AEI TÈXTILS presents its cluster driven initiatives for sustainability and circular economy during the launch of Recircula Challenge 2020

Submitted by Ariadna Detrell on 12 February 2020

AEI TÈXTILS, the Catalan Technical Textiles’ Cluster, participated in the presentation of the “Recircula Challenge 2020” contest organized by the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) on February 10th 2020.

The Recircula Challenge 2020 is a creative and innovation-driven contest with teams of students to complement the learning with hands-on case studies related to circular economy. Each team will present a business case based on technology that reduces the environmental footprint and has a positive social impact. The contest will last until July 2020 with the demo day and an award ceremony.

The session started with the introduction to the contest and the review of the previous edition’ results followed by a general introduction of the challenges in the textile waste processing. 

AEI Tèxtils presented the cluster-driven initiatives and its members’ activities to promote sustainability and circular economy in the textile industry as a series of case studies that encompass the different fields of actuation: substitution of hazardous chemicals (LIFE-FLAREX, MIDWOR-LIFE), eco-design (Ecodistex, ARPE), cross-sectoral cooperation (PACTEX) and upcycling (Hilaturas Arnau, SEAQUAL).

AEI Tèxtils’ Project Manager presenting the cluster driven case studies in textile sustainability and circular economy

Afterwards, Back to Eco presented their activities in reusing and recycling jeans, Urbaser presented the innovation challenge conducted with worker clothing after use, and Fundació Formació i Treball  presented its social activities in the recycling and waste separation processes.

Next, the different speakers participated in a networking lunch with the different teams of students and in a speed-dating session to facilitate the ideation process and discuss about the potential challenges to address during the contest. 

AEI Tèxtils, as part of the movement of #ClustersOfChange, considers this kind of activities led by universities very important for the long-term innovation capacity of the sector. Clusters act as a hub and as a collaborative environment to facilitate partnership between enterprises, research institutes, policy makers and other institutions that promote innovation and provide SMEs access to new knowledge competencies, resources and markets.

AEI TÈXTILS and its members’ testimonial: https://youtu.be/-C73fwr8GdE

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