Study on Innovation and Technology in the

European and Mediterranean Textile and

Clothing Industry

Study undertaken by EURATEX – the European Apparel and

Textile Confederation

for
Monastir El Fejja Competitiveness Pole
(Contracting authority, service contract n° 04/2014)
in the framework of project “Innovative cross-border
approaches for Textile and Clothing Clusters co-
development in the Mediterranean basin”
funded by ENPI CBC Mediterranean Basin Programme
 October 2014

Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................4
2. General research, technology and market trends – the 4 strategic innovation areas of the
European Textile Technology Platform ................................................................................................5
1.1 High added value products and high-tech processes ............................................................5
1.2 New applications for textiles................................................................................................6
1.3 New business models and product-services .........................................................................7
1.4 Sustainability .......................................................................................................................8
2 Process Innovation ......................................................................................................................9
2.1 Materials preparation & processing .....................................................................................9
2.2 Sustainability & resource-efficient processing .................................................................... 10
2.3 Advanced processing technologies for technical textiles .................................................... 11
2.4 Digitalisation & flexible manufacturing .............................................................................. 15
3 Product Innovation ................................................................................................................... 16
3.1 New textile surface functionalities ..................................................................................... 16
3.2 New structural properties .................................................................................................. 17
3.3 Smart products and product-services................................................................................. 18
4 Applications and Markets .......................................................................................................... 19
4.1 Protection, sports & leisure (Protech Sporttech Clothtech) ................................................ 19
4.2 Health & wellbeing (Medtech) ........................................................................................... 20
4.3 Functional interiors (Hometech) ........................................................................................ 20
4.4 Technical markets.............................................................................................................. 21
4.4.1 Automotive & other transport sectors (Mobiltech) .................................................... 21
4.4.2 Construction & architecture (Buildtech, Geotech) ...................................................... 21
4.4.3 Agriculture, energy & environment (Agrotech, Oekotech) .......................................... 22
4.4.4 Industrial applications (Indutech, Packtech) ............................................................... 23
5 R&D supporting institutions and programs ................................................................................ 24
5.1 Universities and polytechnics............................................................................................. 24
5.2 Research institutes & industrial technology centres ........................................................... 25
5.3 Networks and clusters ....................................................................................................... 28
 5.4 EU funded programmes (i.e.: Horizon 2020) ...................................................................... 29
5.5 The European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP) ... 31
6 Recommendations for TexMed countries and clusters .............................................................. 33
6.1 Recommendations: Research & Technology Capacities ...................................................... 33
6.2 Recommendations: Business Innovation ............................................................................ 33
6.3 Funding/Public Support ..................................................................................................... 33
7 Links and references ................................................................................................................. 34
 1. Introduction

Advanced materials, high-tech processes and manufacturing technologies as well as new business
models, management and marketing concepts become an increasingly important factor of the
competitiveness of the textile and clothing industry on the global market. The more successfully
companies in the industrialised high labour cost countries exploit competitive advantages based on
product, process, service or management innovation all generally based on knowledge and
specialised qualifications of staff, the more the competitive advantages enjoyed by companies in
developing and emerging economies generally based on lower labour costs, easier or cheaper access
to raw materials, energy or other resources diminish. Textiles and even clothing or fashion products
are becoming technology- and knowledge-intensive products. Today a wrong chemical compound
in a clothing product can pose a big business risk for a brand or retailer. And the correct quality of a
technical textile material used for such critical application as a filter, an airbag or a medical device is
so crucial that customers are rarely willing to replace an established supplier for a competitor that
offers a similar product for a lower price.

It is therefore of great importance for the textile and clothing industry in the Mediterranean zone
to adopt advanced manufacturing processes and technologies, invest in the skills and knowledge of
their staff, explore new management and business models based on innovation, excellent supply
chain information and management as well as higher added value in the products manufactured or
the services offered.

Over the last two decades the European textile and clothing sector has undergone a profound
transformation and started a quest for new avenues of industry development and growth which has
led to an hitherto unthinkable diversity of available fibre and textile materials, technologies and a
sheer endless number of fields for their application and use in many industrial sectors and end
markets.

While European fashion and interior textile design and product quality remain in high demand,
especially in the rapidly growing emerging markets, there now remains virtually no industrial sector
or high-tech product untouched by textile innovation – from airplanes to smartphones, from race
cars to medical implants, from bridges to deep sea platforms, from firefighting gear to clean room
equipment, from high-tech greenhouses to food processing plants.

This was achieved through a strong push into research and innovation, beyond the traditional
chemistry, fibre and textile machinery development, often in close collaboration with research
centres and universities and with supplier and customer sectors from outside the conventional
textile value chains. Because the sector is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises which
lack significant internal resources and capacities the availability of public funding for pre-competitive
collaborative research was a crucial contributor to this development. While such collaborations are
mostly initiated at regional and national level through structures such as clusters and, the textile and
clothing sector and its research community have also very actively participated in EU-level funding
programmes.
 2. General research, technology and market trends – the 4 strategic
innovation areas of the European Textile Technology Platform

1.1 High added value products and high-tech processes

The EU textile and clothing industry across the entire value chain – from fibres to end products - is
actively working towards a higher added value in their products. The main goal is to exit the often
ruinous competition in commodity markets dominated by low price as the decisive buying criterion
of the customer, towards a specialty and niche product strategy, where in addition to price factors
such as quality, reliability, constant product improvement and innovation play a more important role.

Strategies employed by companies to reach this goal include:

- Use of new, improved, functionalised materials

- Application of new production processes and technologies
- Efficient production of shorter runs or smaller batches delivered to customers at very short
lead times
- Greater market segmentation with better focus on attractive segments and exit of
unattractive segments
- Closer collaboration with suppliers and customers to offer more customised products

Such strategies generally require investment in higher qualified personnel, new production
technologies, more quality assurance capabilities, specialised marketing and sales competences, new
factory organisation, new business and supply chain management procedures incl. stronger use of
information and communication technologies.

The successful adoption of a high-added value specialty or niche market strategy requires a targeted
development of the company’s unique product and manufacturing capabilities, a deep knowledge of
the customer and end market requirements in the targeted niche, a strict definition of the
positioning of the company in the value chain and the positioning and communication of the product
on the end market and the establishment of a reliable and stable network of suppliers, customers,
technology and service providers. The picture below depicts the principal stages and industrial
activities along the textile value chain.
1.2 New applications for textiles

Traditionally the clothing/fashion and the home/interior markets were the dominating end uses for
fibres and textiles produced in Europe and around the world. However fibres and textiles are
becoming an increasingly important material for products in the transport, construction, healthcare,
protection, sports, agriculture, packaging, industrial and environmental markets. The below picture
shows an approximate breakdown of technical textile usage in different end markets.

The technical textiles industry in the EU today represents, roughly 30% of the total turnover in
textiles, i.e. EUR 30 billion (with a higher market-share in some Member States like Austria ,
Germany, France or Scandinavian countries), 15 000 companies and 300 000 employees. The EU
technical textile industry, thanks to its high innovation capacity, offers a potential for direct and
indirect jobs and growth in the EU.

Worldwide, the development of technical textiles production is illustrated by fibre consumption.

Technical textiles consumed worldwide about 22 bn tonnes of fibres in 2010, representing 27.5% of a
total consumption of 80 bn tonnes for all T/C applications. Europe accounts for about 15% of the
global consumption of technical textiles (source: The European Association for man-made fibres).
1.3 New business models and product-services

Most companies in the textile and clothing industry still follow relatively classical business models,
either (1) developing and manufacturing products that they then try to sell through established B2B
sales channels (direct to business customer, to agents or wholesalers) or (2) maintaining
manufacturing capacity in the expectation for more-or-less regular orders from existing customers.

These models are however coming under pressure under a scenario of globalisation, fast
communication and logistics, greater market commoditisation, transparency and volatility.
Companies operating such classical business models generally generate very low profit margins
providing few opportunities for reinvestment and assume big risks due to uncontrollable market
developments and limited customer loyalty.

Companies that want to successfully operate long-term with sufficient profitability need to adopt
new business strategies that can provide them with a sustainable competitive advantage. Such
strategies can be based on:

- Intellectual property (brands, designs, trademarks, patents)

- Unique design, manufacturing or marketing capabilities
- Backward or forward supply chain integration incl. direct end consumer distribution
- Differentiated product and product-service offerings

Example: products becoming product-services

The above strategies can also be combined or adopted selectively for different product lines or
markets.

The important point is that company management is aware of the need to develop and implement
business models that can move the company away from commoditization and pure cost-based
competition, which is not a promising long-term strategy even in countries that benefit from certain
cost advantages such as low labour or other input costs.
1.4 Sustainability

Sustainability is a crucial area for research and innovation for the European Textile and Clothing
industry.
It generally comprises 4 broad drivers:
1. Growing end market demand for products made by sustainable materials, eco-friendly
processes and responsible business practices.
2. Competitive pressures leading companies to exploit resource-efficient processes to save
costs thanks to less inputs (materials, energy, water, chemicals etc.) and less undesired
outputs (waste materials and products or polluted water or air).
3. Regulatory constraints driving companies to invest in new technologies, processes and
business practices to be in compliance with stricter environmental legislation.
4. Societal image of the company as a responsible, accountable and value-creating economic
actor in the local/regional communities in which it operates.

The following 5 research themes are of greatest importance and offer considerable immediate
reward to the textile and clothing industry if tackled through collaborative industry-driven research
and innovation projects:

I. Novel process technologies which are less energy and less water intensive and which are
compatible with small series production
II. Fully functional and economically viable (renewable) substitutes for key textile materials
(basic polymers, coatings, finishes and speciality additives) whose use became or will become
restricted or undesirable due to environmental, health or global supply concerns
III. High-tech textile recycling for a resource-efficient and economically viable processing of post-
use textile materials from both the consumer and the technical markets and the re-use of the
obtained fibre materials in high added value applications or a smart material cascade.
IV. Economically viable bio-chemistry based textile processing incl. enzymes and other bio-
catalysts or bio-based dyestuffs and additives for greater environmental and consumer safety
V. Technological and organisational solutions to enable greater use of EU-origin natural & bio-
mass based fibres such as flax, hemp, European wool or European agricultural and forestry
resources, waste or by-products in the European textile and clothing industry
Sustainability in its broad sense encompassing environmental, social and economic aspects is an
increasingly important driver for markets, policy makers and investors in Europe and increasingly
around the world. Companies that adopt sustainable business operations will generally find it easier
to sell their products especially in Europe other developed markets, to operate smoothly in the
political and regulatory environment, to save costs due to resource efficiency, to retain quality
human resources and attract investors and other capital providers.
2 Process Innovation

2.1 Materials preparation & processing

The raw materials – natural and man-made or synthetic fibres – used by the European textile
industry are to a large extent produced outside Europe. While a certain range of niche natural fibres
(e.g. wool or flax) as well as specialty man-made cellulosic and synthetic fibres are produced within
the EU, larger production capacities of cotton and basic synthetic fibres exist in Mediterranean
partner countries such as Turkey (cotton and synthetic fibres) or Egypt (cotton).

The production of these textile materials has quite a large resource and the case of natural fibres
environmental impact, leading to different ecological footprints of different fibres. The starts to play
an increasingly important role in textile value chains and end markets which are demanding more
sustainable materials. Also the availability of the fibres is not at all times secured, especially in the
case of natural fibres, which gives rise to sometimes strong price fluctuations and instability of the
markets served by the EU T/C industry. To be able to supply the EU-textile and clothing industry with
sufficient raw materials at a fair price and with a minimum of environmental impact, there is a need
for more inside or near EU-based sources of textile fibres. This will strengthen the European T/C
industry and give them a better competitive position in the world.

A further important trend is the development of new functional and high performance fibres for very
specific and often niche end market applications. These are essentially synthetic fibres and their new
properties & functions can be based on:

 New/improved polymers & additives

 Multicomponent fibres and multifilaments
 Fibre shape/dimension (mico-/nano-fibres)
 Fibre surface structures

Such speciality fibres are generally produced in small quantities at cost multiples compared to
commodity fibres. Blending of conventional fibres with such specialty fibres is therefore a common
approach of achieving materials with improved properties at economically acceptable costs.

Finally reclamation and recycling of fibre materials from either production or post-consumption
waste starts to play an increasing role, both driven by sustainability approaches as well as regulatory
developments which require that a higher percentage of post-use products such as vehicles, but also
construction materials (e.g. carpets) and even clothing be reused and recycled at the end of their life.
2.2 Sustainability & resource-efficient processing

Sustainable business operations focussed on resource-efficiency can lead to significant cost savings
and at the same time offer interesting market opportunities from customers actively looking for
products with a lower environmental footprint based on proven facts, rather than simple
“greenwash”.

The main resources textile and clothing manufacturing companies utilise are energy, water, materials
and chemicals.

Energy

While the energy-intensity strongly depends on the type of manufacturing processes used by the
company, the following strategies are recommendable and beneficial for all companies:

- Strategic review and selection of primary energy source mix, incl. the potential of local
energy generation (solar, wind, waste…)
- Detailed measurement & monitoring of energy-consumption
- Investment in energy-efficient production technologies and other energy-consuming
equipment (heating, lighting, transport…)
- Adoption of better production planning/organisation using energy consumption as one
planning parameter
- Awareness raising and training of staff to establish energy-efficient behaviour.

Euratex together with expert partners from across Europe is in the process of implementing 2 EU-
funded projects to boost energy-efficiency in the clothing (SESEC) and textile sector (SET). The results
of these 2 projects consisting in information and training materials, free self-assessment and
benchmarking tools, best practice guidance and others are actively disseminated through the Energy-
made-to-Measure campaign. See www.euratex.eu

Water & chemicals/auxiliaries

Textile companies especially those active in dyeing, printing and finishing processes use significant
amounts of water both as carrier of chemicals and for removal of excess chemicals from treated
textiles (washing). Water usage generally engenders 3 types of costs: (1) cost for fresh water drawn
from ground water or the municipal water grid, (2) costs for treatment and disposal of waste water
and (3) the cost of energy for moving and heating water as well as for water removal after treatment
(drying). For companies using a significant amount of water it makes perfect business sense to adopt
strategies for lowering the use of water and thereby the costs related to it.

Measures that should be adopted include:

- Investment in technologies with low process water needs, even the adoption of water-less
textile processing technologies (digital printing, plasma, CO2, UV, hotmelts etc.) becomes an
option for certain materials and applications
- Water recycling and re-use, including recovery of energy (heat) from process water
 - Efficient use of chemicals for minimum water pollution and post-process recovery of excess
chemicals
- Use of environmental friendly chemicals (e.g. bio-chemistry), which requires less or no waste
water treatment

Materials

Materials in the form of fibres, yarns, unfinished or finished fabrics are in important input cost
component for every textile or clothing manufacturer. While every company naturally seeks to
source the materials that meet their requirements at the lowest possible cost, it is also important to
focus on the processing of materials in a way that the least possible material loss or waste occurs. For
production waste that inevitably occurs, reutilisation or valorisation strategies should be adopted.

Strategies to explore include:

- On demand material sourcing to avoid unnecessary and depreciating material stocks

- Quality material sourcing to avoid product defects/waste due to poor material quality
- Investment in material-efficient production technologies
- Staff training to avoid waste generation due to faulty machine operation, poor production
planning or simple negligence
- Collection, re-processing or selling of production waste

General strategy and behaviour

Beyond focus on specific resource components or production processes at factory level, resource-
efficiency should also be an integral part of overall business operation and strategy.

 Companies that adopt and enforce resource-efficiency strategies across their entire sphere
of influence including suppliers, customers, service providers, workers and management will
discover many positive effects beyond pure cost saving. They can become “poster children”
for a new concept of industry as a responsible actor within their community and a welcome
and privileged partners for investors, policy makers, media and the general public.

2.3 Advanced processing technologies for technical textiles

Innovative applications in construction, transport, energy and medical markets all call for the
incorporation of structures which are flexible, near net shaped and which can be produced
continuously. These new applications present challenges for traditional metallic and non-metallic
materials and production processes. Fibre and textile based engineered structures can provide new
solutions to these industrial challenges, introducing major new opportunities to the sector.

Developing the technologies to drive tailor-made solutions and products for high value applications
will be key for the future of Europe’s technical textile manufacturing industry. The production of
materials and components with the required flexibility, mechanical properties, drapability and
porosity in a highly reliable and productive way is a key requirement for the technical textile industry.
 Textile structures and surfaces

There are sheer endless ways of creating complex textile structures out of fibres, yarns or two-
dimensional fabrics. In addition to the most common and established processes such as spinning, flat
weaving and knitting, sewing or traditional process for niche applications such as embroidery or
narrow fabric weaving, novel processes to process advanced materials or generate structures with
highly specific shapes and properties have developed and adopted by the industry in recent years.

Such structuring technologies include:

- Filament extrusion including bi- and multicomponent fibres

- Various non-woven manufacturing technologies
- Circular knitting
- Warp knitting
- Braiding
- 3D weaving
- Welding, gluing and taping technologies
- Textile composite manufacturing technologies

A second broad field of processes and related technologies concern the treatment of textile surfaces
to give them highly specific functions. The most commonly used processes include dyeing, printing
and a wide range of further wet processing technologies to finish fabrics usually through the
application of specific chemicals.

Newer technologies for textile functionalization are listed in the below table which has been
assembles by an expert group of the European Textile Technology Platform assessing the industrial
state-of-the-art of a number of innovative resource-efficient textile surface treatments.

Technology Technology Reach mass potenti potential fit to water energy chemical Comment
readiness market in 5 al for added current saving saving savings
years? start value industry potential potential potential
ups structure

1. Digital inkjet 7-9 for Colour Yes Yes As with Yes High High High Could become part of
printing colour, 4 for Others Yes screen the total chain of digital
other printing manufacturing
functional
2. Supercritical 7-9 on PET On PET yes Yes Moderate Yes, but High High High vessels require
CO2 as high investments
investment pressure
cost is high
3. Hot melt 9 for Traditional Moder High if it Yes High High High Lower manufacturing
/adhesive traditional Yes ate replaces costs
technologies intermediate New older tech
adhesive adhesive/
layer, 5-7 for coat Yes
new
approaches in
adhesive or
face coating
4. 3D printing/ 3/4, printing Yes Yes High Yes High High High May lead to new
polymer on textile 7 product developments
deposition for textiles.
5. UV coating 5-7, Yes moder High Yes High Moderat Moderat The UV process
 improvement ate e e consumes energy,
s expected though less with LED
systems
6. Atmospheric 8 for narrow Full width moder High Yes High Moderat High Surface reactivity,
plasma web, 6 for full ate e wettability and adhesion
width (as well as durability) of
(especially the fabric can be
corona) enhanced. Always
followed an another
application of material
7. Catalysis Biocatalysis Yes No High Yes Moderat High High Bio catalysis is already
5- 9 e applied but research is
going on into new
enzymes
8. Magnetron Metallic CVD Yes Moder High Moderat High Moderat Moderat Ecological footprint is
sputtering and PVD on ate e e e smaller than
level 8/9. conventional metallic
coatings
9. Ultrasonic 7-9 Yes No Moderate Yes High Moderat High
technology technology, e
5-8 textile
applications
10. Laser Ready: 9 Yes No High Yes Moderat Moderat Moderat For modification and
technology e e e accessibility of surfaces

11. Spraying From 6 - 9 Yes No High Yes High High High

12. Integrated 5/6 for total Questionab Yes Very high No High High High Factory of the future
manu- system le
facturing 7-9 for units

Complex, hybrid & smart materials

Traditionally textile materials were composed of single fibre materials or the combination of 2 to 3
fibre materials generally in the form of a blended yarn (e.g. polyster-cotton, polyester-wool etc.) or
the additional of an additional material in the weaving process (e.g. an elastic yarn).

Today textile materials are becoming increasing complex often serving very specific end use
applications and combining multiple functionalities. To achieve this, a large diversity of materials are
utilised and combined in many different ways. Such multi-material combinations can be achieved by:

- blending standard textile fibres and yarns with highly specific and functional ones
- combining textile with non-textile materials creating multilayer and hybrid materials
- integrating functional reactive materials (microcapsules, photochromics, shape memory
alloys etc.) into yarns and fabrics
- integrating smart components such as sensors, LED’s, photovoltaics, energy harvesting &
storage components into fibres, yarns and fabrics

New fibre and textile material processing

The development of novel high performance textile materials based on aramid, glass, carbon,
ceramic, metal, basalt and other fibres also require the adaptation of processing technologies as
these materials cannot be simply spun, woven, knitted, dyed or finished like conventional fibres due
to weight, stiffness, surface properties etc.
In a similar way production technologies need to be adapted to processes highly delicate/small-scale
materials micro- and nanofibres, electrospun filaments, medical purpose materials, sensor-
integrated fibres or yarns, piezoelectric fibres and may other exotic high added value fibre based
materials.

New structures & surfaces

Most yarns and textiles are produced in relatively standardised material batches such as yarn
bobbins or fabric roles produced on production equipment corresponding to such standard size
parameters. As various technical textiles are used in either very-large or very-small dimensions highly
customised manufacturing equipment is needed which sometimes need to be specially engineered
for individual customer orders.

Realisation and efficient handling of hybrid, multiaxial or oddly shaped structures also requires
specialised manufacturing and handling technologies as well as innovative finishing/surface
treatment technologies.

Efficiency

In order to meet strict cost and quality requirements textile manufacturing operations need to
constantly drive efficiencies including:

- low resource consumption

- high-speed/high-precision production
- low defect operations and on-line quality control
- process integration & intensification

Flexibility/Versatility

A company’s exit of commoditised mass textile and clothing markets almost always entails a
reduction of average order/manufacturing batch sizes, faster changes of manufacturing batches,
need to offer a higher variety of production types/qualities and the capability to respond very quickly
to new customer demands.

Manufacturing operations have to integrate such capabilities through:

- Investment in efficient small batch/lot processing/manufacturing technologies

- multimaterial/multiprocess technologies
- flexible factory organisation and planning
- Efficient supply chain communication and logistics
2.4 Digitalisation & flexible manufacturing

The availability of information and communication and other digital technologies are at the same
time a driver and an enabler of innovation and efficiency in the textile and clothing industry.

They enable companies to better respond to diversified, and rapidly changing consumer needs and
wishes for fashion personalised functional clothing and other textile products, for private and
professional use, also for health and well-being. And companies’ ability to better deal with such
market demands will lead to higher market expectation for fast fulfilment of individual desires.

Across all sectors of the economy more commerce and business is conducted electronically. A
younger generation of so called “digital natives” expect this. Internet and mobile applications are the
future. Even government and public administrations require business to complete their
administrative procedures electronically.

The need to measure, monitor and report to customers, authorities or the capital markets about a
broad range of business parameters, such as resource efficiency and environmental impact, working
conditions and human resource development efforts, statistical and financial information etc.
requires extensive electronic data management from companies.

The spread of new ICT-enabled business concepts and value creation technologies; such as Service
Orientation, Open Innovation, Digital Textile Printing/digital functionalisation, (mobile) Internet (of
Things), or virtualisation of the human body and clothing offer great opportunities for companies to
innovate and differentiate themselves, but also harbour risks if such technologies are not or not
professionally embraced.

ICT at machine or process level include:

- CAD/CAM/CIM technology
- Digital processes (e.g. digital printing & finishing)
- Smart, self-adjusting machines
- Intuitive human-machine interfaces
- Robotic devices

ICT at factory/company level include:

- IT-based production planning, scheduling & control

- Smart intra-factory logistics and warehousing (RFID, real-time batch, order, single-piece
tracking)
- PLM (virtual product design & collection management)

ICT at value chain level include:

- e-business (IT integration with suppliers, service providers and customers)

- Use of RFID, smart labels, real-time feedback
- e-commerce & end-consumer interaction
3 Product Innovation

3.1 New textile surface functionalities

Surface properties or functionalities can make a significant difference to the added value perceived
by the user of a final textile product and therefore new and improved textile finishings are a very
promising field of textile innovation. They generally require an excellent knowledge and control of
the basic textile material to be treated, the specific technologies used for the processing as well as
the process chemicals or auxiliaries employed.

1. Traditional functionalities using improved/new technologies

Traditional textile surface treatments such as fabric preparation, dyeing, printing and standard
finishing processes can generally be improved through high quality inputs (textiles & processing
chemicals), through use of modern, well maintained and calibrated machinery and equipment and
through operation and control by experienced operators, all leading to higher quality outputs.

Another value adding strategy is to target “greener” products by use of less harsh chemistry, more
environmental friendly processes and “softer” chemical agents (e.g. REACH-compliant dyes/finishes,
enzymes, natural/bio-based dyes and auxiliaries…) and a general focus on resource efficiency and
avoidance of waste and pollution.

Finally the exploitation of new processing technologies for pre-treatment, coloration and finishing
such as digital printing, plasma, CO2, ultraviolet, laser, hot melt, coating or radiation technologies can
all lead to new or improved final product properties and more regular, controlled and cleaner
processes.

2. New functionalities on traditional materials

Constant innovation in finishing technologies and agents provides an ever wider spectrum of
functional finishes for conventional textiles (e.g. hydrophobic cotton, flame-retardant synthetics,
antimicrobial finishes etc.)

Highly engineered advanced processing including multifunctional coatings, microcapsules, nano-

structured surfaces, photochromic materials etc. enable the creation of the most surprising, highly
innovative functionalities such as self-cleaning, colour-changing, odour-absorbing or controlled
molecule releasing textiles.

3. New functionalities on new materials

Technical textiles made from high performance specialty fibres such as glass, carbon, aramid, basalt,
metal, ceramic etc. usually cannot be coloured and finished by conventional processes and require
new processing technologies and/or processing chemistry.
3.2 New structural properties
Changes in the structural property of a yarn or fabric is the second principle way of achieving new
added value properties of textile products.

1. Traditional yarns/ fabrics with improved performance

Traditional materials and processes can be improved by a constant focus on high quality, low defect
manufacturing based on high quality input materials, through use of modern, well maintained and
calibrated machinery and equipment and through operation and control by experienced operators.

Blending and combining of different fibre types in spinning or different yarns in weaving or knitting
create new textiles with innovative properties combining the advantages of different materials.

2. New yarns/fabrics for specialised applications

The use of technical yarns and fabrics either pure or blended with traditional materials can
significantly improve the technical performance of textile materials such as tear strength, abrasion
resistance, heat, flame, chemical or impact resistance, durability under adverse use conditions and
many other properties required in technical applications.

Multifunctional materials combining highly diverse properties such as barrier function and
permeability for sportswear, lightness/comfort and protection for protective wear, softness and
flame retardance or abrasion resistance for furnishing fabrics etc. can be achieved by an appropriate
blend and structural combination of different materials.

3. New textile constructions

Many machine technology innovations in recent years have created completely new opportunities
for realising previously unthinkable textile constructions combining different materials, generating
new shapes and structures with high speed, efficiency and precision.

Multi-component filament extrusion allows the combination of several polymers in a continuous

process while precisely controlling how the different components are combined and how the
resulting filament is shaped.

Nonwoven production technologies opened an entirely new way of creating two-dimensional layers
or fabrics directly from fibres skipping the step of filament or yarn production and the rather complex
weaving process resulting in a highly productive and cost-effective way of manufacturing textile-like
materials for an ever increasing range of end applications.

Braiding, warp-knitting, flat weft-knitting, circular knitting or stich-bonding technologies generally

employed to process technical filament or yarns into complex 2-dimensional fabrics or even thick
material layers, circular structures (ropes or hoses), spacer fabrics or 3D shaped components are
some of the most advanced options for the manufacturing of high added value technical textiles.

Advanced embroidery and sewing technology as well as laser or ultrasound welding or gluing
technologies are used for the assembly of high-performance technical textile components and end
products.
3.3 Smart products and product-services

While functional material properties are the main focus for the up-stream part of the textile value
chain i.e. producers of fibres, filaments, yarns, fabrics and finished textiles, the producers of textile
based end products such as clothing and fashion, home and interior textiles as well as technical
textile based end products focus on additional product features which can confer added value to the
final user. Some of these additional features relate directly to the way the product is designed,
assembled, finished or packaged, but many go beyond the product itself and rather concern services
around the product throughout its entire life cycle.

1. Adding value through product features

Tangible product properties/features adding value to the customer include the design, sizing, fitting
of the product, the addition of integrated or connected features such as pockets, openings, covers,
bags or complementary products which improve the user experience, such as fit and comfort, multi-
use opportunities, durability, ease of care and maintenance etc.

Intangible value-adding features are typically designs and colours, branding, messaging and other
elements which appeal to social, cultural, esthetical or moral values of the user.

2. Adding value through customisation & personalisation

While textile and clothing products manufactured in efficient industrial operations are typically made
for an anonymous customer disconnected from the manufacturing operation in time and space,
there is a significant potential added value in producing products which are perceived by the final
user as personalised or unique.

Modern information and communication technologies make it possible to involve the individual
customer, whether a private end consumer or an individual business customer much more directly
and efficiently in the product conception, manufacturing and delivery process. Made-to-measure or
made-to-order concepts already well established in other product markets such as automobiles or
interior products also have great potential in the clothing and interior textile markets. Customer co-
design or co-creation can not only strongly link the customer to the emerging product but also
provide the manufacture highly valuable, low cost insights into the needs and desires or their target
customers.

3. Added value services

Further services around the product which can confer added value and a competitive advantage both
in the consumer and even more so in the industrial/professional markets include:

- Smart logistics and guarantees for product availability or re-order/replenishment options

- Professional product care and maintenance
- Quality or service guarantees, product return/exchange options
- Customer education and training
4 Applications and Markets

Beyond the long-established large end markets of clothing and fashion as well as home and interior
textiles, textile and clothing products have over recent decades conquered large additional end
markets which are generally referred to as technical textiles or technical applications. While no
unambiguous and universally accepted definition for technical textiles exists, it is generally assumed
that this sector comprises all uses and end markets in which textile materials are applied primarily for
their functional rather than their aesthetic features. It is estimated that approximately one third of all
textile fibres processed by the EU textile and clothing industry will be used in products destined for
technical end markets. In several Northern and Western European countries the share of the T/C
industry producing primarily for technical end markets approaches or event exceeds 50% of the
entire industrial sector. In the following paragraphs the main technical textile application sectors and
their most significant product categories are enlisted. The technical textile market categories refer to
the denomination initially introduced by Messe Frankfurt GmbH, organiser of the TechTextil trade
fair, and now widely referenced across the industry.

4.1 Protection, sports & leisure (Protech Sporttech Clothtech)

Comprises textile materials and products applied in:

- protective clothing and equipment for professionals operating in hazardous working

environments,
- clothing and equipment for professionals and consumers engaged in sports and physical
outdoor activities
- clothing products or parts thereof providing primarily a technical function

Protective clothing & equipment for high & multi-risk environments

- Heat and flame protection gear for fire fighters, military and civil defence staff, workers in
the energy, petro-/chemical, basic metals and heavy manufacturing industries
- CBRN protection gear for military and civil defence staff, first responders, workers in the
nuclear energy and chemical industry
- Ballistic and explosive protection gear military & civil security staff

Protective clothing & equipment for medium risk environment

- High-visibility wear (first responders, construction workers…)

- Fall and impact protection wear and devices (construction workers, first responders)
- Buoyancy and flotation equipment for off-shore workers

Workwear & low-risk protective clothing

- Professional wear with cut, puncture & abrasion resistance

- Foul weather protection clothing
- General workwear providing a combination of comfort & function

Sports and functional leisure wear

4.2 Health & wellbeing (Medtech)
Comprises textile-based products applied in the medical, healthcare and consumer well-being
markets.

Medical devices

- External application materials & devices (wound dressings, compresses, orthodics…)

- Internal application materials & devices (implantable structures and materials)
- Medical equipment & wear (gowns, gloves, masks, filters, bags, pads, wipes…)

Hygiene products

- Female and infant hygiene, incontinence products (mostly nonwovens)

- Towels, wipes, pads (mostly nonwovens)
- Household cleaning equipment

Consumer health products

- Functional wear (compression stockings…)

- Braces and bandages
- Cosmetotextiles (textiles and clothing with intrinsic cosmetic and beauty functionalities)

4.3 Functional interiors (Hometech)

Comprises textile-based products applied in the home and interior markets used primarily for the
functional rather than their aesthetic functions.

Floor covering:

- Functional and smart carpets (insulation, acoustics, guidance and detection, indoor climate,
safety…)
- Textile based underfloor insulation materials

Wall & window dressing:

- Functional wall covers (for insulation, acoustics, lighting)

- Functional curtains and blinds (for light and temperature management, indoor air quality,
acoustics…)
- Textile based under-surface insulation materials

Furniture:

- Functionalised upholstery
- Textile-based furniture parts

Bedding:

- Functional pillows and bed sheets (anti-microbial, anti-mite/mosquito, anti-allergic, odour

emitting)
4.4 Technical markets
Comprises textile materials and products applied as components, sub-systems or final products in a
wide range of industrial sectors, in agriculture and technical services.

4.4.1 Automotive & other transport sectors (Mobiltech)

Textiles are widely used in all industries manufacturing components or complete systems for human
or goods transport such as personal cars, trucks and buses, rail-based vehicles (trains, tramways,
subways), waterborne systems (transport and passenger ships and boats, leisure boats and yachts,
hovercrafts) and airborne transport systems (aeroplanes, spacecraft, helicopters, balloons and
gliders). Conventional textiles are typically applied for seats and other interiors, whereas technical
textiles have wide application potential for structural and functional parts where their strength, light
weight, flexibility or elasticity often makes them preferred materials choices.

Typical transport applications for textiles are:

Automotive: seats and other interiors, safety belts, airbags, tyre cords, transmission belts, truck
covers, transport nets and bags, fibre composite parts for body or other structural components

Railway: seats and other interiors, cargo nets, hoses, fibre composite parts

Aerospace: seats and other interiors, safety belts, life vests, cargo nets, hoses, fibre composite parts

Waterborne: seats and other interiors, (mooring) ropes, cargo and safety nets, sails, large bags,
flexible tanks, inflatable structures and devices, life vests and floating devices

4.4.2 Construction & architecture (Buildtech, Geotech)

Building and infrastructure construction as well as earth works are increasingly exploring fibre and
textile-based materials for applications in which the strength, flexibility, light weight and
functionalization potential of these materials makes them preferred choices.

However apart from a few long-established applications such as tents, roofs and sunshades or
geotextiles for soil reinforcement, most construction applications are in relatively niche and pilot
markets. However several of these markets can become very large over time. Therefore the
European Technology Platform has set up a specific expert group in this domain to foster wider
textile use in the building and construction sector.

This group has identified three main application areas for textiles in construction and architecture,
where their potential market value has been assessed to be significant. These are shown in the below
table.

Textile Application in Construction and

Architecture Main product/application examples
Main Application Areas

Reinforcement in construction  Textile-reinforced concrete

Textiles for structural and non-structural  Tunnel linings & geotextiles
strengthening of walls, floors, ceilings and  Textiles for earthquake protection
construction elements with the purpose of
 increasing durability against aging, natural and
manmade impact.
Freeform permanent & temporary structures
Textiles for flexible, aesthetic and easy to install
applications providing novel architectural forms
and additional outdoor and indoor functionalities.
Restoration, renovation & functional / aesthetic
enhancements
Textiles for conservation of historical buildings,
repair of existing buildings and infrastructures,
adding value through multifunctional textile
surfaces for improved energy-efficiency, safety,
indoor lighting, aesthetics and room climate.
 Textiles for building retrofitting
 Textiles for masonry reinforcement
 Textiles in wall plug elements
 Facade elements
 etc.
 Membrane construction
 Exhibition structures
 Event tent and warehouse structures
 Functional blinds, shades, curtains
 etc.
 Textile used as insulation layer
 Insulation modules
 Retrofit facades
 Textile strips for crack repair
 Active energy, light, indoor air, moisture
management textiles
 Passive energy/light/noise/indoor air
management textiles
 Decorative/aesthetic / informative
textiles

4.4.3 Agriculture, energy & environment (Agrotech, Oekotech)

The agriculture, energy and environmental protection markets are like the construction a relatively
early-stage but potentially very large application field for technical textiles.

Typical current and potential future applications are:

Agricultural productivity:

- Plant and crop protection from adverse climate impact (e.g. sun, rain, hail, snow, frost), animals
(insects, birds, rodents,…), pests, diseases and weeds using textile-based screens, nets, crop and
ground covers
- Climate control and reduction of energy use in greenhouses using textile-based screens, shades or
covers
- Plant growth support, guiding, vertical/urban agriculture using ropes, nets and textile-based
growth-support substrates
- Efficient irrigation and fertilisation using textile-based hoses and pipes
- Handling, transport, packaging and storage of plants and crops such as harvesting nets, storage
and transport bags, sacks, nets and other textile-based packaging materials

Rural water management:

- Water harvesting systems using textile-based rain, fog, dew collectors such as screens, nets and
canvases
- Water storage and transport by textile-based artificial ponds, flexible tanks or covers
- Filtration and cleaning of water via textile-based filters
- Protection of (ground) water from contamination (e.g. landfills, floods or spills) using textile
membranes

Environmental Protection:

- Protection against landslides, avalanches and soil erosion via nets, ropes and various geotextile
structures
- Landscaping/re-cultivation of damaged soils using textile-based seed mats, ground covers and
growth supports
- Urban plant cultivation using textile-enabled green roofs and walls
- Decontamination of soil using textile membranes

Energy generation, transmission and storage:

- Fibre-reinforced materials for gas and wind turbines

- Chimney lining for power plants
- Flexible pipes and hoses for liquid fuel transport and flexible fuel tanks
- Flexible solar cells
- Mooring ropes of floating platforms for deep sea oil and gas exploration and production

4.4.4 Industrial applications (Indutech, Packtech)

Beyond the aforementioned industrial sectors technical textiles are used for very specific applications
in almost all industries and sectors and the below listed examples are just an non-exhaustive
selection of the most typical textile uses:

- Conveyor belts for processing, assembly and logistic operations

- Filters for gases, liquids or solids in sectors such as water processing, food and beverage
manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, waste processing
- Bags, nets, covers and other flexible packaging for industrial materials and products, food and
other consumer products
- Machine clothing for the paper industry
- Flexible screens for the printing industry
5 R&D supporting institutions and programs

The textile and clothing industry as a typically low to medium research intensive sector dominated by
small-to-medium-sized companies disposes of relatively few internal research and development
capacities compared to other more concentrated or research-intensive industries. While design and
new product development is a typical function in most textile and clothing companies, this rarely
requires a continuous investment in research and technological development and the maintenance
of extensive research laboratories or equipment apart from some design tools, small-scale prototype
production or testing equipment.

The more common strategy for innovation-oriented textile and clothing companies is to maintain
privileged collaborations with external knowledge and research or technology service providers such
research and technology institutes, universities or polytechnics/colleges, specialized consulting and
technology service companies or suppliers of chemicals, machines and equipment.

5.1 Universities and polytechnics

The dominating role of universities, polytechnics, colleges or universities of applied sciences is higher
education, providing young high school graduates with advanced knowledge and qualifications in
specialised scientific subjects or professional domains. However most of these institutions dispose of
certain, sometimes extensive, laboratory and technological facilities which allows them to carry out
practical research and small scale manufacturing trials and testing, either as part of internal research
work or in the form of collaborative projects with external partners including industry. In additional
many higher education institutions also offer training courses for continuous training or specialised
extra qualification oriented at professionals in the industry.

Based on the long-standing tradition and technological advancement of the textile and clothing
industry in Europe, a large highly diversified and internationally leading textile and clothing higher
education and fundamental research infrastructure exists across Europe. While during recent
decades of restructuring and downsizing of the industry in many European countries also some
university and college textile or clothing departments have be downsized or merged with related
faculties or departments, Europe still disposes of over 30 university textile departments graduating
PhD students and some 40 colleges, polytechnics or universities of applied sciences graduating textile
or clothing engineers or textile or fashion designs at bachelor level.

Europe’s textile university departments have many years ago joined

forces form the Association of Universities for Textiles AUTEX, which
currently counts 21 member universities from 17 EU countries, 7 member
universities from 5 neighbouring countries in the Western Balkans and
Mediterranean area as well as 7 associated members from around the world. All AUTEX members are
listed on the association’s website at http://autex.ugent.be/Members.asp
The AUTEX member universities in the TexMed countries are:

- TEI Piraeus - Department of Textile Engineering - Faculty of Technological Applications,

Athens - Greece
- Politecnico di Torino - Department of Materials Science and Technical Engineering, Torino -
Italy
- University of Bergamo - Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Dalmine (Bergamo) – Italy
- ESITH - Ecole Supérieure des Industries du Textile et de l'Habillement, Casablanca - Morocco
- UPC - Department of Textile and Paper Engineering, Terrassa – Spain
- ENIM - University of Monastir, Monastir - Tunisia

The main activities of AUTEX comprises regular meetings of the directors and other research staff of
the member universities, the organisation of a large-scale annual research conference, the
publication of a joint research journal and the organisation of a European Masters programme in
textile engineering. AUTEX is a founding member of the European Textile Technology Platform (see
chapter 5.5)

In average, the AUTEX-affiliated universities from EU and neighbouring countries graduate some
1000-1400 Bachelors of Science, some 600 – 800 Masters of Science and some 60 – 80 PhD’s every
year, mostly in textile engineering much fewer in clothing engineering or design.

A still larger number of Bachelor graduates in both textile and clothing/fashion related subjects are
graduated every year by Europe’s colleges, polytechnics or universities or applied sciences. Such
institutions exist in most European countries.

While these institutions have many bilateral or multilateral collaborations across Europe, no formal
association or network exists so far that brings them all together under a common umbrella. A recent
initiative entitled Network of European Textile and Fashion Universities of Applied Sciences NETFAS
jointly initiated by some of the leading such institutions in Europe is in the process of working
towards this objective and is open to affiliations from further relevant institutions in Southern
European and Mediterranean countries. While no formal document or website exists for this
network in creation, the reference chapter below includes relevant contact information.

5.2 Research institutes & industrial technology centres

Recognizing that it is difficult for small to medium-sized textile and clothing companies to maintain
significant research facilities individually in-house, collective industrial interests (sectoral federations
etc.) typically with support of public authorities have established dedicated textile research and
technology centres in most textile and clothing industry regions across Europe. These centres can
range from relatively small scale operations with less than 50 staff members and limited
technological facilities mainly dedicated to local industry support in the form of technological
consulting or small scale trials and testing to quite large organisations with several hundreds of
researchers and specialised technical staff and extensive state-of-the-art technological installations
at semi-industrial scale engaged in leading edge contract research, pilot production and extensive
testing and certification work often beyond the traditional textile and clothing sector.
Basically all these centres are by now private sector non-profit organisations, sometimes de-facto
collectively owned by the industry and/or endowed with an industry-dominated advisory board
which decides on the major strategic directions of the organisation.

Over the years public authorities have generally reduced their direct financial commitment to these
centres in the form of baseline founding which by now plays a very minor role or is completely non-
existent. Therefore the majority of income of these centres is generated by contract research,
consulting or testing work for private sector customers or by competitive project based public
funding.

While many of these research organisations still cover a broad range of technological competences
related to many industrial processes, over time specialisation processes have led to a stronger
profiling of individual centres on selective industrial processes or technologies, typically driven by
specialisation trends in the regional industry. For instance textile research centres in Northern and
Western Europe have focussed more on technical and functional textile competences and
deemphasized traditional processes such as conventional spinning, weaving, dyeing or garment
making technologies.

Textranet – the European Network of Textile Research

Organisations is a non-profit association which brings together the
vast majority of applied textile research and technology centers in
Europe. Textranet currently has 27 member organisations from 19
countries, including several members from TexMed partner
countries.

The below figures provides details of all Textranet members, with one missing recent affiliate being
VTT from Finland.

Textranet members:
Textranet is a founding member of the European Textile Technology Platform (see chapter 5.5)

5.3 Networks and clusters

In order to bring the classical actors involved in textile and clothing research and innovation, i.e.
industry, academia and research centres closer together and to stimulate and facilitate more active
collaboration, regional textile innovation networks or clusters have emerged across many European
countries.

The objective of these structures is to commit the so-called triple helix of stakeholders – industry,
research and public authorities – in a joint undertaking with shared mutual objectives. The principal
logic is that a more knowledge-based and innovation-driven industry is ultimately more competitive
and successful generating economic income and creating attractive high added value jobs in its
region of establishment. It will have a greater demand for higher education graduates, thereby
fuelling the development of universities, require more research and technology support services
benefiting the research organisation and generating more tax income which can be investment by
the regional authorities for the greater public good.

Depending on the exact conditions and objectives of its set-up a regional innovation cluster can have
a formal structure and legal entity and dispose of own staff and facilities or it can be entirely made
up of mutualised capacities provided by the individual cluster stakeholders. In general the trend of
clusters goes towards formal establishment and internal structure development.

EU policies have also recognised the great potential of regional clustering and encourage EU member
states and regions to adopt an active clustering policy and support mechanisms and to develop and
exchange best practises. For this purpose a European Cluster Observatory has been established.
Through the European Cluster Excellence Initiative a system has been developed through which
individual clusters can obtain a label (gold, silver, bronze) which certifies its level cluster
management excellence. The new EU regional policy strategy entitled Smart Specialisation which
encourages Europe’s regions to selectively and strategically develop their specific strengths and
competitive advantages in terms of industrial sectors, markets or framework conditions and to
dedicate a greater percentage of regional development funds to research, innovation, education and
sustainability could result in a further push towards the establishment of new regional innovation
clusters.

In the absence of an unambiguous definition and denomination of clusters across Europe, no exact
number of existing textile innovation clusters in Europe can be provided. Based on several activities
by the European Technology Platform and by some multilateral collaboration initiatives and projects
involving individual clusters close to 20 such structures have been identified. The website on one
such EU-funded project Textile2020 provides further information about some European textile
innovation clusters.

An interesting funding mechanism for cross-border textile

research and innovation projects through the mutualisation of
mainly regional support schemes was successfully tested by
the CrossTexNet ERA-Net scheme, which was also co-funded
by the European Union. In this project 17 national and
regional authorities or funding agencies from 11 European
and Mediterranean countries worked together to launch
common funding calls and organise joint project evaluations. While each project required
participants from at least 2 different countries the respective funding shares for the different
partners were provided by the national or regional funding scheme of each partner organisation. This
interesting scheme le to the funding of some 30 projects. Unfortunately the project ended in 2013,
with no immediate follow-up action.

5.4 EU funded programmes (i.e.: Horizon 2020)

The European Union’s research and innovation funding
programme HORIZON 2020 has a total budget of well
over 70 billion Euros for the years 2014-2020 and will
offer interesting funding opportunities for all sector and
research disciplines including textiles and clothing.

In general the funding of research through the EU

programmes works in the following way:

- Funding is provided for collaborative projects (industry+research, cross-border) on the basis

of open competitive calls
 - All EU + HORIZON 2020 associated countries (Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Israel,
Moldova) are eligible for funding

- Other countries can participate with funding on case-by-case basis – partners from
Mediterranean countries would most likely receive EU funding

- Call topics are published annually in the form of thematic work programmes

- Research results can be exploited and IPR protected by project partners, but obligation to
disseminate about research activities

Compared to previous programmes HORIZON 2020 will bring some positive novelties such as:

- an increased funding rate of up to 100% of direct eligible costs such as personal, equipment,
consumables, travel and subsistence plus a flat 25% rate of overheads for all types of
participants including industry,
- Funding opportunities for closer-to-market activities such as pilot testing and demonstration
- Smaller projects and faster time from application to project start

A specific funding instrument for SME’s called Fast Track to Innovation will be introduced in 2015
which will be strictly reserved for SME’s and permits even single company applications. This
programme should have a budget of at least 3 billion Euros.

Apart from these positive points, there will be also some old and some new challenges for the textile
and clothing industry in HORIZON 2020. Like in previous programmes there will be no dedicated
programme for the textile and clothing sector so applicants from this sector will need to find
relevant topics in largely cross-sectoral research and technology subjects in which they will have to
compete with other sectors that may be viewed as more promising or more high-tech than the
textile industry. There is of course a lot of potential in cross-sectoral cooperation especially for
technical textiles companies, but this means they will need to build contacts and working
relationships with players in these other sectors at European level. This is in fact one of the priorities
of the work of the European Textile Technology Platform and over the years it has built excellent
relations with other European Technology Platforms in sectors like machinery, chemistry and
biotechnology, construction, protection and safety, footwear and sport goods etc. About 60 textile-
related research projects often involving related sectors have been funded under the previous 7th
Framework Programme, representing a total budget of about € 270 million and an EU co-funding of
more than € 200 million.

In HORIZON 2020 the Technology Platform will again exploit these cross-sectoral collaborations for
more textile-related projects. Several support services for funding opportunity identification,
partnership building, application advice and project dissemination support are offered by the
Technology Platform and explained in more detail in the following chapter and the accompanying
slide presentation.

Further EU funding programmes for innovation related projects unrelated to HORIZON 2020 include:
 • LIFE Programme: supporting projects in the field of environmental protection & climate
change, funded participation generally limited to EU countries

• COSME Programme: supporting access to finance, SME support, entrepreneurship,

digitalisation funded participation for EU and some third countries (negotiations on-going)

• ERASMUS+: supporting education, training, youth & sport, funded participation generally
limited to EU countries

5.5 The European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and
Clothing (Textile ETP)
The Textile ETP is the largest European
network dedicated to textile research and
innovation. The central objective of this
network is to ensure 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. The Textile ETP
currently has about 175 member
organisations from industry, research and higher education with a total of over 600 registered
individual experts.

A strategic vision for the future of the EU textile and clothing industry has been developed since the
start of the platform in 2004 and now the work focuses on 4 large strategic domains:

1. Move from commodities towards specialty products stemming from high-tech processes.

2. Increased use of textiles as material of choice in many sectors and application fields.

3. Move towards customisation, personalisation, as well as on-demand production, product-service

concepts and other innovative business models.

4. Innovation in sustainability including resource efficiency, low environmental-impact materials and

technologies and promotion of consumer health and safety in products.

The Textile ETP offers many information and networking services for companies and research
organisations interested in European collaboration. It informs its members timely and sector-
specifically about funding opportunities. Through its Textile Project Proposal Information Exchange
System (TEPPIES), it helps partners to build project consortia and to get direct advice from the
managers of the European funding programmes.

The Textile ETP also runs a textile technology brokerage system at European
level, entitled the European Textile Technology Marketplace (ETTMa)
connecting companies which have technology needs with providers of innovative solutions.

The Textile ETP also organises expert groups to discuss major innovation and
technology trends in the textile sector. Currently there are 7 such groups
entitled Textile Flagships for Europe (TFE) dealing with the following themes:

The Textile ETP organises public events and conferences on general research and innovation themes
or specific technological or market subjects for industry, research and technology experts from
across Europe to present, meet and exchange.
6 Recommendations for TexMed countries and clusters
As every national or regional industry cluster situation is different in terms of industry capacities,
competences and market conditions, in terms of availability of higher education and research
infrastructure and in terms of business and industry policy in general and research and innovation
policies in particular no detailed on-size-fits-all recommendations can be formulated. However as the
capacities of industrial research and innovation in a particular regions depend on the strategies and
actions of the 3 main key stakeholders industry, research/academia and policy makers a number of
key considerations can be suggested to each of them, which should be at the basis of any strategic
reflection about measures to be implemented for development of a more vibrant and performant
regional industrial innovation ecosystem.

6.1 Recommendations: Research & Technology Capacities

1. Understand what new competences/technologies are really needed by the local industry

2. Develop these competences/technological capacities strategically together with industry

3. Identify and build strategic (international) partnerships

4. Adapt best practices from elsewhere to your reality – don’t just copy them!

5. Focus on people’s specific knowledge and general competences and skills – make them move
between the research and industry worlds

6.2 Recommendations: Business Innovation

1. Understand your competitive advantages (and your weaknesses)

2. Improve your current business (quality, efficiency, reliability, response time, technical and
business competences, added value services)

3. Explore incremental « easy » market opportunities (think close to home, think close to
existing competences and capacities)

4. Collaborate with local/regional competence and technology providers (if they don’t exist look
further afield)

5. Identify and build strategic (international) partnerships

6.3 Funding/Public Support

1. Get organised in a triple helix cluster/network (research+industry+authorities) and build trust

2. Communicate strategic needs clearly and professionally to public authorities (be ambitious,
clear and persistent)

3. Make use of all available funding opportunities (be creative!)

4. Show the results of funded projects (what has the funding really achieved)
 5. Collaborate with clusters/networks in other sectors and countries and learn from them –
benchmark yourself!

7 Links and references

European Policies and Programmes

European Commission – DG Enterprise and Industry Textile and Clothing Industry Policies:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/textiles/index_en.htm

European Commission – DG Enterprise and Industry Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue and the Textile
and Clothing Industry: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/textiles/external-dimension/euro-
mediterranean-region/index_en.htm

European Commission - Research and Innovation Policies: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm

HORIZON 2020 participants portal:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/home.html

Fast Track to Innovation Pilot Programme: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-

section/fast-track-innovation-pilot-2015-2016

LIFE Programme: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life

COSME Programme: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/initiatives/cosme/index_en.htm

ERASMUS+: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm

EU Smart Specialisation Policies:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/regions/index_en.cfm?pg=smart_specialisation

Smart Specialisation Platform S3: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu

European Sectoral Associations and Networks

EURATEX – the European Apparel and Textile Confederation: www.euratex.eu

Euratex’s Energy-Made-to-Measure Campaign: http://euratex.eu/hidden-pages/useful-

tools/energymade-to-measure/

European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing, www.textile-platform.eu

Textranet www.textranet.eu

AUTEX www.autex.org

Textile2020 cluster project www.textile2020.eu

Other links and resources

EU Cluster Observatory www.clusterobservatory.eu/index.html

European Cluster Excellence Initiative http://www.cluster-excellence.eu

TechTextil trade fair, Frankfurt, www.techtextil.com

ENCLOSURE:

Powerpoint Presentation given by Lutz Walter, Euratex at CBC Clusters Conference in Tunis on 17th
October 2014