Introduction to the project
The STRENTEX project, formally titled ‘ERA Chair for Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research in Stretchable and Textile Electronics’, was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. Its goal was to strengthen Serbia’s research capacity in textile electronics by developing innovative solutions that address societal challenges. The project was led by the Faculty of Technical Sciences at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia. It was launched in January 2020 and ended in December 2024, with a total funding of €2.48 million.

Project’s achievements  
A key part of STRENTEX was the appointment of an ERA Chair, a prestigious EU-funded role aimed at attracting top researchers to institutions in so-called “widening countries”, which are EU member states and associated countries with lower research and innovation performance. In this project, the ERA Chair was Dr. Varun Jeoti, who led a multidisciplinary team of postdoctoral researchers and PhD students. This team implemented structural reforms, established international networks, and advanced innovative textile-based technologies.  

The team focused on developing textile-based solutions to tackle pressing societal challenges, particularly in healthcare, rehabilitation, and personal well-being. It addressed the demand for remote health monitoring, wearable therapeutic devices, and sustainable materials.

The team developed several innovative prototypes, including:

• textile-based insoles for gait analysis in rehabilitation settings;
• pressure detection systems embedded in fabrics for posture correction and patient monitoring;
• thermo facial masks for therapeutic skincare and facial muscle therapy;
• self-adhesive textile heaters for integration into garments like jackets and coats;
• wearable energy harvesters that convert body movement into usable energy;
• cooling therapy devices for injury recovery;
• pH monitoring patches for non-invasive skin diagnostics;
• stretchable sensors for simultaneous breathing and motion tracking.

Images of the developed prototypes and project newsletter are available on the Cordis website.

To ensure long-term impact, the project led to the establishment of a startup, "Strentex Innovations d.o.o.", in July 2024. Led by Dr. Varun Jeoti, the company focuses on commercialising the project’s most promising technologies and specialises in stretchable textiles and biopolymer-based electronics for personal and industrial applications, with a focus on healthcare and sustainability.

Contribution of the project to EU objectives and the twin transition
STRENTEX contributed to the EU’s twin transition by using eco-friendly materials and promoting energy efficiency and recycling. Additionally, it supported digital transformation by integrating advanced technologies into textiles, aligning with the "Industry 4.0" revolution and the digitalisation of healthcare and wearables.

European collaboration and knowledge transfer
While Serbia was the primary beneficiary of STRENTEX, the project had strong ties across Europe. Five researchers from the University of Novi Sad as part of the STRENTEX team carried out two-month secondments at EU partner institutions, including:

• the University of Tampere in Finland;
• the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” in Italy;
• Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany;
• the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain.

These partnerships facilitated knowledge transfer, improved research standards, and helped integrate the Serbian institution into the broader European innovation ecosystem.