Many companies are committed to innovating, but it’s the people behind the innovation process and approach that distinguish them.

To explore the backbone of Milliken’s dedication to creating products that solve problems and ‘do good,’ we’re shedding light on the faces that ensure that Milliken innovations have meaningful impacts on the world.

Join us as we get to know various Milliken associates over the coming months, starting with Eduardo Torres, team lead for corporate research at Milliken.

Most recently, Eduardo led the development of Milliken SiVance®’s award-winning HT8600 LED encapsulant, which received the 2015 SC InnoVision Award for Technology Development. The sustainable technology is a reinvention of silicone elastomers that allows manufacturers to design more efficient, higher power density LEDs at competitive prices, setting a new industry standard. It also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the most notable benefits of SiVance HT8600 is its impressive level of greenhouse gas reduction. The sustainable technology has the potential to reduce the average carbon dioxide emissions per household by 25.3 pounds per year through its added efficiency. Applied to the entirety of the LED device market, the energy saved grows to an annual carbon dioxide reduction of 15 billion pounds.

To Eduardo, innovation means “being able to create a new material or product, take it to market and have people actually use the technology.” When asked what he loves most about working in research and development, his answer was quick and precise: “the diverse set of people I get to work with, their mindsets and different thought processes.”

His favorite aspect of working at Milliken, aside from creating tangible innovations: “the incredibly bright people that I interact with on a daily basis, and as a decision maker in Milliken’s innovation pipeline, helping determine what the future could look like.”​