OPEN CALL: Collaborative art, design and technology innovation in Wearable Technology and smart/e-textiles

Submitted by Alina Danieles… on 19 April 2017

Submission Deadline: 31st May 2017

WEAR Sustain is looking for 24 teams of artists or designers and technologists/engineers to work together to design and develop compelling, innovative, aesthetic, ethical, environmental, and sustainable solutions for wearable technology and smart or e-textiles development, across all possible application domains.

Up to €50,000 of funding is available to teams, which offers the means to jumpstart promising co-created concepts, and receive support from experts towards the development of a prototype as a possible go-to-market trajectory. Co-applicants will be promoted as pioneers of ethical and sustainable wearables, and e-textiles.

WEAR seeks proposals that address current and pressing issues facing European and global society. Seven themed areas have been set out, as guidance for developing a proposal for WEAR Sustain funding. Applicants must engage with one or more of these challenges in a critical and creative way and propose a solutions to these issues. Irrespective of your chosen theme, data ethics and sustainability should also be addressed in the proposal.

  • Environment
  • Use and Reuse vs Waste
  • Body, Physiology, Somatics
  • Energy
  • Emotional and Mental Health
  • Social, Cultural, Economic
  • Open Category

WEAR Sustain is organising two Europe-wide competitions in April 2017 and October 2017, to develop what could or should be considered Next Generation Wearables and smart textiles that are critical-ethical-aesthetic. The program is seeking applications from teams in art or design to work with technology or engineering entrepreneurs to co-innovate, wiith the aim to support strong, well developed ideas and take prototypes to the next level. A total fund of €2.4m will be made available over two years, to fund 48 teams. Partners will receive support via innovation vouchers and input from mentors, experts and hubs to help realise their ideas, and help towards taking prototypes to market.

Please find more information on the programme as well as application link here.

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