Since pledging in 2023 to foster cross-sector collaboration for the European textile partnership under Horizon Europe, EURATEX has actively advanced this objective. Throughout late 2023, EURATEX coordinated lobbying activities across Member States, successfully securing substantial political support for the STEP2030 proposal (Sustainable Textiles European Partnership 2030). These advocacy efforts achieved clear backing from Member States including Portugal, Czechia, Belgium, Italy, and Germany, and facilitated productive dialogue with others such as Spain, Sweden, Ireland, and France. This extensive groundwork was instrumental in influencing the European Commission’s positive decision.

In March 2024, the European Commission officially announced the inclusion of the textile partnership (now titled “Textiles of the Future”) as one of nine co-funded partnerships within the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025 to 2027. By March 2025, the initiative reached a major milestone, with preparations underway for the formal signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Commission and the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP). The partnership will mobilise a total combined investment of up to €60 million from 2025 to 2030, financed through a balanced co-investment model involving both industry stakeholders and the European Commission.

EURATEX maintains an influential position within the partnership’s governance structure, actively shaping strategic priorities and ensuring alignment with the textile industry’s real-world needs, particularly those of SMEs. With initial funding calls scheduled for publication in the Horizon Europe Work Programme by spring 2025, EURATEX continues to actively ensure these calls reflect sector-specific innovation priorities. The first project submissions are expected by autumn 2025, with funded projects beginning operations from mid-2026, thus reinforcing Europe’s ambition to lead globally in sustainable and competitive textile innovation.