Ecosystex 2025 conference report

FABRIX was represented by Frédérique Thureau from Cedecs-TCBL, a partner within the Consortium, at the Ecosystex network’s annual conference this September, 2025, in Gothenburg (Sweden). The representation included support materials such as an X-Stand and postcards summarising the project.

Meaningful discussions were held with representatives from six projects highlighted during the conference—Pesco-Up, Solstice, Textended, Hemp4Circularity, BioFibreLoop, and WhiteCycle. Key topics addressed included:

• Exploring systemic approaches and blueprints for developing waste-based circular textile hubs at various scales, in collaboration with Textended and RegioGreenTex.
• Prototyping territorial 5Rs strategies across four European regions—Prato, Berlin, Grenoble, and Catalonia—in partnership with Solstice.
• Encouraging designers, manufacturers, and citizens to promote garments made from locally sourced, environmentally friendly materials, such as long-fibre hemp from Estonia, as demonstrated by Hemp4Circularity.
• Maximising utilisation of lignin resources from bio-refineries, for example, as bio-functionalisation ingredients in sportswear and outdoor gear via BioFibreLoop.
• Developing innovative materials from mixed waste (PescoUp) and advancing enzymatic recycling solutions for complex waste streams (WhiteCycle).

The visit to the University of Boras (UB)—which serves approximately 21,000 students and employs 850 staff—provided all participants with valuable insights into contemporary initiatives underway within a repurposed 1866 factory. UB operates as an innovation cluster, bringing together organisations that advance the transition towards a circular and regenerative economy on a single site:

• The Swedish School of Textiles offers diverse curricula in Design, Management, and Technology, including BFA, MFA, doctoral programmes, stand-alone courses, and continuing education. Notable outcomes include the Suitceyes jacket, which integrates a smart camera to provide environmental descriptions for individuals with visual impairments; modular design applications, where scarves are reconstructed into garments; and the creation of paper-based items for home decoration or apparel.
• The Boras InK incubator delivers New Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Textile Innovation (NEST), supported by municipal initiatives, such as the implementation of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) in brands like ETON shirts, Nudie Jeans, and Lindex kidswear.
• A wide array of laboratories supporting research and practical applications—including weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing—spanning from experimental series to small-scale manufacturing.
• An advanced research programme focused on artificial intelligence opportunities in textile production, involving 19 companies collaborating to develop AI-driven tools for recycling, (re)manufacturing, image analysis for reprinting on recycled fabrics, optimising text printing and functionalisation, design facilitation for circularity, and enhancing supply chain and business model analytics. All these initiatives are underpinned by an AI Data Foundry dedicated to Textile Innovation.

Keynote addresses by Vincenzo Gente (DG Environment) and Martin Policar (DG RTD) provided updates on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and strategic EU funding for circularity (€360 million), with particular emphasis on Cluster 6 and green transitions. Additionally, information was shared regarding a new group established to (re)skill the next generation, which was highlighted as one of the main themes of Ecosystex.