Innovative design practices for achieving a new textile circular sector Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative design practices for achieving a new textile circular sector

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

In the year 2016, the EU market was the major market for clothing, accounting for 37.4% of the world imports and being the second on the world top for textile exporters [1]. The fashion and textile industry are, conversely, two of the most polluting industries. In fact, the European Commission estimates that the EU textile industry generates waste at 16 million tons per year [2].

Consequently, there is a need to move away from the current linear model and to approach to a new circular textile model.
For that matter, design in the textile and fashion sector is a key step to facilitate the transition to a circular model. Around 80% of a product’s environmental impact is locked in at the design stage [3]. The Commission pointed out in that sense that “Ecodesign supports the Commission’s overarching priority to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and boost job creation and economic growth; it ensures a level playing field in the internal market, drives investment and innovation in a sustainable manner, and saves money for consumers while reducing CO2 emissions” [4]. Therefore, a preparation for current and future designers will be required encompassing the necessary skills on circular design or eco-design.

Furthermore, in its Action Plan for the Circular Economy, the Commissions points out that “the transition to a circular economy will also require a qualified workforce with specific and sometimes new skills. If the right skills at all levels are to be developed, they will have to be espoused by the education and training systems.” [5].

The objective of Design4Circle is to create an innovative learning curriculum in line with the needs of designers of the textile and fashion industry towards a circular business model, being the main target group current and future fashion designers of the textile industry. Design4Circle will allow designers from the textile sector to reduce environmental impact during the product’s life-cycle, and to develop new and innovative businesses within the principles of circular economy.

To reach the main objective, different activities will be carried out:

1. Analysis of current best practices and needs for ecodesign and implement circular business model in the textile sector
2. Joint Curriculum definition
3. Development of the training materials with different tools (texts, videos, photos, etc.)
4. Creation of an online MOOC platform to upload the training course and test validation

In order to achieve such purposes, a Strategic Partnership has put 6 entities together from 6 different countries and expertise in the different fields of the proposed project: two Universities experts in textile design and technologies (RTU and TUIASI); one company expert in circular economy as new business model (ECORES); and three business associations and VET providers that cover different sectors of the textile industry and experts in ecodesign (TTA-TC, AMUEBLA and CTCP). The consortium will be completed with several associated partners (business associations, universities, VET authorities, etc.) that will be involved in different tasks and will ensure wide dissemination of the project results.

The Design4Circle training course will be intended for designers of the European textile industry, but its results will benefit any interested person on ecodesign and circular economy. Therefore, the Design4Circle project will have a great impact on thousands of enterprises and therefore in the European economy.

The Design4Circle project will achieve the following results and benefits:

– The outputs obtained will strengthen the knowledge and training of textile designers and SMEs, equipping them with the necessary competences and skills to implement new practices on ecodesign.

– Promotion of new circular businesses and the creation of new textile design companies looking towards a new circular economy.

– Development of specific, basic and transversal competences and skills such as management, entrepreneurship, leadership, digital and creativity skills, and language competence in the field of VET.

– Foster the implementation of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy, both in a highly polluted sector as the textile one, and other industry sectors where design is a key process.

[1] WTO (2017), World Trade Statistical Review 2017
[2] WRAP (2017), Valuing Our Clothes: the cost of UK fashion
[3] WRAP (n.d.), WRAP and the circular economy
[4] COM (2016) 773 final “Ecodesign working plan 2016-2019”
[5] COM (2015) 614 final “Closing the loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy”

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 298241 Eur

Project Coordinator

RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATE & Country: LV

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA GHEORGHE ASACHI DIN IASI
• TEXTILE TRADE ASSOCIATION – TEXTILE CLUSTER
• ECORES SPRL
• CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DE CALCADO DE PORTUGAL
• AGRUPACION EMPRESARIAL INNOVADORA DE FABRICANTES DE MUEBLES Y AFINES DE LA REGION DE MURCIA