The Woolmark Company and Adidas team up for design competition

The Woolmark Company and sportswear-maker Adidas started a new annual competition for students to develop innovative sports products using Australian Merino wool.

The Woolmark Performance Challenge calls for tertiary students in Europe and North America to develop new product applications for the sports and performance market, the Woolmark Company said in a statement on January 29. The winner will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros and opportunities including a three-month internship with Herzogenaurach, Germany-based, Adidas AG.

A chance to 'shape the future of sport'

Performance apparel is one of the fastest growing sectors in the global textile industry, according to the statement. The growth comes as new technologies and sporting trends emerge while consumers seek natural alternatives for apparel.

"This unique collaboration with The Woolmark Company gives young creative students the chance to help shape the future of sport, and sports culture," Tillmann Studrucker, senior design director at Adidas said in the statement. "I am looking forward to a lot of creative designs that are considering sustainability with material innovation ideas that blend performance and style, past and future.”

The submission for the competition is currently open and will close May 25. Finalists will be announced in June and winners will be presented at the sports fair Ispo Munich in 2019.

The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit organization promoting Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers that fund the company.

Photos: The Woolmark Company /Shaylin Wallace