The online event “#CirCoAX30: changemakers for regenerative textiles” will take place next Tuesday 11 October from 11:30 to 13:00 CEST. The aim of the meeting will be to promote the debate on a green transition for the fashion and textile industry, a sector that employs almost 1.5 million people and comprises more than 160,000 companies in the regions of the European Union (EU).
This webinar will take place in the framework of the 20th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities. Under the theme “New challenges for Europe’s cohesion”, it will address issues such as the ecological and digital transition, territorial cohesion, and youth empowerment in 2022, with a special focus on the role of cohesion policy in Europe’s sustainable recovery.
The fashion and textile sector has a negative impact on the environment, namely 5.8 million tonnes of textile products are discarded annually in the EU, approximately 11 kg per person. Therefore, the event will provide a green roadmap towards cross-border cooperation and circular economy thanks to the participation of experts from different regions, who will present their views and provide their knowledge towards the transformation of the industry.
This meeting will be divided into five panels, starting with the inauguration by José Francisco García, leader of the CirCoAx by CircularInnoBooster project and Mercedes Marín, its coordinator, who will present and explain the project in detail. Afterwards, Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of the Finnova Foundation, will present the holistic initiative of Nextextilegeneration and the European funding tools available to consortia with disruptive ideas in the field of circular economy and social innovation in fashion and textiles.
In a closing panel, two roundtable discussions will be moderated by David Allo, head of sustainability at Texfor, and Sharam Yalda, founder of Human Nation. Each panel will feature panelists from the entities accelerated by the CirCoAX programme, who will discuss the relocalisation of production and the meaning of degrowth in their respective European regions.
To attend this event, participants can register here and add it to their agenda.
About CircularInnoBooster
CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&T) is a project funded by the European Union’s Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Programme (COSME).
The CircularInnoBooster project aims to transform companies in the textile and fashion industry into sustainable, circular, and regenerative enterprises. With a 2-year duration, it has a budget of 1,128,000 euros, 75% co-financed by the European Commission. The project is composed of an international consortium led by the European Institute of Design (IED), together with Texfor, Circulab, Finnova and The Circular Project with HumanNation.
About COSME
COSME is the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises programme of the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).
Through this programme, assistance is provided to SMEs to help them develop their business models, access finance, and internationalise. It also supports public administrations in improving the business environment and facilitating economic growth in the European Union. During the 2014-2020 funding period, this programme earmarked €2.3 billion to support SMEs.
About IED
Istituto Europeo di Design is an academic institution operating in the field of education, training, and research in the disciplines of design, fashion, visual communication, and management. IED has branches in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Rome and 5 other cities) and Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro). It operates in several EU and COSME countries through partnerships and agreements with institutions, business support organisations, teachers, experts, and mentors. IED is based on a wide network of connections in the F&T (Fashion and Textile) sector.
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 expertise 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 the textile association of reference in Spain with 400 members. Founded in November 2010 and based in Catalonia, it brings together companies from the entire textile value chain, from yarns to fabrics through accessories, finishing processes, printing, and dyeing for the garment industry, home textiles and technical/industrial applications. Texfor has expertise and experience, having worked in important expert committees at EU level: university and vocational training, financial capacity building, transversal collaboration, promotion of R+D+I, specialised services, and leadership in sustainability with a focus on the circular economy.
About Circulab
Circulab is a laboratory and business design studio specialised in the development of methodologies, tools, and transformation programmes to help companies develop circular and sustainable business models. Circulab has designed a set of tools to implement the circular economy model in companies. It operates in more than 23 countries, 9 of them in the European Union, supporting projects through more than 60 independent business consultants, applying the circular methodology and tools.
About The Circular Project with HumanNation
TCP (The Circular Project) supports and promotes circular and sustainable fashion in different areas, offering the fashion industry a communication strategy based on a cross-cutting and systemic approach to the circular economy. TCP combines social, ethical, environmental, and economic aspects and has a strong presence and connections in the world of sustainable fashion. TCP has promoted the Circular Sustainable Fashion Week in Madrid, a unique event of its kind, and acts as the headquarters of the Spanish Association for Sustainability, Innovation and Circularity in the Fashion Industry. TCP is also an ambassador for Sannas (Triple Bottom Line Business Association) and has collaborated with a wide range of Spanish, European and Latin American institutions, and companies. The Circular Project is working with Human Nation to co-design and develop CirCoAX. HumanNation is a consulting firm specialising in the development of innovation ecosystems and transformative and disruptive companies for the “new economy”. It is based on the fourth economic sector, systems thinking and co-creation. It sensitises organisations and ecosystems to respect planetary boundaries and the social fabric, creating resilient local economies with a global perspective.
