#Research & Development

2025-08-14

Cooperation on the circular textile economy

International cooperation for a circular textile economy: Circular Textile Days, the leading international B2B event for sustainable textiles based in the Netherlands, is entering into a strategic partnership with the DATIpilot Innovation Community Circular Textiles at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (THA). The aim of the collaboration is to strengthen European innovation in the circular textile economy and create new opportunities for the cross-border exchange of knowledge.

The scientific spokesperson of CirTex: Prof Dr Stefan Schlichter © 2025 THA

Circular Textile Days and DATIpilot Innovation Community Circular Textiles (CirTex) agree on joint activities

Textile circular economy as well as transparency and traceability of used materials are high on the EU's agenda. The long-term partnership with the Circular Textile Days now provides CirTex with a European platform to present solutions, network with relevant stakeholders and drive sustainable change in the textile industry. This gives innovative German projects international visibility.

"Germany has a strong research and innovation base in the field of textile technology. At the same time, there is a clear need to translate this knowledge into circular practical solutions more quickly," says Prof Dr Stefan Schlichter (THA). ‘The Circular Textile Days offer us an excellent platform to present the results of our work, establish partnerships and promote cross-border scientific dialogue.’

CirTex is a German innovation network funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and coordinated by Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. It brings together over 250 stakeholders from business, science, politics and civil society. By the end of 2028, the network will be actively shaping the textile value chain towards greater resource efficiency, circularity and sustainability in around 20 innovation projects from all over Germany. Through practical results and innovative science communication, CirTex is making an important contribution to the implementation of a circular textile economy in Germany.

As the central European event for circular and sustainable textiles, the Circular Textile Days bring together brands, suppliers, innovators and political decision-makers. The new partnership underlines the core mission of the event: to enable real collaboration and impact - and to translate knowledge into concrete application. The Circular Textile Days trade fair is an international B2B event based in the Netherlands that aims to significantly advance the transformation towards a sustainable and fully circular textile industry. The fifth edition of the trade fair will take place on 10 and 11 September 2025 in s' Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) in the Netherlands.

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