Since 1 September, Mara Sofie Kettnaker has been enriching the sales team at Fuchshuber Techno-Tex – with fresh expertise, great curiosity and an impressive academic background. Her master’s thesis on biodegradable polyesters was even honoured with the DGOR Sustainability Award. In this interview, she shares how she found her way to Fuchshuber, what fascinates her about high-tech textiles and why sustainability, for her, goes far beyond the material itself.
How long have you been working at Fuchshuber and what are your tasks?
At Fuchshuber, I have been working in the sales team since September 1 of this year. I was just exhibiting at a trade fair for the first time, at the A + A in Düsseldorf.
You recently completed your master's degree, with very good grades. Your master's thesis on research on biodegradable polyester was awarded the Sustainability Award of the German Society for Operational Risk Management e.V. (DGOR). Can you briefly tell us what the work was about?
Let me start a little earlier: I studied textile engineering at Reutlingen University – a great decision, not least because the university offers an extensive machine park that allowed me to gain in-depth knowledge across the entire textile process. I fondly remember a project where we created a complete textile product: from the spinning mill to the embroidered shirt. Knitting, cutting, finishing – everything was possible.
For my bachelor’s thesis, I wanted to focus on sustainability. That’s how I came to biodegradable polyesters. I explored whether such materials could match the performance of conventional polyester. After all, a yarn needs to fulfil a broad range of textile-technical parameters, regardless of whether it is produced sustainably. I carried out numerous tests to investigate this.
After completing my bachelor’s degree, I decided to continue my studies – and had the opportunity to build directly on my previous findings. In my master’s thesis, I compared conventional and biodegradable granules, then the polyester fibres, and finally the knitted fabric. Along the way, I learned a lot about independent research, experimental planning, and how to interpret and apply results.
Winning the Sustainability Award for this work was, of course, a wonderful confirmation.
After such a long time of intensive work on the topic: What does sustainability mean to you beyond the technical results?
Sustainability is incredibly multifaceted. A material can be produced sustainably – but its use and entire life cycle are just as important. What’s the benefit of an eco-friendly material if it ends up in a disposable product? Ultimately, society must embrace sustainable practices and enable true circularity.
This is one of the aspects I value about Fuchshuber Techno-Tex: We work with high-quality, highly technical materials such as aramids. The result is a complex product with a long lifespan and essential functions. We protect people. Our products stay in use for years and offer substantial value – a stark contrast to fast fashion, which represents the opposite extreme.
That's a nice transition: How did you come to Fuchshuber?
Quite straightforward: I applied for a job advertisement.
What do you wish for the future at Fuchshuber?
First of all, I’m thrilled to be working in such an exciting field. PPE and aramids were only marginal topics during my studies, so I’m learning a tremendous amount every day.
Of course, I hope that with our high-tech products we can continue to protect and inspire people – and that this contributes to the continued growth of our company.
At the end of the month, I’ll be representing Fuchshuber Techno-Tex at GoTEX, the annual career fair at the Texoversum in Reutlingen. I’m very much looking forward to it!