The University of Pécs and Rovitex have developed special home textiles against allergies

The product line's specially designed surface binds pollutants, allergens, and pollen in the air. The functional textile was created by researchers at the University of Pécs and experts from a local textile company, Rovitex, after three years of research and development work. In our country, approximately every third person suffers from chronic symptoms caused by allergens, which not only represents an extensive health problem, but also significantly reduces the quality of life and increases the burden on healthcare. Home textiles made from specially structured raw materials (curtains, bed linen, tablecloths, etc.) are able to effectively bind airborne contaminants, which can be removed from the surface during cleaning and washing. The product line, created in a three-year project implemented with the help of a non-refundable European Union grant of HUF 355.04 million within the framework of the Széchenyi Plan Plusz program, can be commercially available this year.

We spend a significant part of our time in closed spaces – such as our homes, workplaces, and schools – where the air not only contains, but can also accumulate, various harmful compounds and particles. These are responsible for numerous health problems: every third Hungarian is affected by diseases caused by harmful compounds and allergens, such as allergic reactions affecting the skin, respiratory system, and immune system.

Researchers from the University of Pécs and experts from a local textile company, Rovitex, have developed a special textile technology and textile product line that is suitable for binding pollutants in the atmosphere – toxins, pollens, allergens.

“ The use of appropriate textile products can be of great help in the fight against diseases, as curtains, bed linens, and tablecloths serve more than just aesthetic purposes. Due to their enormous specific surface area, textile fibers can also play a decisive role in improving the air in rooms. There is an increasing demand for this worldwide, ” says Norbert Romeisz, owner and managing director of Rovitex. The company has been the market leader in the home textile market of Hungary and Eastern Europe since 2007, with 6 foreign subsidiaries and its own production hall.

“ The textiles with special functions developed during research and development significantly contribute to improving the air quality of enclosed spaces and our homes and to reducing the incidence of allergies, which is a common disease. The product line consisting of light-transmitting curtains, blackout curtains and bed linen was created from textile fibers with a special, structured surface that binds harmful substances and can also be made suitable for releasing various useful compounds, including essential oils, mosquito and insect repellents, ” informs Dr. László Márk, head of the Department of Analytical Biochemistry at the University of Pécs.

There is currently no similar textile product on the international market, so the developers expect significant interest from private individuals, as well as public institutions, healthcare institutions, private hospitals, companies, and factories from Hungary and abroad. The project, with a total budget of HUF 609.31 million, was implemented with the support of the Hungarian State and co-financed by the European Union. The product family created in the three-year project can be commercially available in the second half of 2025, after the regulation of the production processes.

During the decade-long cooperation between Rovitex and PTE, many similar, successful developments have already been realized. The production of antimicrobial fabrics and textiles that can be used against the spread of infectious diseases has recently begun. The company and university researchers have developed an impregnating material that, when applied to curtains and other home textiles, protects against various bacterial, viral contaminants and pathogens for a long time, and also suppresses their development.

Project ID: GINOP_PLUSZ-2.1.1-21-2022-00062

More information:

More information about the project can be found at www.rovitex.com.

Romeisz Norbert Krisztián, owner-manager

Contact: +36 72 547 100, rovitex@rovitex.com

Background material:

About the University of Pécs

The University of Pécs is the largest higher education institution in the Southern Transdanubia region, a significant knowledge industry player and one of the largest employers. It is the first university in Hungary to have training centers located in several cities of the country and beyond the country's borders. Its goal is to respond to scientific and innovation challenges with creative and useful solutions and to take an initiative role in progressive knowledge-building processes. With its 10 faculties – engineering, information technology, natural and social sciences, medicine and health sciences, arts and sports sciences – PÉC is the region's defining knowledge base; with its 32 patient care units, it is the third largest healthcare provider in the country. The institution is characterized by dynamic development that includes the cultivation, education and research of the most modern technologies of the 21st century. Three National Laboratories and the Szentágothai János Research Center also operate within the walls of this prestigious institution. The number of students is 24,057, of which nearly 5,490 are foreign students. In 2023, 5,145 students graduated from PTE.

About Rovitex Homedeco Ltd.

Rovitex Homedeco Group was founded nearly 30 years ago as a 100% Hungarian privately owned company. Over the past years, the company has grown into an international home textile manufacturing and distribution group, with a stable financial background and an outstanding market position. In addition to the headquarters in Pécs, it operates several foreign subsidiaries in Germany, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania, with a total of 100 employees. Its goal is to provide its partners with the highest quality services, offer innovative solutions and support the growth of its customers by developing the home textile culture. It exports its products to more than 30 countries, while holding a market leading position in Hungary. It pays special attention to environmental awareness, which is also reflected in the development and production of its products. Their products include wallpapers, curtains, upholstery, curtain and shade systems, as well as special textiles such as flame-retardant, antibacterial and UV-resistant materials. They provide their partners with a full range of services from design to implementation, including product design, consulting, sewing, installation and after-sales service.