Brussels, 4.10.2021 – Today, Monday 4 October, is World Animal Day, an initiative promoted by the World Society for the Protection of Animals to advocate the rights of animals and eradicate the cruelty inflicted on them in different areas.
Each year, an increasing number of organisations and European projects like CircularInnobooster and its accelerator CirCoAX join forces with this movement which aims to protect and stand up for animals. Several workshops, seminars, and events are held on this day to foster change and raise awareness.
Built on the circular economy and sustainability, CircularInnoBooster and its accelerator, CirCoAX, seek to raise awareness among producers and consumers in the fashion and textile industry (F&T). F&T agents must put in place practices which harmonise the natural cycles, restore ecosystems and respect above all the life and dignity of species instead of exploiting nature carelessly and contributing to animal abuse.
For example, the furriery sector uses furs, feathers and other products of animal origin indiscriminately. These practices do not only harm animals, but they also prove to be unsustainable and unacceptable in the current green transition the EU promotes. Citizens and companies alike are urged to respect nature under the Green Deal’s 2030 Goals.
Fortunately, an increasing number of professionals in the textile and fashion industry strive to find out alternatives pledging to protect animals and to respect their habitats. For instance, entrepreneurs from different parts of the globe are using new products of plant origin resembling leather.
At CircularInnoBooster, a project funded by the European Commission under the COSME programme, we also believe that hard work and creativity can lead to a wide range of products, manufacturing processes, and multiple ideas to replace the harming practices inflicted to animals in the F&T industry. Through its accelerator CirCoAX, CircularInnoBooster promotes innovation and endorses proposals which help strengthen sustainability, circularity and ethical work in the F&T industry, especially in SMEs – the economic core of the EU.
CirCoAX calls on all innovative projects in the F&T industry through its acceleration open call – deadline: 13 October – to join forces and stand up for change, defending and protecting both animals and habitats.
About COSME
COSME is the program for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (EASME) of the European Commission.
Through this program, assistance is offered to SMEs to develop their business models, access financing and internationalize. Likewise, support is offered to public administrations to improve the business environment and facilitate economic growth in the European Union. During the 2014-2020 funding period, this program allocated 2.3 billion euros to support SMEs.
About IED
The Istituto Europeo di Design is an academic institution that operates in the fields of education, training, and research in the disciplines of design, fashion, visual communication, and management, covering professional, vocational, and business design training. IED has branches across Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Rome, and 5 other cities), and Brazil (São Paolo, Rio de Janeiro). It operates across several EU and COSME countries through collaborations and agreements with institutions, business support organizations, professors, experts, and mentors with whom it has established relationships. IED draws on a broad network of connections in the F&T sector specifically for this project, drawing on R&D in the areas of fashion design, product design, interior design, visual arts, communications, and management.
About Finnova
FINNOVA is a foundation that works for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at the EU level. With headquarters in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships across EU countries. FINNOVA expertise in leading communication and dissemination activities for EU projects is coupled with strong proven experience in setting up businesses and entrepreneurial support programmes, like accelerators, incubators and selection and award/ceremonial events.
About Texfor
TEXFOR is the reference textile association in Spain with 400 members. Founded in November 2010 and located in Catalonia, it groups companies of the whole textile value chain, from yarns to fabrics including accessories, finishing processes, printing and dying for the apparel industry, home textiles, and technical/industrial applications. Texfor has specialization and experience, having worked on important EU-level expert committees: University and Vocational Training, Financial capacity building, Cross-Sectoral collaboration, R+D+I promotion, specialized services, and sustainability leadership focused on the circular economy.
About Circulab
CIRCULAB is a business design lab and studio specialised in developing transformation methodology, tools and programmes to help businesses develop circular and sustainable business models. CIRCULAB has designed a toolkit for implementing Circularity in businesses and operates across +23 countries (9 EU countries), supporting projects through +60 certified independent CE consultants, applying the Circ methodology and tools.
About The Circular Project and HumanNation
TCP is a Circular and Slow Fashion promotion firm that collaborates with experts in the field to offer a communication strategy, platform and expertise on circular value chains, applying a broad and systemic approach to Circular Economy, integrating social, ethical, environmental and economic approaches. It has a strong presence and connections to the sustainable fashion world through the Association of Sustainable Fashion of Madrid, Sannas (Triple Bottom Line Business Association) and a broad institutional and industrial network across Spain, Europe and South America.
For this project, The Circular Project works with HumanNation for the co-design and development of the project. HumanNation is a consulting firm specialised in the development of transformative and disruptive ecosystems of innovation and business: the ‘New Economy’. Based on the Fourth Economic Sector, systemic thinking and co-creation, it promotes awareness within organizations and ecosystems to respect planetary boundaries and social fabric, creating resilient economies at the local level, with a global perspective.
