The Hi-Tech-TEX project, formally titled ‘New sustainable and cross-sectorial value chains towards excellence in Hi-Tech Textiles to foster the uptake of innovation and increasing competitiveness’, was funded by the European Union under the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME).  

Its main objective was to strengthen cluster management excellence and foster strategic partnerships among textile clusters and specialised ecosystems across Europe. By accelerating the uptake of emerging technologies in technical textiles, the project aimed to enhance SME competitiveness and support industrial modernisation through cross-sectoral collaboration.

The project ran from February 2022 to January 2024, with a total budget of EUR 505 million of which around EUR 396 million were contribution from the EU. Coordinated by Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal, the consortium brought together six partners across Europe. 

Hi-Tech-TEX delivered a comprehensive set of activities to boost innovation and collaboration in the textile ecosystem.

Key achievements of the project include:

• Cluster Excellence Capacity Building: delivered 10 training courses and 6 coaching sessions for 68 cluster staff, resulting in all six clusters being awarded European Cluster Excellence labels.
• ClusterXchange Mobility Scheme: implemented 10 CxC programmes and 6 learning visits, engaging 22 participants on topics such as green and digital transition and high-performance materials.
• Joint Strategy and Service Portfolio: developed a roadmap for sustaining the partnership and scaling operations, supported by two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for long-term collaboration.
• Market and Trends Analysis: produced studies on five target markets (Japan, USA, UK, Germany, Sweden) to help SMEs anticipate new business opportunities.
• Community Building and Networking: created the Hi-Tech-TEX marketplace, engaging 263 entities and enabling cross-sectoral cooperation between textiles and technical textiles.
• Innovation Support Services: developed five new cluster services and prepared seven cooperation projects/proposals to foster SME growth and competitiveness. 

Hi-Tech-TEX advanced the EU’s priorities by promoting green and digital transformation in the textile industry while boosting competitiveness and resilience. A key contribution was developing skills and professional capacity for cluster managers and SMEs, through targeted training and coaching that strengthened cluster excellence and improved their ability to support innovation uptake. These efforts supported industrial modernisation, resource efficiency, and innovation uptake, aligning with EU strategies for industrial competitiveness, SME growth, and sustainable value chains.

By reinforcing the role of clusters as drivers of innovation and collaboration, Hi-Tech-TEX helped SMEs adapt to global market trends, reduce fragmentation, and seize opportunities in emerging technologies. 

The consortium brought together clusters and organisations from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Türkiye, and Czechia, creating a strong European network for technical textiles. Through training, mobility schemes, and joint strategy development, Hi-Tech-TEX fostered knowledge exchange and built a replicable model for cluster excellence and cross-sectoral cooperation.

The collaborative framework established by Hi-Tech-TEX is continuing beyond the project’s lifetime, supported by a joint strategy and two Memoranda of Understanding signed among partners, including one with HempClub. These agreements aim to sustain cooperation, promote cross-sectoral innovation, and support internationalisation of members.