FashionCapital CEO Invited to PLUSTEX Conference

FashionCapital.co.uk CEO Jenny Holloway and Sophie Glover, Head of Technical Services at ASOS.com (pictured right) have headed over to the PLUSTEX conference in Tourcoing, France along with representatives from Portugal, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, France and the UK. The conference will showcase the project’s results and Good Practices, and discuss how businesses can help improve and innovate the T&C sector.

Even in these times of uncertain economic difficulties, textile and clothing remains one of the most significant manufacturing sectors of the EU-27.

Over the last ten years, reduced competitiveness especially among European industry specialists, changing priorities in the international textile and fashion market, and world-wide financial uncertainties have caused a global restructuring of the textile and clothing sector. Manufacturers have revised employment patterns and worsening socio-economic conditions have prompted regions to rethink their plans for economic development.

In response to the pressures of a global transformation of the sector, some regions of the European Union with long-standing expertise in the textiles and clothing industry have joined forces to capitalise on best policy initiatives and to creatively support SMEs in the textile and clothing sector.

The PLUSTEX Project contributes to this strategic ambition by bringing together public authorities and a range of sector stakeholders to identify and exploit new opportunities through the sharing of good practices.

Knowledge exchange undertaken through Good Practice workshops will focus on what the PLUSTEX partners have identified as some key contributing policies to a forward-looking and competitive European textiles and clothing industry. These are:

            Support of young entrepreneurship and innovative business models;

            Diversification of production towards high-quality and high-tech textiles and niche products;

            Increased levels of art, design and creativity in market production;

            Support for the clustering and internationalisation of SMEs;

            Fostering eco-innovation and social responsibility in the sector;

            Fostering incubation and start-ups in the sector.

Each theme will be elaborated through a series of Policy Learning Cycles that combine field and desktop research, expert coaching and study visits to the different partners locations and facilities. Through the Policy Learning Cycles partners will discuss and review innovative business models, manufacturing technologies and marketing strategies; and focus their thinking on material quality, technology, design, sustainability, and user-driven production.