The European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP)
The European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP) was created in 2004 to match research and innovation needs and priorities of the European industry (represented by companies, associations, and clusters) with the knowledge, scientific and technological capacities of universities, research organisations and technology developers to raise the sector’s competitiveness through intensified collaborative research and innovation.
Through its broad membership base, the Textile ETP aims to represent the research and innovation interests of the entire manufacturing value chain from fibres to final textile-based products as well as directly allied industries.
Since 2013 the Textile ETP has been established as an international non-profit association under Belgian law with its permanent premises based in Brussels.
The core mission of the Textile ETP is to strengthen and ensure the long-term competitiveness of the European textile and clothing industry through collaborative research and innovation at the European level.
To reinforce the position of Europe as a leading global player in the development and manufacturing of fibres, textiles, textile-based products, and apparel, the Textile ETP pursues the following key objectives:
🤝 The organisation of an effective European-wide expert network involving industry, research organisations, public authorities, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to join forces and coordinate their efforts in research, development, and innovation to benefit the European Textile and Clothing Industry.
⚙️ The definition of common industrial strategies and implementation of a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) through targeted collaborative research, technology development, and innovation efforts within the textile sector and in cooperation with related industries.
💡 The development of structures and measures to improve this industrial sector's overall research, development, and innovation framework conditions focuses specifically but not exclusively on removing financial, educational, legal, and regulatory obstacles.
Overall, the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing will remain focused on allocating its resources to the most promising fields of R&D and innovation action activities to ensure long-term industry competitiveness for the benefit of economic growth, jobs and sustainable development in Europe. It will continue to operate openly and transparently, inviting every organisation and individual interested in research, development, and innovation across Europe to join its activities.
The future of Europe’s textile and clothing industry will be built on its existing strengths (1) creativity in design and product development, (2) innovation in materials and processes, (3) flexibility in production and supply chain management, and (4) quality of products and services.
The Textile ETP is based on three pillars, which at the same time represent the three crucial elements of a long-term vision that will exploit these strengths while at the same time benefiting from general societal and economic trends:
🧶 A move from commodities towards specialty products from high-tech processes along the entire value chain from fibres to final products with highly functional, purpose-targeted properties;
🧵 The establishment and expansion of textile as a material of choice in many sectors and application fields (transport systems, construction, energy & environment markets, protective & medical applications, consumer electronics…);
🪡 A move towards a new industrial era characterised by customisation, personalisation, as well as flexible, on-demand production coupled with intelligent logistics, distribution, and services.
European Technology Platforms (ETPs) are open networks of research and innovation stakeholders in a particular sector or technology domain.
The creation of European Technology Platforms wares encouraged by the European Union in the early 2000s to serve as a single voice and representative of a European sectoral innovation community providing guidance to policy makers in the design and management of research and innovation support programmes.
Today, over 30 ETPs across all types of industries and technology domains are active in Europe. The Textile ETP was part of the first wave of ETPs launched in 2004.
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The Textile ETP is launched as an industry-led initiative in an inauguration event under patronage of EU Research Commissioner Janez Potočnik, following a recommendation by the EU High Level Group on Textiles and Clothing, publication of the Vision 2020 position paper.
A Governing Council is established as the highest strategic decision-making body of the organisation bringing together members from industry, applied research and academia, work on the 1st Strategic Research Agenda by 9 thematic expert groups.
The 1st Strategic Research Agenda “The Future is Textiles” is published and the first annual public conference is held in Brussels, launch of the first TEPPIES call to support Textile ETP in building project consortia and applying for funding under the EU research & innovation framework programme.
Several cross-sectoral innovation collaborations with other ETPs and European sector associations are launched incl. the EU Lead Market initiative on Protective Textiles & Clothing and the ManuTex and BioTex initiatives, the ManuTex research roadmap is published.
Organisation of the first European PPE Innovation conference in Hengelo (the Netherlands) and the BioTex conference in Brussels.
• Launch of the European Consumer Goods Research Initiative PROsumer.NET
• Publication of the BioTex Research Roadmap and the PPE Technology Roadmap.
• Launch of the Alliance4Materials bringing together 6 ETPs in the field of advanced materials
• Organisation of the 1st PROsumer.NET conference in Brussels.
• Launch of the European Textile Technology Marketplace (ETTMa) – an open innovation system to connect research & technology developers with pilot industry adopters
• Organisation of the 2nd PPE Innovation conference in Brussels and 2nd BioTex conference in Milan (Italy).
• Launch of the Textile Flagships for Europe – 6 expert fora in strategic innovation domains for the future of the textile sector
• Organisation of the 1st Textile Innovation for Sustainability conference in Brussels.
• Establishment of the Textile ETP as an independent legal entity by 3 co-founder organisations – EURATEX (representing the industry), TEXTRANET (representing the Textile Research and Technology Organisations) and AUTEX (representing leading European universities with textile research departments), Palo Canonico (Italy) is elected as 1st President of the Governing Board of the new organisation
• Publication of the final PROsumer.NET research and innovation roadmap
• Organisation of the Textile Flagships for Europe conference in Brussels.
Organisation of the 2nd PROsumer.NET conference and the 3rd PPE Innovation conference in Brussels.
Organisation of the 2nd Textile Innovation for Sustainability conference in Brussels.
• The RegioTex initiative “Smart Investment in Regional Textile Innovation” is launched by 15 EU regions with a strong textile industry and innovation ecosystem
• The 2nd Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda “Towards a 4th Industrial Revolution in Textiles and Clothing” is published at the event “European Textiles – Going digital, going high-tech”.
Organisation of the 4th PPE Innovation conference in Brussels.
Strategic review of the Textile ETP structure and activities, adoption of a new strategy focussed on 3 core functions (1) Strategic Connector, (2) Think Tank & Advocate and (3) Intelligence and Funding Provider.
• Launch of SmartX – European Smart Textiles Accelerator, the first EU-funded project coordinated by the Textile ETP
• Reorganisation of the ETP membership structure, NETFAS - the Network of European Textile and Fashion Universities of Applied Sciences and EU-Textile 2030 – the network of European Textile Innovation Clusters join EURATEX and TEXTRANET as full members of the Textile ETP, while AUTEX exits full membership status, Michael Kamm (Germany) is elected as President of the Governing Board.
• Launch of Strategic Programmes “Circular Economy” and “Biobased Fibres”
• Implementation of the Speedboat-C project coordinated by Textile ETP, funded by EIT ClimateKIC
• Start of the COVID-response research project RESERVIST, funded by Horizon 2020
• Launch of the European Masterclass "Innovating In Smart Textiles"
• Start of the Horizon 2020 project TRICK
• Organisation of the 15th Textile ETP Annual Conference online
• Launch of the European Masterclass "Innovation in Circular & Biobased Textiles"
• Start of Horizon Europe projects CISUTAC and IRISS, and EIT Manufacturing KIC project CITE
• Organisation of the 16th Textile ETP Annual Conference in Brussels, Belgium
• Launch of the European Masterclass Pilot "Textile Digitalisation"
• Launch of ECOSYSTEX, the European Community of Practice for a Sustainable Textile Ecosystem
• Organisation of the 17th Textile ETP Annual Conference in Porto, Portugal
