Professor Joselito Razal joined the School of Fashion and Textiles at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in August 2025 to advance his research on functional and sustainable fibres. He will leverage the Lab-to-Label™ concept to create a collaborative ecosystem that brings advanced fibre materials into commercial landscape as practical, viable solutions.

Prior to joining The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Joselito Razal was the Director of the ARC Hub for Future Fibres, where he dedicated his time in revitalising Australia's fibre industry and re-establishing its global leadership position. Using the Lab to Label™ concept, his team built pathways to make scientific innovations readily accessible to industry and the broader public.

Since 2022, he has led the Future Fibres group, one of the four pillars of Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials, comprising 50+ academics and 70+ PhD students. His leadership has focused the group on advanced fibre technologies prioritising functionality and sustainability in process, formulation, and materials design, with cutting-edge textile applications. Also in 2022, he cultivated a partnership with the Australian National Fabrication Facility to establish proof-of-concept capability for circular fibre innovation, now known as the Future Fibres Facility. In just over two years, this collaborative ecosystem has engaged in projects with over 25 industry partners and is continuing to grow.

During his 2009 ARC APD Fellowship tenure at the University of Wollongong, his work on graphene bioelectronic fibres and conductive polymers laid the foundations for future impact. He then established Australia’s research leadership on MXene fibres with his 2013 ARC Future Fellowship t Deakin University, enabling him to pioneer MXene liquid crystals. His global recognition in functional fibre research has fostered international collaborations, research funding, and speaking engagements, exemplified by his 2019 Endeavour Executive Fellowship at Cornell University.