With Textile and Clothing Business Labs (TCBL), Waag helped lead innovative practices in the European textile and clothing industry. In the project we (along with partners from across Europe) investigated how the clothing sector can benefit from new technologies, processes, and business models.
The aim was to develop an ecosystem that provided the industry with a better (permanent) position in the global textile and clothing industry. Often, the battle for the cheapest product is the dominant strategy in the industry. TCBL hoped to strengthen the knowledge and the competitiveness of the sector. It accomplished this through working together with all relevant stakeholders in design labs, create labs, and community labs.
TCBL explored innovation in the textile and clothing industry in three areas. We investigated how future Internet technology could improve supply chain; how we could maintain existing craft skills and renew their value; and how we could bring a DIY culture into the industry.
The project was initiated by the Italian confection region, Prato. TCBL not only worked closely with the clothing and textile sector, but also with the creative industries and innovation labs. Strategic Textiles helped achieve the Europe 2020 objectives by creating economic development and jobs.
TCBL was a collaboration between: Municipality of Prato, German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research - Center for Management Research, Istituto Superiore Mario Boella, Skillaware, The Open University, iMinds, Tavistock Institute, Materials Industrial Research & Technology Center S.A., Waag, Huddersfield & District Textile Training Company Ltd, eZavod, Consorzio Arca, Unioncamere del Veneto, Hellenic Clothing Industry Association, Sanjotec - Centro Empresarial e Tecnológico, Clear Communication Associates Ltd (CCA).
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 646133.
