Representatives from the European textile innovation ecosystem gathered in Porto, Portugal, for the final event of the TEXP@CT project, a large-scale digital innovation programme supporting the transformation of the Portuguese textile and fashion industry. Organised under the coordination of CITEVE, the three-year initiative brought together close to 40 partners from industry, research, and digital technology fields to develop and test innovation solutions across the textile value chain. The event provided an opportunity to showcase project outcomes and discuss the role of digitalisation in strengthening competitiveness, sustainability, and circularity within the European textile ecosystem.

The TEXP@CT programme involved a €40 million investment and delivered 26 pilot projects across seven innovation areas, covering design and product development, manufacturing, supply chains, and consumer interaction. During the final event, Lutz Walter, Secretary General of Textile ETP, participated in a panel discussion alongside industry experts including Crispin Argento of The Sourcery and Thomas Håkansson of Fashionlab. Discussions highlighted how the concentration of a complete textile value chain within Portugal has enabled the development and validation of digital solutions supporting data-driven production, operational efficiency, and circularity objectives. Speakers also underlined the importance of focusing on speed, proximity, and high-value production models within Europe, rather than competing directly with lower-cost global manufacturing segments.

The event highlighted the growing role of digital technologies in supporting more efficient, traceable, and sustainable textile value chains, while also reinforcing the importance of regional industrial ecosystems in accelerating innovation adoption.

For more details, please read the entire article on Textile ETP Website.