On next Monday 27th June from 11:00 to 13:00 CEST the event “Pushing Innovative, Collaborative and Circular Fashion & Texyile SMEs in the European Union” will take place in commemoration of the United Nations International Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Day. This is the third round of presentations of 10 other innovative projects of CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster project co-funded by the European Commission to transform the fashion and textile industry into circular and regenerative. The event will bring together representatives from UNEP, the European Union and key entities and projects in the textile industry to promote cooperation and empowerment of these companies that need to achieve a green transition.
SMEs represent 99% of all businesses within the European Union, making them key players in achieving a green recovery from the pandemic crisis. In total they employ around 100 million people and it is thanks to their potential for innovation and best practices that we will be able to meet the challenges of climate change, resource efficiency and social cohesion. In this context, CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster project promotes good practices and provides support to these companies that face a major challenge as the second most polluting industry in the world.
At the Casa de la Seda, Barcelona will bring together important industry players to celebrate this international day, but especially the accelerated FGHR, Pigmentalia, Júlia G Escribà, From the Med, ZWDO, From Trash to Life, Endless Garments, RE-FONRVODDE, Brefashion and Newex to present innovative ideas in the field of fashion and textiles with a focus on the circular economy and social innovation, which will make them resilient and transformative businesses. CirCoAX accelerator provides them with skills and funding to design local solutions and set an example of good practice in the European Union.
Texfor, Finnova, the Istituto Europeo di Design, The Circular Project with Human Nation and Circulab are the consortium of the CircularInnoBooster project that implements the CirCoAX accelerator. Their commitment to the training and empowerment of these businesses is what drives them to create more than an acceleration programme, an ecosystem of co-creation and co-innovation of which 30 consortia are part.
Anyone interested in learning about some of the disruptive ideas in the field of fashion and textile, as well as different international projects driven by different entities, are welcome to the hybrid event. To attend in person you must register in this form (limited places available) and to follow the event online in this form.
About COSME
COSME is the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).
This programme assists SMEs to develop their business models, to obtain funds and to internationalise. This scheme also supports public administrations to enhance the entrepreneurial environment and to facilitate the economic growth of the EU. During the funding period of 2014-2020, this programme allocated €2.3 billion to support SMEs.
About IED
Istituto Europeo di Design is an academic institution working in education, training, and the research of fashion, design, visual communication, and management. IED has offices in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Rome and five other cities) and Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro). IED works in several EU and COSME countries through collaborations and arrangements with institutions, business support organisations, teachers, experts, and mentors. IED has an extensive network of connections in the fashion and textile sector (F&T).
About Finnova
Finnova es una fundación que trabaja para la promoción y el desarrollo de la innovación y el espíritu empresarial a nivel de la UE. Con sede en Bruselas, opera a través de colaboraciones y asociaciones en todos los países de la Unión Europea. La experiencia de Finnova liderando actividades de comunicación y difusión de proyectos europeos se combina con una sólida experiencia probada en la creación de empresas y programas de apoyo empresarial, como aceleradoras, incubadoras y selección y adjudicación de eventos ceremoniales.
About Texfor
Texfor is a leading textile association in Spain with roughly 400 members. Founded in 2010 and based in Catalonia, Texfor brings together enterprises from the textile value chain, i.e. from weaving to fabrics as well as accessories, textile finishing, printing, and dyeing for the dressmaking industry, textiles for households and technical and industrial applications. Texfor has an extensive expertise as it has worked in relevant expert committees at an EU level: university and professional training, developing financial capacities, cross-cutting collaboration, fostering RDI, specialised services, and leadership in sustainability focused on the circular economy.
About Circulab
Circulab is a laboratory and design studio specialising in developing transformation methods, tools and programmes to help enterprises adopt circular and sustainable business models. Circulab has designed a number of tools to implement a circular business model in enterprises. It works in 23 countries – 9 out of them in the EU – and it supports projects via 60 independent entrepreneurial consultants. It applies circular methodologies and tools.
About The Circular Project co-designed with HumanNation
TCP (The Circular Project) favours and promotes a circular and sustainable fashion in different areas, offering the fashion industry a communication strategy based on a cross-cutting and systemic approach of the circular economy. TCP combines social, ethical, environmental and economic aspects, and has a strong presence and connections in the sustainable fashion world.
TCP has promoted the Circular Sustainable Fashion Week Madrid, a one-of-a-kind event, and also serves as HQ for the Spanish Association for the Sustainability, Innovation and Circularity in the Fashion Industry. TCP is also ambassador of Sannas (Triple Bottom Line Business Association) and has collaborated in a wide array of Spanish, European, and Latin American institutions and enterprises. The Circular Project works with Human Nation to co-design and develop CirCoAX. HumanNation is a consultancy enterprise specialising in the development of transformative and disruptive ecosystems of innovation and companies for the ‘new economy’. It is based on the fourth economic sector, the systemic thinking, and co-creation. It raises awareness in organisations and ecosystems to respect the planetary boundaries and the social fabric, creating resilient local economies with a global perspective.
