As part of the European EuroBoosTEX, project, Techtera visited Australia last November to explore opportunities for collaboration in the textile sector.
The aim of this mission was to better understand the Australian textile ecosystem, its regulations, and its technological advances, while identifying potential cooperation with European firms.
Overview of the highlights of the EuroBoosTEX mission
The themes discussed – sustainability, textile circularity, advanced fibres and industrial innovations – reflect common issues between Australia and Europe. This convergence opens up particularly interesting prospects for technological collaboration, whether on innovative processes, sustainable materials or new economic models.
Sustainable innovation and recycling:
The consortium visited two universities, highlighting projects concerning textile circularity, such as the reuse of waste; or alternative dyes based on algae.
The team also observed advances in textile recycling with enzymatic recycling processes for PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) and Nylon 66.
Natural fibres: cotton & wool
Consortium members talked with The Woolmark Company, a non-profit organisation that works alongside 60,000 Australian wool farmers. They discussed wool research, development and certification. They also met companies whose “top of the range” wool is destined for European brands.
These discussions provided a deeper understanding of the wool value chain and an exploration of possibilities for collaboration in Europe.
Finally, a government research organisation in Australia presented its innovative research on genetically improved cotton, capable of producing coloured fibres without dyeing, thereby significantly reducing water consumption in textile production.
Innovative materials and “advanced manufacturing”
The consortium explored cutting-edge technologies developed within a university, a key player in carbon fibre research. During the visit, it was also able to discover front-line technologies concerning additive manufacturing as well as industrial automation.
Following this mission, fifteen award-winning European SMEs (small and medium enterprises), from the third EuroBoosTEX call, will benefit from these initial connections to explore and establish themselves on the Australian market, thus strengthening exchanges between the two textile ecosystems.
A summary of this mission is also available for cluster members upon request.
Contact: Valentin NALLET – vnallet@techtera.org
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