- At an event held last Friday in the framework of the European Week for Waste Reduction.
- Participants emphasized the importance of raising awareness of sustainable resource and waste management, particularly in the textile sector.
The European project CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster participated in the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) to discuss the importance of encouraging all Europeans to raise awareness on sustainable resource and waste management, specifically in the textile sector. During the day “#CirCoAX30: Circular Projects in Fashion and Textiles”, different industry experts spoke, and the candidates for the “CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster Startup Europe Awards” were announced.
The leader of the CircularInnoBooster consortium, José Francisco García, opened the meeting by sending a clear and inspiring message encouraging all citizens and entrepreneurs to implement actions to help the fight against climate change. This was followed by the second panel, which consisted of the presentation of the CirCoAX by CircularInooBooster project. Sharam Yalda, founder of Human Nation, highlighted the work being done in the CirCoAX program by working with SMEs to assess the root causes of waste generation in the fashion and textile sector, “applying systems thinking and collaboration whenever and wherever possible”.
The event featured a third panel in which the Startup Europe Awards were presented by Juanma Revuelta, CEO of the Finnova Foundation. As he explained, these awards are an initiative promoted by the European Commission and implemented by Finnova that aims to identify the best projects aligned with the objectives of the SDGs in the European Union.
Continuing with the agenda of the event, Almudena Blanco, EU Project Officer at the Finnova Foundation, gave detailed information about European funds and financing that could be of interest especially for SMEs participating as candidates in the awards.
For her part, Gizette Lemus, representative of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce, explained the initiatives that are being carried out in the Bogota Chamber of Commerce related to textiles, such as, for example, the event they held last Thursday 24th “Sustainability of the Fashion Sector for Internationalisation”.
Finally, some of the candidates for “CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster Startup Europe Awards”, to be held on 8th of December in Brussels, were presented. The first candidate to present his project was Sam Issa, CEO of Nano Textile, who, among other things, presented the advantages for B2B customers of his product, which are the reduction of overproduction, higher stock turnover and circular business models. The second candidate was Annick Jehanne, President of HUBMODE & FASHIONGREENHUB, who explained that “Cyclicality should be inspiring for fashion entrepreneurs. The Fashiongreenhub and Lottozero brands are using their Fashion Lab expertise to deliver the FASHION CLIMATE IMPACT MOOC”. The third candidate Francois Devy, Co-Founder of Infinite Athletics, explained that the aim of his proposal is “to propose a circular, sustainable and end-to-end durability/performance solution to the world of sportswear. Packaged with eco-design, technological and innovative recycling, spinning and fabric implementation”. The penultimate and fourth candidate, Marc Fitó, Representative of From the Med, showed how From the Med is a company that creates accessories and decorative objects inspired by the Mediterranean and that focuses on the revaluation of the materials they use. Finally, the last candidate was Paula Cristóbal Ruiz, Designer and product developer at Sepiia, who explained that the aim of her project is to make the dyeing process more sustainable and to achieve a more sustainable anti-stain finish.
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 Program (COSME).
CircularInnoBooster project aims to transform companies in the textile and fashion industry into sustainable, circular and regenerative enterprises. With a duration of 2 years, 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 program of the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).
Through this program, assistance is provided to SMEs to help them develop their business models, access finance and internationalise. It also provides support to public administrations so that they can improve the business environment and facilitate economic growth in the European Union. During the 2014-2020 funding period, this program earmarked €2.3 billion to support SMEs.
About IED
The 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 programs, such as accelerators, incubators and selection and award ceremonial events.
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 specialisation 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 specialising in the development of methodologies, tools and transformation programs 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 con 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 also 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 consultancy firm specialising in the development of innovation ecosystems and transformative and disruptive businesses 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.
