Dec 21, 2011. /Lesprom Network/. Lenzing AG, world market leader for man-made cellulose fibers and the German company smartfiber AG/Rudolstadt are expanding their cooperation. In the future Lenzing will exclusively produce the lyocell specialty fibers smartcel™ and SeaCell® developed by smartfiber at the Lenzing site in Upper Austria, as the company said in a press release received by Lesprom Network. In 2007, Lenzing already granted smartfiber a license for the pilot production of new types of lyocell specialty fibers. Moreover, smartfiber and Lenzing have been cooperating for several years to develop fabrics and on various research projects. For reasons of profitability, the pilot plant of smartfiber is being relocated from Rudolstadt to Lenzing in order to be able to rapidly move ahead with the commercial exploitation of smartcel™ and SeaCell® fibers in spite of rising energy and raw material prices. The integration of the facility in Lenzing, the world’s largest cellulose fiber production site, will enable a significantly better cost structure. Moreover, the smartfiber pilot plant had recently reached its capacity limits due to the continually increasing order volume, which no longer made it possible to optimally coordinate incoming orders and accept large orders. smartfiber will continue to be responsible for the sales and marketing of smartcel™ and SeaCell®. For Lenzing the launch of pilot production for smartfiber at the Lenzing site is a consistent continuation of the research and development partnership which smartfiber and Lenzing have pursued for years.