The MY-FI project, formally titled ‘Reinventing a smart, circular and competitive textile industry with advanced myco-fibres’, was funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. It ran from November 2020 to October 2024, with an overall budget of EUR 6.54 million and an EU contribution of EUR 5.40 million. MY-FI was coordinated by biotechnology research company SQIM SRL (Italy) and brought together a multidisciplinary consortium of research organisations, universities and industrial partners from Italy, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany and Belgium. The project aimed to provide the textile industry with a new class of nonwoven fabrics made from mycelium fibres, offering improved performance and significantly reduced environmental impact compared to conventional solutions. Using fungal fermentation processes based on textile industry residues, MY-FI developed fully biobased, circular and customisable textile materials for demanding applications in fashion, automotive and footwear sectors. 

A central focus of MYFI was the development, optimisation and scale-up of innovative biofabrication processes for mycelium-based textile materials.  

Key achievements of the project include:

• Scale-up to pilot level of two biofabrication processes: Pilot-scale demonstration of two biofabrication processes. The surface liquid fermentation process reached 1 900 m² of material per year, while the dynamic liquid fermentation process was scaled to 1 500 litres.
• Development of functional prototypes: Creation of 14 mycelium‑based nonwoven textile prototypes and demonstrators across the fashion and automotive sectors, including jackets, dresses, headrests and dashboard fascia, demonstrating the versatility of mycelium‑based materials.
• Improved wet processing and finishing: Optimised wet processing within the MY‑FI pilot activities reduced water consumption and introduced a wastewater treatment system.
• Material performance and sustainability assessment: Extensive biodegradability testing under industrial composting and marine conditions, microplastic release evaluations, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analyses showed promising environmental performance.
• Exploitation and business planning: Identification of 19 Key Exploitable Results, including biofabrication processes, mycelium-based materials and prototype applications for fashion and automotive sectors. Business plans were developed for all partners, and financial analyses for industrial partners covering CAPEX, OPEX and profitability.
• Dissemination and scientific output: Publication of three scientific papers, policy guidelines translated into six European languages, and broad dissemination through conferences, events, digital channels, and the final MY‑FI conference held in Milan.

MY-FI supported the transition towards a more sustainable and circular textile industry by developing fully biobased and biodegradable materials from local and residual resources. The project explored alternatives to fossil-based fibres and helped reduce reliance on non-EU supply chains. Its biofabrication approaches demonstrated potential for reduced water, energy and land use, while avoiding hazardous chemicals, aligning with EU goals on safer chemicals, circular economy, and climate objectives. Pilot-scale validation of the surface liquid fermentation process offered insights into the industrial feasibility and opportunities for European companies in fashion and automotive. The project also developed evidence-based policy guidelines to support biobased textile industry growth at EU and national level.

MY‑FI involved close collaboration among European research organisations, universities and industrial partners, combining expertise in biofabrication, textile processing, materials science, automotive applications and sustainability assessment. Knowledge exchange was supported through joint technical activities, consortium meetings and a Stakeholder Advisory Board. Results and experiences were shared with industry, policymakers and the wider public through dissemination activities, conferences and dedicated events, including the presentation of prototypes. This collaborative approach contributed to strengthening European innovation capacity and supported the development of new biobased materials and emerging bioeconomy value chains across Europe.