the Tencel division and the "Courtaulds Lyocell" brand was created.  Developments from here on are at http://www.tencel-lyocell.com/2013/01/innovation-product-development-with.html.