An important step ahead to develop an innovation-driven European textiles industry
Brussels, 20 March 2024 – In the fringes of the EU Research and Innovation Days, the European Commission has announced 9 new European co-funded and co-programmed partnerships, including “Textiles of the Future” (*). These partnerships will be at the core of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027, addressing the green and digital transition, and a more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe.
EURATEX has been working towards such a partnership over the last few years. Investing in innovation is a critical component to successfully implement the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. We therefore welcome the Commission’s decision, as a very timely measure to help our 200.000 EU textile companies to remain competitive.
Director General Dirk Vantyghem commented: “Innovation is the bridge between sustainability and competitiveness. This Horizon Europe Partnership is therefore an essential tool which will help our companies to become global leaders on sustainable textile products”.
The Textiles of the Future Partnership will be co-managed by the European Technology Platform for Future of Textiles and Clothing (ETP). With a deep knowledge in textiles research and a vast innovation network, ETP stands ready to bring that partnership into reality.
ETP Secretary General Lutz Walter commented: “Textile research has been an integral part of the EU’s Research and Innovation Framework Programmes for many years, but this dedicated Partnership brings a strategic focus that is critical and timely to help our industry succeed in its green and digital transformation and reinforce Europe’s global leadership role in textile research, technology development and higher education. ETP is looking forward to engage with all stakeholders of the European textile innovation ecosystem to turn this partnership into a success story”
(*) More details on the Commission announcement can be found here.
About us
As the voice of the European textile and clothing industry, EURATEX works to achieve a favourable environment within the European Union for design, development, manufacture and marketing of textile and clothing products.
The EU textile and clothing industry, with around 192,000 companies employing 1.3 million workers, is an essential pillar of the local economy across many EU regions. With over €67 billion of exports, the industry is a global player successfully commercializing high added value products on growing markets around the world. Working together with EU institutions and other European and international stakeholders, EURATEX focuses on clear priorities: an ambitious industrial policy, innovation and skills development, free and fair trade, and sustainable supply chains.
Learn more at euratex.eu.
The European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (ETP) is the largest European network dedicated to textile research and innovation. Its main objectives are to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the EU textile and clothing industry through collaborative research across national borders in Europe and a rapid translation of research results into industrial innovation.
Textile ETP counts over 200 member organisations from industry, research and higher education
with a total of over 1500 connected experts.
Learn more at www.textile-platform.eu
