The textile industry is one of the three most polluting industries. A largely small and medium-sized enterprise sector lacks the knowledge and expertise to change and move to a circular economy. However, everyone - producers and consumers alike - must contribute to the 2030 targets of the EU Strategy for a Sustainable and Circular Textile Industry adopted in March 2023.
To this end, the learning and adoption of sector-specific good practices and technologies in the textile and fashion value chains is essential. This is the aim of the TEX-DAN project.
The Danube region is characterised by large differences in the application of circular solutions, also in the textile and fashion value chains, but in general there is a low level of awareness of circular solutions in the region. The TEX-DAN partnership agrees on the need to encourage knowledge sharing and attitudinal change, to promote know-how on innovative technologies, and to support measures and policy changes to make circularity sustainable in the textile industry.
Our project will test technological solutions along 4 key segments of the T&F value chain: 1) bio-based raw materials, clothing, 2) circular design, 3) circular manufacturing processes, 4) recycling, following a broad mapping of the sector.
The aim is to boost transnational cooperation and knowledge exchange and to create different sustainable forms of transnational cooperation.
The TEX-DAN project is a collaboration of 21 international project partners. The geographical coverage is broad, with 14 partners and 7 associate partners representing 11 countries from the Danube region, with a diverse profile: 1 regional innovation agency, 6 regional/national development agencies/governmental bodies, 1 foundation, 3 higher education institutions, 5 business support organisations, 4 from stakeholder organisations (NGOs) and 1 international association.
In addition to the MGFÜ, Hungary is represented in the project by the South Transdanubian Innovation Agency (DDRIÜ), the Blue Planet Foundation.
The project is supported by the EU co-funded Interreg Danube Region programme.