19 November, 2025
Redefining protection with Twaron Next®
How Teijin Aramid and Busch PROtective are proving that circular innovation can perform under fire
The future of protection is not only about what we stop, but what we preserve. When Busch PROtective set out to build a more sustainable ballistic helmet, we responded with Twaron Next® – a para-aramid fiber developed with circular content.
Together, we created the world’s first helmet that protects both people and the planet with the same precision. It shows how material science and shared ambition can combine to make innovation a form of protection in itself.
A partnership built on shared vision
For more than four decades, Busch PROtective in Gütersloh, Germany, has specialized in designing helmets that protect people in the most demanding conditions. Under the leadership of CEO Edwin Busch, the company turned its focus to ballistic helmets for law enforcement. These lightweight designs must stop close-range gunfire while remaining comfortable to wear.
The key challenge lies in controlling backface deformation, the inward dent that can cause injury even when a bullet is stopped. Solving that problem required both advanced materials and precision engineering. By combining Busch PROtective’s long experience in helmet design with our next-generation fiber innovation, we created proof that performance and responsibility can advance together.
Engineering strength without the weight
In ballistic protection, every gram matters. A helmet must absorb impact and resist heat while staying comfortable during long hours in the field. For decades, metal was the only way to achieve that level of rigidity, but it came at the cost of weight and fatigue. Busch PROtective set out to change that balance. Using aramid, the company engineered a helmet that matches metal for protection while weighing significantly less.
The design meets the most demanding certification standards worldwide, including those of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and NIJ IIIA. Each element, from the composite shell to the smallest screw, is tested for strength and reliability. Built across production sites in Germany, the Czech Republic, and the United States, every helmet leaves the line meeting the same exacting standard. The result is proof that lighter can still mean stronger and that performance and precision remain inseparable.
Twaron Next®: the world’s most sustainable para-aramid
We set out to make one of the world’s strongest fibers more environmentally responsible without changing what makes it exceptional. The result is Twaron Next®, a para-aramid fiber developed with certified circular content that performs exactly like the original. It keeps the same molecular structure, strength, and heat resistance while reducing the use of virgin raw materials and lowering its environmental impact. Independent certification by TÜV Rheinland through our Customer Benefit Model (CBM) confirms that quality and environmental performance can progress together.
When we showed Twaron Next® to Busch PROtective, the company immediately saw its potential. They describe it as circular, not recycled, because the distinction matters. Recycling often suggests a loss of value, but that is not the case here. “The beauty of Twaron Next® is that it performs exactly like newly produced aramid,” says CEO Edwin Busch. Extensive testing by Busch engineers confirmed that helmets made with Twaron Next® meet the same ballistic standards and deliver the same long-term durability while reducing environmental impact. As Busch explains, “A material that delivers identical performance with less environmental strain actually meets a higher overall standard.”
Together, we have proven that circular innovation can achieve more than sustainability goals. It can redefine what high performance means.
Proving circular performance in the field
For Busch PROtective, validation was only the first step. The next challenge is helping law enforcement organizations benefit from circular performance in practice. Many of these customers are setting their own sustainability targets, and the verified use of Twaron Next® gives them a proven way to reduce their environmental impact without changing equipment standards or retraining personnel. Busch PROtective is now working closely with customers during testing and procurement, helping them translate sustainability commitments into real protective solutions. Together, we are proving that responsibility can scale, creating a new benchmark for how advanced materials perform in the service of people and the planet.
A shared commitment to protect what matters
Our work with Busch PROtective shows what’s possible when performance, purpose, and partnership move in the same direction. “Protect what matters” is more than Busch PROtective’s promise; it reflects a shared belief that every innovation should safeguard both people and the planet. That belief drives our work at Teijin Aramid as we continue to push the boundaries of circular material performance. Discover how Twaron Next® is shaping sustainable high performance.
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