Developed collaboratively between EIT Culture & Creativity, EIT Manufacturing, Climate-KIC, together with key partners, the paper presents a targeted innovation agenda to drive systemic change and circularity across the European textiles sector.
As overconsumption, global competition, and regulatory pressures increase in the fashion ecosystem, innovation has become a key lever to safeguard economic competitiveness, develop a highly skilled workforce, and strengthen the resilience of European textile supply chains.
Building on these challenges and emerging opportunities, the KICs Position Paper on Circular and Sustainable Fashion was jointly developed by EIT Culture & Creativity, EIT Manufacturing, and Climate-KIC, with the support of the Fashion Innovation Centre, MEP Christian Ehler. Through a series of workshops held in 2023, the paper sets out a strategic vision for a more sustainable, circular, and competitive European fashion industry.
Since its development, the paper has informed several policy discussions and initiatives at the European level. By making the document public, the initiative aims to aiming to provide a blueprint for European leadership in sustainable fashion and textiles, showcasing how skills, investment, and creative synergies can be leveraged to drive circular growth and systemic change across the industry.
The paper highlights a set of key actions to accelerate circularity, sustainability, and innovation in the European fashion and textiles sector:
- Advancing digitalisation and the adoption of advanced technologies—including automation, robotics, and digital tools—to increase resource efficiency, foster new business models, and boost collaboration and creativity across the textiles value chain.
- Standardising environmental impact data, scaling up circular fibre and recycling technologies, and developing user-centred Digital Product Passports to ensure compliance and promote sustainability throughout the sector.
- Supporting continuous professional development, interdisciplinary training, upskilling, and female entrepreneurship to build a highly skilled, inclusive workforce able to lead sectoral transitions.
- Establishing a Europe-wide network of fashion and textile hubs to enhance collaboration between SMEs, innovators, technologists, and investors, amplifying the impact of existing EU initiatives and strengthening knowledge exchange.
- Implementing participatory campaigns and creative partnerships designed to shift consumer behaviour and raise awareness about sustainability and inclusivity in fashion and textiles.
- Introducing innovative funding mechanisms tailored to SME innovation and R&D, promoting digital traceability, and supporting the scaling of circular solutions to the market.
Significant expert contributions were also provided by representatives from Federazione Tessile Moda – Sistema Moda Italia and EURATEX (Ing. Mauro Sampellegrini), Institut für Textiltechnik RWTH Aachen University (Dr.-Ing. Jan Vincent Jordan), University of the Arts London (UAL) Innovation Lab (Prof. Kate Goldsworthy and Nadja Ohranovic), the European Fashion Alliance and German Fashion Council (Scott Lipinski), and SUPSI (Silvia Zancarli).
Access the full position paper here.
