UK: Magical Mushroom Company supplied a stage at Glastonbury Festival in Somerset on 25 – 30 June 2025 featuring mycelium fungus and hemp-based acoustic insulation panels. Dezeen News has reported that the panels have shown promise in tests for thermal insulation applications. They are fully compostable in 50 days, making them especially suited to temporary construction.

Magical Mushroom Company arranged the insulation in 25 large ‘discs’ of 32 panels. The order took seven days to produce at its plant in Surrey. It estimates its current production capacity at 50,000 panels/week.

India: The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched an investigation into imports of ‘faced glass wool in rolls’ from China. GuruClub Live News has reported that the investigation arose from an application submitted by local producer Twiga Fiberglass.

Russia: TechnoNICOL has begun construction of a US$25.5m stone wool plant in Ryazan Oblast, AK&M News has reported. The plant will produce 230,000t/yr of stone wool briquettes from mine tailings. When operational in April 2026, it will increase the company’s stone wool production capacity by 40%.

Germany: 7116 hectares of construction hemp are under cultivation in Germany in the growing season for 2025. This represents a 22% year-on-year rise in the total area since the 2024 harvest. Brandenburg has the greatest acreage of any state, with 1500 hectares (21%).

Brandenburg-based Felde Fibres is investing ‘tens of millions’ of Euros in current capital expenditure in its production of hemp for the building materials and textile sectors.

Local press has reported that hemp demand continues on a long-term growth trajectory, despite nearly doubling in prices since the beginning of the on-going energy crisis in 2022.