The textile industry toughens up
Not long ago, Eastern Europe was known for its fine textile production, but competition from other regions of the world has threatened the sector's livelihood. The EU-funded project 'Textile innovation environment in ACC' (Envitex) aimed to help the sector in the EU's Accession States and newer members by fostering technological development and advancing textile research. To realise its goals, the project established a searchable partner database in the textile sector with focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), covering businesses in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. The profiles of online partners were published on relevant EU websites, opening the door to joint EU-funded projects. Project partners worked diligently to identify businesses that seek collaboration in research and development, contacting over 700 organisations to offer input for the database. Envitex then promoted the database through events, articles, online initiatives and workshops. As the project came to a close, the project partners produced a CD with the complete Envitex database, representing yet another tool to promote the textile sector. The results of the project are expected to encourage European competitiveness in the textile industry and may spur the rebirth of Eastern Europe as a major player in the sector.
