The European Technology Platform (ETP) took place in Belgium on March 25 and 26. Over 150 participants from 20 countries witnessed a broad overview of key textile technologies.

The aim of the two-day conference was to demonstrate how innovative, high-tech and diversified the EU textile and clothing sector has become in the last 10 years. The ETP was launched in 2004, the year the last textile import quotas were phased out. ETP has played a crucial role in facilitating access to funding opportunities especially for small and medium enterprises. It has enabled these enterprises to collaborate with other sectors.

Since the launch of the Textile ETP, collaboration between industry and textile research community has become closer and more constructive, confirming Europe as the world’s capital of textile technology. The conference explored the most promising new technologies and innovations in areas like sustainable fibers, nano fibers, smart textiles, technical textile applications, advanced fiber and textile processing technologies, digitalisation and new business models.

It stressed on important role of academic and applied textile research institutions to ensure that the technologies for industrial breakthroughs for the next ten years are explored, developed and successfully transferred to the industry.

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