Asia’s Materials Revolution: Building Circular Textiles Through Partnerships

Cintia Nunes is the General Manager and Head of Asia of The Mills Fabrica. As the innovation engine to sustainability and impact of Hong Kong conglomerate Nan Fung Group, Cintia leads the team to connect innovators in the techstyle and agrifood tech space with capital, connections, and expertise — to bring sustainability tech innovations from concept to market.

Drawing inspiration from social business principles that prioritize both profitability and purpose, she is committed to facilitating collaboration among stakeholders across the ecosystem to advance positive environmental and social impact at scale.

Before joining The Mills Fabrica, Cintia served as Chief of Strategy and Growth at Hong Kong’s largest network of social enterprises and impact ventures. She also held leadership roles at a multinational FMCG company where she formalized business strategies for over 10 brands.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• More industry level cross-sectors collaborations
• Open dialogues across stakeholder groups on what works/what doesn’t
• Accessibility/transparency to capital across asset classes for impact

Gigi Jung is the CSO at MYCEL Inc., a South Korea-based biomaterials company pioneering next-generation mycelium materials through biofabrication. She leads the company’s global strategy, partnerships, and commercialization, working closely with international brands across luxury, fashion, mobility, and interior design.

With extensive experience in sustainable materials and business development, Gigi is passionate about redefining biomaterials beyond conventional “leather alternatives” and exploring how biology can create an entirely new category of premium materials. She actively collaborates with global brands, designers, and manufacturers to accelerate the adoption of regenerative, circular materials for the future.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• Accelerate the adoption of biofabricated materials by connecting innovators, brands, and manufacturers across Asia.
• Encourage companies to move beyond treating sustainable materials as alternatives, and instead recognize them as premium materials with their own identity and value.
• Strengthen collaboration between industry, designers, and researchers to build a circular materials ecosystem that can scale globally from Hong Kong.

Youyang Song is the Founder of PEELSPHERE and a materials designer pioneering sustainable biomaterials. She was recognized by Forbes as one of six global female representatives in sustainable fashion and is the first Chinese recipient of the German Sustainability Award.

She has led the development of several landmark projects, including BMW’s first fully bio-based door panel trim, the Mercedes-Benz EQE bio-based interior material project, and material innovations for Balenciaga Haute Couture.

Her work has received numerous international honors, including the Kering Generation Award (Global Gold Winner), the Fortune Best Design Award, the University of Oxford Best Innovation Award, the German Design Award, the Top 21 Genius Designers Award, the German New Materials & New Technologies Award, and the German Green Design Award.

Her research and innovation have been supported by the European Union, the German Federal Government, the Fraunhofer Institute, the University of Oxford, and leading German universities.

As an internationally recognized speaker, Song has been invited to lecture and teach at institutions including Institut Français de la Mode (IFM Paris), Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin), University of Arts Linz, Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), Tsinghua University, Westlake University, China Academy of Art, the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongji University, ShanghaiTech University, Ars Electronica BioLab, and Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG Karlsruhe).

She also serves as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Kering Generation Award, contributing to the advancement of sustainable innovation in the global fashion industry.

Audrey Yip is the Deputy Head of Business Development at The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), where she focuses initiatives in textile recycling, sustainability, and industrial innovation. With over 10 years of experience in textiles and apparel sales and merchandising, she worked extensively with international retailers and manufacturers.  She is currently dedicated in driving the development of scalable recycling technologies and strengthening international collaboration to accelerate the textile industry’s transition toward a circular economy.