The Textile ETP is now on board a brand new European project, IRISS, which aims to connect, synergize and transform the Safe and Sustainable by Design materials community in the EU and beyond, shifting towards a holistic integration of safety, climate neutrality, circularity and functionality of materials, products and processes.

To ensure that materials are sustainable for humans and the environment, to increase recycling and use resources in a more efficient way, efforts are required from an early stage of design and manufacturing. Thus, the EC has launched a major initiative, IRISS, which will accelerate the transition to safe and sustainably designed materials, products and processes. The consortium, led by IVL, will create a global network of experts and stakeholders. Six value chains represented in the project will provide a clear picture of the industry’s ongoing and future transformation.

On 15 and 16 February, the Textile ETP attended the General Assembly Meeting of the Reservist project.

The COVID-19 crisis has shown that several types of protective and medical equipment, products and services are crucial, including the ability to deploy them rapidly. Because of cost factors, these products, or at least critical components for them, are often produced outside the EU. Once things normalize, there will be a large pressure to return to that situation.​ The RESERVIST project aims to set up alternative lines called ‘reservist cells’, that can be activated within 48 hours, in order to switch easily from a day-to-day production line to one that focuses on products and services needed in time of crisis.

The SmartX and SmartEEs projects jointly organised a value chain cross-fertilisation workshop in Paris on 29-30 November attended by over 80 participants from all across Europe, hosted by Institut Français de la Mode (IFM).

The TRICK General Assembly took place on 22-24 September in a hybrid format, having all 28 consortium partners joining in person and also virtually.

The RESERVIST project officially started.

The third and final SmartX call for funding will remain open until February 15, 2021. Start by completing the Expression of Interest by January 15, 2021. Apply here

SmartX Project - Expression Of Interest Deadline For First Call Drawing Close

On 29-30 October the first SmartX IoT hackathon took place in Berlin hosted by Sourcebook and 4 Berlin-based textiles and flexible electronics labs.

The first cohort of 13 smart textiles SME's from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden pitched their current products/prototypes and their challenges of overcoming technical or market entry barriers.

The 2nd SmartX regional workshop was organized in conjunction with Centexbel’s “Textile Wearables in the world of IoT” conference in Liège on 1st October 2019.

About 50 participants got their first insights into the upcoming open funding call and the how SmartX project will support smart textiles projects that tackle the 3 target markets: protection & sports, health and well-being, and industrial applications.

The Textile ETP coordinated project SmartX - European Smart Textiles Accelerator - has participated in the first Regional Workshop that took place in Biella, Italy on 30th September hosted by Po.In.Tex. Some 35 participants attended workshop where the details of the upcoming first SmartX call were presented by Lutz Walter.

Smart X should boost smart textiles innovation in Europe with a specific focus on developing full smart textiles manufacturing value chain in Europe to help drive promising prototypes faster to market.

During the 3 years project, we will launch 3 funding calls expecting to support up to 40 individual projects with total funding of € 2.4 million.