AEI TÈXTILS is a non-profit association, which has the aim to join all Catalan companies and organizations related directly or indirectly to the technical textiles sector and which form a specialized productive area with competitive advantages.

It works in 4 strategic lines: R&D: Promoting cooperation amongst its members, increasing the taking on level of innovation support initiatives; promoting the participation of the Catalan technical textiles sector in technological cooperation European projects. Internationalization: Improving access to international markets; access to knowledge through international R&D and technological partners and access to research and key production infrastructures in third countries. Skills: Increasing the training of current employees and improving the level of qualifications and providing unique and specific training on technology and market in the technical textiles sector. Marketing: Promoting the exchange of best practices amongst local enterprises; improving the image of the sector in Catalonia; promoting its strengths and capabilities to other manufacturing sectors of the territory.

Po.in.tex is the Innovation Textile Cluster in Piemonte (Italy). Active since 2009, it and has now 86 affiliates of which 80 industries (84% SMEs, 14% Large Enterprises), 2 Research Organisations and 4 other stakeholders.

We promote cooperative innovation and business competitive strategies. Our members belong to every part of the sector’s supply chain and manufacturing: from textile machinery to apparel, from leather industry to technical textiles, from footwear to automotive, from medical to furnishing, up to the chemical and aerospace industries.

The coordinator of Po.in.tex is Città Studi, a private company founded 25 years ago by the local industrial association in order to increase the scientific and technological development of the Biellese industry.

UP-tex is a French research driven cluster gathering 180 members including technical textiles SMEs, textile user companies for various kinds of final goods, universities, research and technology transfer centers.

UP-tex became a European reference in the field of advanced textile materials. It promotes research and innovation by pooling the best skills.

It hosts working groups and assists its members in the definition of projects, helping them to access funding and providing access to a business intelligence platform. Textiles, key material is the basis of many features in areas such as health, hygiene, industry, transportation, construction, leisure, clothing and protective clothing.

UP-tex accompanies the establishment of an ambitious European policy for clusters and plans to make a deeper commitment regarding the interclustering at EU level (intra and extra sectoral).

Since 2007, UP-Tex involvment facilitates the networking of European clusters active in the field of new applications for advanced textile materials (medical technology, construction, transport, recycling, etc.).

ATEVAL is a private industrial association. It has more than 320 associated textile companies, and represents almost 10,500 people employed. The activity of ATEVAL is divided into several departments: innovation, industry and environment, external promotion, training, labor and tax legislation. The association provides advice in all these fields. In addition to information and training services in many areas.

ATEVAL is also responsible for general coordination of the actions of the CIE (Consejo Intertextil Español), carried out under the name of Home Textiles from Spain. To carry out its activities, is in continuous contact with other institutions and organizations from different areas such as the Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX), the Valencian Institute of Exportation (IVEX), the different chambers of commerce of Valencia, the Institute of Textile Technology (AITEX), the CEOE, COEPA, CIERVAL, CEV, etc. At European level, it participates in the European Manufacturers of Textile Employers. In addition, ATEVAL has signed cooperation agreements among various entities to increase the wide services offer (European projects, administration of processing aid, environment, new technologies, promotion abroad, ...) ATEVAL seeks out cooperation between entrepreneur organizations to achieve innovation in new products, processes or materials, as well as participation in international, national and regional development processes and knowledge management through industrial improvement. Support training, innovation, internationalization and cooperation. ATEVAL has led several projects to promote intersectoral innovation in companies, related diversification and has developed and validated a methodology for the generation and implementation of innovative projects in textile companies through ``hybridization`` with other sectors (biotechnology and construction).

For several years he has participated in European projects that promote innovation and the internationalization of companies.

SACHSEN!TEXTIL e.V. was founded in 2000 mainly to initiate, prepare and coordinate SME networks in the Saxon textile and clothing industrie. Main focus of activities is cooperation in innovation and research.

The service profile of SACHSEN!TEXTIL includes three main fields:

- Conception and coordination of SME networks and R&D joint projects
- Trend, market and branch studies as well as feasibility and strategy conceptions
- Consulting and coaching of companies in company foundation and settlement, market strategies, corporate planning and consolidation.

SACHSEN!TEXTIL acts as an incubator and is active in innovation management related to textile and clothing industries. Main goal is innovation networking for the region of Saxony and stimulating and selection of R&D projects. Main objectives of SACHSEN!TEXTIL are support and promotion of science and research, training and education, especially in the field of development and manufacturing of textile products and diversification into technical application fields.

CLUTEX is a Czech Republic cluster that aims to:

- improve cooperation between companies
- deepen cooperation between manufacturing companies and research institutions
- provide resources for piloting development and research projects
- establish contacts cooperation with foreign clusters and institutions

Mission:

From the cradle of silk and jacquard weaving, the competitiveness cluster for textiles and flexible materials TECHTERA has been supporting the industry of the AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES Region (France) for nearly 15 years. The primary purpose of the cluster: to stimulate companies’ competitiveness thanks to collaborative innovation. Members of TECHTERA are thus supported in several ways:

• Innovation and collaborative R&D projects
• Trade fairs in France and abroad: collective stands, communication, regional subsidies…
• Strategy, creation and trends focuses for clothing and upholstery
• Business development in France and abroad with intelligence reports and collective missions

Key figures:

- 134 members in 2017: companies, universities, laboratories research centers, schools...
- 201 collaborative projects for a 238 million € budget