Biopolymer has drawn rapidly increasing attention in Europe. The amount of biopolymer production in Europe was on the very limited scale of 25,000 tons in 2000, but it has been showing strong growth and it will be 800,000 tons in 2010 and is expected to reach 3,000,000 tons in 2020.

Behind this production increase of biopolymer, there are expectations of technology development possibilities for new polymers, as well as environmental concerns, the high-price of crude oil and concerns about future shortages of crude oil. New polymers will have unique characteristics such as controllable biodegradability, improved flameproofness, hydrophilic properties and ultraviolet absorptivity.

There are large expectations for industrialization of biopolymer in textile areas, and the possibilities for a number of developments in both mass production and niche markets have been suggested.

When biopolymer is used in textile areas, developments in production and finishing processes and biodegradability test methods are the most-watched developmental trends, and are expected to become a source of new ideas for future biopolymer technology and application developments.