On August 12, The United Nations celebrates International youth day which advocates for the importance of all generations being involved in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and bringing awareness to obstacles such as intergenerationational solidarity, and ageism that affects both the youth and the elderly. CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster commemorates this day by encouraging, supporting, and inspiring the next generation of innovators to bring about lasting social and environmental impact in the textile and fashion industries.
The Covid 19 pandemic, had greatly affected young people’s life satisfaction and mental well-being compared to older groups. As a result of the detrimental effects the Covid 19 pandemic had on the youth, the European Commission launched a proposal that 2022 be the year of youth. On 2022 the European Commission aims at supporting and honoring the younger generation, by encouraging them to be active citizens and enactors of positive and lasting transformation.
At CirCoAX, we are dedicated to equipping and empowering through our courses, expert, and coaching sessions adapted to our 30 project needs. The main purpose of these activities is to boost the circular economy in the fashion and textile industries. Some projects within CirCoAX are conveying this message loud and clear through training sessions and creative activities for these younger generations.
CirCoAX 30 Fashion Green Campus is providing the necessary training due to the growing demand for the integration of sustainable and circular clothing in France. CirCoAX 30 ZWDO Collective is building a strong and thriving zero waste online community, providing a space to connect, share and discuss current topics with inspiring individuals from across the world while fostering new opportunities for learning and developing relationships and connections. In addition, the power of pictures and videos is used by CircoAX 30 Reawaken to honor older generations’ production methods and share the evolution of the textile industry with young people.
According to the EU Labor Force Survey, 2.9 million 15-24-year-olds were unemployed in the EU in 2020, and 17.5 million people in this age group were in the workforce. This brings the youth unemployment rate to 16.8%. For comparison: in 2019 this rate was 15.1%. The fashion and textile industry provides job opportunities for the youth. As an example of integration, CircoAX 30 Moda Re collects and treats textile waste to improve the environment with the aim of assisting people who may be excluded through labor and social insertion.
Young people play an essential role in making sustainability a reality as they help to implement, monitor, and review the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals alongside holding governments accountable. In this sense, inspiring young people to be part of sustainable change creates room for them to come up with creative ways in making the slow fashion and textile revolution a reality as well as allowing them to appreciate cultural diversity. To sum up, our youth are the pillars of our society, the drivers of our future, and the next innovators of industries such as fashion and textile, we must continue to support, guide, and protect their future.
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 is a foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at EU level. Based in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all EU countries. Finnova’s experience in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven track record in start-ups and business support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.
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.
