The four COSME circular fashion projects close the year gathering at the World Circular Economy Forum

  • The World Circular Economy Forum is a global initiative, which hosts parallel events throughout the year
  • The event is a benchmark for the circular economy in the fashion and textile industry at the European level
  • The Next Textile Generation EU cluster hosts the four COSME circular fashion projects fostering cooperation

On next Wednesday 15 December, the four COSME projects within the call of proposals for circular economy in fashion and textiles will participate in an event in the framework of the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), the conference co-organised by the Canadian government in collaboration with the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. The aim of this forum is to present the main global circular economy solutions and to try to impose this model for the year 2050. To this end, they are holding parallel events throughout the year 2021.

The fashion and textile industry, as the second most polluting industry in the world, requires a rapid transformation in order to reverse its environmental impact. The circular economy is presented as a necessary model to achieve climate neutrality.  The European Union is participating in this transformation through regulatory policies, recommendations, campaigns and financing tools such as the Next Generation EU funds or those proposed by EISMEA under the COSME programme.

The COSME programme of the European Union co-funds four projects related to circular fashion: CircularInnoBooster, S4Fashion, Fashion for Change and SmallButPerfect. The four of them  promote sustainable models and foster transnational cooperation.

To give continuity and greater resonance to the actions, the 4 projects are brought together in the NextextileGeneration cluster created by the Finnova Foundation, a member of the CircularInnoBooster consortium. Through the online event Nextextile EU: transforming the textile and fashion industries into a circular economy model, with the participation of Natalia Martínez Páramo from the European Commission, the importance of European funding tools to develop projects that are part of this new green and digital Europe will be emphasized.

Throughout the virtual meeting it will be possible to create synergies, discuss cutting-edge issues in the sector, provide a space for interaction with the speakers in the breakout rooms and promote active participation through the slido platform.

Registration is open through the following link.

About WCEF

The annual World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) showcases the world’s leading circular economy solutions with the participation of business leaders, policy makers and experts from around the world.

Circular economy approaches can help businesses seize new opportunities and gain a competitive advantage, as well as contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

About COSME

COSME is the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). 

This programme assists SMEs to develop their business models, to receive funds, and to internationalise. This scheme also supports public administrations to enhance the entrepreneurial environment and to facilitate the economic growth of the EU. During the funding period of 2014-2020, this programme allocated €2.3 billion to support SMEs. 

About CircularInnoBooster and the accelerator CirCoAX

CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&T) is a project funded by the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) of the European Union. 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. Its objective is to replace the linear model of the conventional fashion and textile industry with circular, regenerative and sustainable companies. To this end, it is launching a unique business support plan through its CirCoAX accelerator.

CirCoAX selects 30 transnational partnerships, each led by an SME, to scale innovative proposals that have a direct impact on the adoption of sustainability and circularity approaches and practices in the fashion and textile sectors. To this end, it offers selected applicants €12,000 in funding, mentoring, visibility, networking, and the possibility of accessing further European funding.

European project CircularInnoBooster commemorates World Human Rights Day

The four COSME circular fashion projects at the forefront of transnational cooperation at the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)