AEI Tèxtils, the Catalan advanced textile materials’ cluster, is working to support its members in going international with its strategic projects. Last week, AEI Tèxtils meet in Nantes with partners of ADMANTEX2i, an internationalization project led by the cluster aimed at leading international cluster cooperation in advanced manufacturing and advanced textile materials as an enabler for globally competitive sustainable products functional in a broad range of high-end applications.

During the meeting and based on insights from workshops organized across Europe over the past months, the partnership prioritized the end target markets and defined the broad calendar of activities for internationalization.

AEI Tèxtils will organize, through ADMANTEX2i project, three business missions during 2023 to USA, Japan and Canada.

The first mission will be organized to the Bay area of San Francisco (California) in February 2023 with key goal of inspiration in new business models, digitalization opportunities and smart textiles. All participating SMEs will also get individual agendas for dedicated business meetings and financial support through a dedicated call.

The second mission will focus on the Japanese market, centered on high performance home textiles next to a major trade fair and will be organized during June/July 2023.

Lastly, the third mission will be in November 2023 to Canada, next to the trade fair on Advanced Design & Manufacturing Expo in Montreal.

Internationalization is key area of the cluster revised strategy addressing two major objectives: increasing the competitiveness of its members with facilitated access to third country markets and the increased visibility of our members at international level thanks to the cluster participation in key events, both in Europe and internationally.

AEI Tèxtils will also feature its members in a joint booth during Techtextil 2022 in Frankfurt from June 21s to 24^th. 5 cluster members will join AEI Tèxtils stand with a dedicated showcase of innovative textile solutions. In addition, several other cluster members will also participate with their own booth. In order to foster collaborations and synergies with other advanced textile clusters in Europe, AEI Tèxtils will facilitate B2B meetings between its members and other European SMEs through the EU-TEXTILE2030 EEIG, which the cluster co-founded on 2019.

Besides ADMANTEX2i, AEI Tèxtils is involved in several strategic projects addressing internationalization at different levels:

• TEXGLOBAL supports the growth, the competitiveness and industrial modernization of European Textile enterprises in long run by enhancing its innovation capacity. AEI Tèxtils is leading a mission to Mexico this week, with upcoming missions on September 2022 to Vietnam and May 2023 to USA next to TechTextil North America 23.
• CLAMTEX aims to foster cross-border collaboration and uptake of advanced manufacturing technologies within the textile sector. A key element is the promotion and financial support of “exchanges” within Europe, facilitating travel vouchers for participants in intra-EU business missions for our members.
• Hi-Tech-TEX aims to foster the development of advanced textile materials cluster across Europe based on high performance materials and experience exchange. A key element is the continuation of the “exchange” program initiated in CLAMTEX within Europe, facilitating travel vouchers for participants in intra-EU business missions for our members.

The different projects aim to support SMEs in identifying and exploiting growth opportunities worldwide through activities such as partnering missions, matchmaking events, cross-partnership webinars, circular economy business models, digitalization driver and cross-cultural approach, and lessons in building industrial resilience.