European Cluster Collaboration Platform

Project Information

• Project start date: 1 October 2025
• Project end date: 30 September 2028
• Project duration: 36 months
• Project budget: €2,695,182.20

Partners

• UNIWA (University of West Attica, Greece) – Project coordinator; responsible for overall management, financial oversight, and research contributions.
• BTSO (Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Türkiye) – Regional economic development partner supporting SMEs in access to finance and market expansion.
• BUTEKOM (Bursa Technology Coordination and R&D Center, Türkiye) – Research and innovation center specializing in advanced textile technologies and sustainable production methods.
• AECIM (Association of Metal Industry Companies of Madrid, Spain) – Cooperation organization contributing to SME capacity building, market research, and policy engagement.
• CS-POINTEX (Textile Innovation Cluster, Italy) – Expertise in textile innovation, digitalization, and sustainable material development.
• GREMI Textiles (Textile Cluster, Spain) – Sector representative supporting SMEs in green and digital textile transformation.
• GREENWIN LLC (Ukraine) – Textile sector stakeholder focusing on digital transformation and sustainability initiatives.
• CCE (Circular Economy Cluster, Ukraine) – Supports circular economy principles and sustainable textile innovations.
• BDC (Bulgarian Digital Cluster, Bulgaria) – Cluster organization focused on SME development, training, and innovation acceleration.

Project Description

The FutureProofTextiles project aims to support 40 SMEs in the twin transition of the textile sector—digital transformation and green sustainability. The textile industry is vital for the European economy, yet small and medium-sized enterprises with limited resources face significant challenges in adopting advanced technologies and sustainable practices. This project provides direct financial support, capacity building, and collaboration opportunities to empower SMEs and enhance their resilience, competitiveness, and innovation potential.

Within the scope of the project, €50,000 grants will be provided to 40 SMEs—20 focused on digital innovation (e.g., automation, artificial intelligence, data analytics) and 20 on green initiatives (e.g., circular economy practices, waste reduction, sustainable material use). In addition to financial support, SMEs will benefit from training programmes, mentoring, and access to a shared innovation space that promotes idea generation and knowledge exchange.

Key Objectives

• Facilitating the adoption of digital tools and technologies to increase efficiency and productivity in the textile sector.
• Promoting sustainable practices by integrating circular economy principles to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency.
• Strengthening SME capacities through tailored training, mentoring, and technical support.
• Enhancing cross-border cooperation to create a connected and innovative ecosystem for textile SMEs.

Expected Results

• Implementation of transformative digital and green projects by 40 SMEs.
• Increased resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability in the European textile sector.
• Creation of replicable models and best practices for SME support mechanisms in digital and green transitions.
• Contribution to EU priorities such as carbon neutrality, resource efficiency, and digital transformation.