Project starting date: 1 October 2025
Project end date: 30 September 2028
Project duration: 36 months
Total eligible costs: 2 695 182.20 EURO
PARTNERS
- UNIWA (University of West Attica, Greece) – Project coordinator, responsible for overall management, financial oversight, and research contributions.
- BCCI (Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Turkey) – Regional economic development partner, supporting SME access to funding and market expansion.
- BUTEKOM (Turkey, affiliated to BCCI) – Research and innovation center specializing in advanced textile technologies and sustainable production methods.
- AECIM (Spain) – Business association contributing to SME capacity-building, market research, and policy engagement.
- CS-POINTEX (Italy) – Expertise in textile innovation, digitalization, and sustainable material development.
- GREMI Textiles (Spain) – Industry representative supporting SMEs in green and digital textile transformation.
- GW LLC (Ukraine) – Textile sector stakeholder focusing on digital transformation and sustainability initiatives.
- CCE (Cluster of Circular Economy, Ukraine) – Supporting circular economy principles and sustainable textile innovations.
- BDC (Bulgaria) – Cluster organization focusing on SME development, training, and innovation acceleration.
The FutureProofTextiles project aims to support 40 SMEs in the textile industry as they navigate the twin transitions toward digital transformation and green sustainability. The textile sector, vital to Europe’s economy, faces significant challenges in adopting advanced technologies and sustainable practices, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources. This project provides direct financial support, capacity building, and collaborative opportunities to empower SMEs and enhance their resilience, competitiveness, and innovation potential. The project will offer €50,000 cascade funding grants to 40 SMEs—20 focusing on digital innovation (e.g., automation, AI, and data analytics) and 20 on green initiatives (e.g., circular economy practices, waste reduction, and sustainable material use). In addition to financial assistance, SMEs will benefit from training programs, mentoring, and access to a collaborative innovation space to foster idea generation and knowledge sharing.
Key objectives:
- Facilitate the adoption of digital tools and technologies to improve efficiency and productivity in the textile sector.
- Promote sustainable practices by integrating circular economy principles, reducing waste, and enhancing resource efficiency.
- Build capacity among SMEs through tailored training, mentoring, and technical support.
- Strengthen cross-border collaboration to create a connected and innovative ecosystem for textile SMEs. Led by UNIWA and supported by a strong consortium of partners, including CS-POINTEX (Italy), GREMI Textiles (Spain), AECIM (Spain), BDC (Bulgaria), BCCI (Turkey), GW LLC (Ukraine), CCE (Ukraine), and BUTEKOM (Turkey, affiliated to BCCI), the project brings together technical expertise, regional engagement, and a shared commitment to sustainability and innovation.
Expected outcomes:
● Implementation of transformative digital and green projects by 40 SMEs.
● Enhanced resilience, competitiveness and sustainability across the European textile sector.
● Creation of replicable models and best practices for SME support in digital and green transitions.
● Contribution to EU priorities such as carbon neutrality, resource efficiency, and digital transformation. FutureProofTextiles aligns with the EU’s Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan and addresses the call’s objectives by fostering a resilient, sustainable, and competitive textile industry. By empowering SMEs with the tools and resources needed to adapt to evolving market demands, the project will ensure their long-term success and contribute to the EU’s vision for a sustainable and inclusive economy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-proof-textiles/
ECCP: https://profile.clustercollaboration.eu/profile/cluster-partnership-initiative/