AEI Tèxtils, the Catalan Advanced Textile Materials Cluster, participated in the annual Textile ETP Conference in Brussels, a flagship event for textile innovation gathering over 150 international experts. This year main topics were smart textiles, as high-performance materials, and a strategic roadmap to address the textile strategy and the upcoming transition pathway for the textile ecosystem.

Both topics are strongly linked with the cluster strategy and strategic initiatives. AEI Tèxtils leads CONTEXT network of smart textile researchers and innovators across Europe that has facilitated 7 SME members to start innovative developments with around 1M€ of aggregated leveraged funding supported by the cluster. Supporting smart textiles is an approach the cluster promotes as technological innovation and to develop new business models as a driver of growth and competitiveness of SMEs in the sector, while promoting cooperation among partners and with other innovative ecosystems.

On the other side, AEI Tèxtils was active member of the ETP Textile new strategic technological roadmap, contributing to the different co-creation sessions and final refinement of the priorities. AEI Tèxtils is leading several innovative EU projects such as GALACTICA, CLAMTEX and ADMANTEX2i addressing different strategic priorities that can contribute towards the green and digital transition of the Catalan advanced textile materials ecosystem. In the coming months, AEI Tèxtils will start 3 new strategic projects with more than 4.3M€ of mobilized funds to support the resilience of textile ecosystem to uptake sustainable and digital innovations, to promote the upskilling and reskilling of the sector and to promote internationalization opportunities.

Activities led by the cluster, such as the recent training program at the Digital Capability Center in Aachen, were highlighted during the conference as good practices of cluster support in the upskilling of the textile sector to increase the preparedness for resilient future.

AEI Tèxtils participation in the ETP Conference is key for building networking opportunities to connect the cluster and its associated members, strengthen internal links and strategic alliances with relevant national and international stakeholders. Clusters act as a hub and as a collaborative environment to facilitate partnership between companies, research institutes, policy makers and other institutions that promote innovation and provide SMEs access to new knowledge competencies, resources and markets.

AEI TÈXTILS and its members’ testimonial: https://youtu.be/-C73fwr8GdE