The European project CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster with the Nextextilegeneration initiative managed by the Finnova Foundation successfully held the meeting «Innovating in fashion and textiles».
On Monday 19th, within the framework of the Valencia Disseny Week held every year by the Association of Designers of the Valencian Community (ADCV), the meeting «Innovating in circular fashion and textiles» took place with the aim of fostering alliances that promote the transformation of this sector once and for all. The event was attended by public and private organisations committed to a new circular, green and regenerative industry
Thedirector of the establishment, Silvia Patricia López, inaugurated the event and invited all participants to take advantage of this physical space that welcomed more than 40 speakers and active agents in the sector. Among the prominent panellists was the general director of the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE), Julia Company, who affirmed «the firm commitment of the Regional Ministry of Economy and the IVACE to the circular economy as a strategy and opportunity. At the same time, she stressed that «environmentally friendly solutions bring with them a new generation of high-tech products and services, increase competitiveness and create highly skilled jobs». Carmen Marqués, Ambassador for the European Climate Pact, added the urgency of this sector as one of the most polluting human activities, and the need to «innovate and rethink the production and consumption of fashion to make it more sustainable».
To achieve sustainability in fashion and textiles, multi-stakeholder involvement and cooperation is needed. Ignacio Chanzá, Strategic Developer for Southern Europe at the European Institute of Technology Climate KIC, emphasised the importance of «comprehensive and coordinated approaches throughout the entire value chain». Some of the innovative ideas present were the circular textile solutions by Recuprenda and Voramarfanplastic and even the Re-Outfit Me app by the young women of the Make a Change project, winners of the Finnova Technovation Girls 2022 challenges. This is a competition that promotes entrepreneurship and coordinates the Talent Growth programme, whose CEO and regional ambassador, Maria José Valero, introduced and encouraged people to learn about it at the closing of the event.
The European Union funds initiatives and projects that pursue the change of model towards a circular economy. In this context, the CEO of the Finnova Foundation, Juan Manuel Revuelta, said that «to make the most of this funding it is necessary to have a holistic vision and public-private partnerships are key. Through these meetings we create these synergies. An example of these alliances on a European scale is our Nextextilegeneration initiative, with 4 projects that share the same objective as CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster». The conference also featured three experts from the foundation: Adrián Noheda, European Projects Officer; Lola Bordás, Chief Marketing Officer; and Natalia Cediel, Communication Officer, to share Europe’s support for innovation, economic recovery with NextGenerationEU funds and, above all, female entrepreneurship.
The European funding success story showcased at the event was CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster. With a duration of two years and co-funded by the European Commission, it is currently accelerating 30 disruptive ideas with training and funding. Under this premise, Paloma García, director of The Circular Project and partner of the project, participated to highlight the «step forward and the profound transformation that is being achieved thanks to the proactivity of each member of this partnership».
The transformation of the sector represents a challenge for the professionals of the future. For this reason, among the reflections made in «Innovating in fashion and circular textiles» by the coordinator of the fashion department at Barreira A+D, Elena Giménez, she emphasised the importance of design and «not understanding it as a product». Aware of this immense challenge, during the coming months, the CirCoAX by CircularInnoBooster project will continue to create ecosystems of co-innovation and co-creation in fashion and textiles through multiple free meetings available to all interested public.
About Valencia Disseny Week (#VDW)
The Valencia Disseny Week (#VDW) is an initiative of the Association of Designers of the Valencian Community (ADCV) that has been held since 2009 with the aim of giving visibility to Valencian design, highlighting the existing talent in this sector of the industry creative and bring it closer to society.
About the Association of Designers of the Valencian Community (ADCV)
The Association of Designers of the Valencian Community is a non-profit organization created in 1985 by design professionals to value and promote Valencian design, generating a positive business, cultural, social and environmental impact. They defend the interests of design professionals and strive to meet their needs, promoting the exchange of experiences, connection and learning between creatives in order to keep the design sector in the Valencian Community cohesive.
About CircularInnoBooster
CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&T) is a project funded by the Program for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (COSME) of the European Union.
The CircularInnoBooster project aims to transform companies in the textile and fashion industry into sustainable, circular and regenerative companies. With a duration of 2 years, it has a budget of 1,128,000 euros, 75% co-financed by the European Commission. The project is made up of an international consortium led by the European Institute of Design (IED), together with Texfor, Circulab, Finnova and The Circular Project with HumanNation.
About NEXTEXTILE STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS 2022
Next Textile Generation is the initiative of the Finnova Foundation for the dissemination of relevant information for the textile industry and sustainable fashion. Information about the four COSME projects approved in the call for circular fashion: press releases, events and calls, is disseminated through this platform.
About COSME
COSME is the program for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), of the European Commission.
Through this program, assistance is offered to SMEs so that they can develop their business models, access financing and internationalize. Likewise, support is offered to public administrations so that they can improve the business environment and facilitate economic growth in the European Union. During the 2014-2020 funding period, this program allocated €2.3 billion to support SMEs.
About IED
The Istituto Europeo di Design is an academic institution that operates in the field of education, training and research in the disciplines of design, fashion, visual communication and management. IED has branches in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Rome and 5 other cities) and Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro). It operates in various EU and COSME countries through collaborations and agreements with institutions, business support organisations, teachers, experts and mentors. IED is based on a wide network of connections in the F&T (Fashion and Textile) sector.
About Finnova
Finnova is a foundation that works for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at the EU level. Headquartered in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all the countries of the European Union. Finnova’s experience leading communication activities and dissemination of European projects is combined with a solid proven experience in the creation of companies and business support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and selection and award of ceremonial events.
About Texfor
Texfor is the reference textile association in Spain with 400 members. Founded in November 2010 and based in Catalonia, it brings together companies from the entire textile value chain, from yarns to fabrics, as well as accessories, finishing processes, printing and dyeing for the clothing industry, home textiles and technical / industrial. Texfor has specialization and experience, having worked in important committees of experts at the European Union level: university and professional training, development of financial capacities, transversal collaboration, promotion I+D+I, specialized services and leadership in sustainability focused on the circular economy.
About Circulab
Circulab is a business design studio and laboratory specializing in the development of transformational methodologies, tools and programs to help companies develop circular and sustainable business models. Circulab has designed a set of tools to implement the circular economy model in companies. It operates in more than 23 countries, 9 of them from the European Union, supporting projects through more than 60 independent business consultants, applying the circular methodology and tools.
About The Circular Project with HumanNation
TCP (The Circular Project) favors and promotes circular and sustainable fashion in different fields, offering the fashion industry a communication strategy based on a transversal and systemic approach to the circular economy. TCP combines social, ethical, environmental and economic aspects and has a strong presence and connections in the world of sustainable fashion.
TCP has promoted the Madrid Circular Sustainable Fashion Week, a unique event of its kind, and acts as the headquarters of the Spanish Association for Sustainability, Innovation and Circularity in the Fashion Industry. TCP is also an ambassador for Sannas (Business Association of the Triple Income Statement) and has collaborated with a wide range of Spanish, European and Latin American institutions and companies.
The Circular Project works with Human Nation to co-design and develop CirCoAX. HumanNation is a consulting company specialized in the development of innovation ecosystems and transformative and disruptive companies for the “new economy”. It is based on the fourth economic sector, systems thinking and co-creation. It sensitizes organizations and ecosystems to respect planetary limits and the social fabric, creating resilient local economies with a global perspective.
