• The online event will take place this Thursday, May 27th, at 16h00 (CEST)
  • The aim of the event is to point out the pollution of the conventional fashion and textile industry and to address solutions based on the circular economy.
  • The COSME project CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster, which seeks to scale innovative fashion and textile SMEs and startups, will be presented.
Banner of the event “Circular economy: sustainability and new jobs for the textile industry”, Partner Event of the EU Green Week 2021

Brussels, 24.05.2021 – This Thursday, 27th May 2021, the EU COSME project CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster will be presented at the conference “Circular Economy: sustainability and new jobs for the textile industry”, a Partner Event at #EUGreenWeek. The Green Week is Europe’s largest annual environmental policy conference. This year it will be held from May 31 to June 4, under the main theme of “Zero Pollution”.  

The aim of this event is to point out the problems of the current conventional fashion and textile industry, the second most polluting industry in the world, and to indicate lines of action to achieve the transformation of these sectors towards a circular model in its broadest sense, considering the environmental, economic, and social aspects.

The event, moderated by Carolina Lechado, director of Water and Circular Economy at Finnova Foundation, the event organizer, will be opened by Natalia Martínez Páramo, Second Head of Unit – DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission, followed by the intervention of Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, who will present the “Nextextilgeneration” platform, an initiative to disseminate information on the four COSME projects approved in the same F&T call. 

In a first block, the conference will be attended by the different partners that make up the CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster project who, in addition to presenting the project and encouraging interested SMEs and startups to join the accelerator to promote their innovative proposals, will delve into the key aspects of conventional industry that must be addressed under the prism of the circular economy. The workshop will be attended by José Francisco García, director of IED Innovation Lab, Adrián Noheda, EU Funding for Circular Economy of the Finnova Foundation, Paloma García, director of The Circular Project and president of SIC Moda, Sharam Yalda, founder of HumanNation, David Allo, sustainability director of TEXFOR, Confederation of the Textile Industry and Brieuc Saffré, CEO of Circulab. In addition to presenting the project, topics of interest will be addressed, such as the possibilities of applying for European funding to promote disruptive initiatives and the concept of regenerative economy that characterizes CirCoAX and that represents a further step in the circular model, creating value in society and the environment.

The implementation of this project contributes to achieving several of the United Nations SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals): end of poverty, zero hunger and gender equality, as well as decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure, responsible production and consumption, and partnerships to achieve the goals.

One of the key objectives, to which the project is strongly committed, is number 17, related to the creation of alliances. Cooperation and collaboration between public-private institutions of various kinds is the maximum guarantee that the project can be sustained over time, expanding its scope.

For this reason, the event will feature a block to give voice to “key players for the transformation of the F&T industry”, which will be attended by Tobias Biermann, from the delegation of the European Union in Colombia, Francisco Ferrando, head of Unit in the Area of European Programs of IVACE, Santiago Ramos Navarro, coordinator of the Green and Circular Economy course at the School of Industrial Organization and CEO Founder of Reloops and Tatiana Kaler, founder of the Mediapila Foundation. From each of their areas of expertise, they will provide their vision on how to achieve sustainable change in the fashion and textile sectors.

Furthermore, coordination between similar projects is also a vital requirement in the creation of synergies for the achievement of common goals, so, to conclude the event, there will be a round table with representatives from different COSME projects. This block will include the participation of Mari Saar, from the Fashion for Change project; Friori Zafeiropou, from Small but Perfect; Ingrid Willems, from the S4Fashion project and Clara Mallart, sustainability manager of the FASCINATE Project. 

Haven’t registered for the event yet? You can do it here.

About CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster

CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&t) is a European project of the COSME Programme, with a 2-year duration and a budget of 1.128.000 €. It is 75% co-financed by the European institution. Led by the IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), together with the Finnova Foundation, Texfor, Circulab and The Circular Project with HumanNation, it aims to transform the highly polluting fashion and textile industries through innovation. It seeks to foster entrepreneurship to generate business models based on the circular economy, turning SMEs and start-ups into sustainable, circular, and regenerative companies.

CirCoAX LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/circoax-by-circularinnobooster

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 co-designed with Humanation

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 Asociación Española para la Sostenibilidad, la Innovación y la Circularidad en Moda, 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.

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