In the laboratory of the Faculty of Textile and Design
CIRCUTEX, a project implemented under the Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by the Faculty of Textile and Design at Lodz University of Technology, responds to these challenges. It is an initiative combining education, new technologies and the circular economy. The aim of the project is to create a modern education model that will enable the acquisition of competences necessary in the face of the digital and green transformation of the textile sector.
The project will focus on artificial intelligence, digital twins, product life-cycle analysis and new production technologies. Combining these with the idea of circularity is intended to help build a more innovative, responsible and competitive textile industry.
One of the most important outcomes of CIRCUTEX will be the development of 6 European micro-credentials concerning the use of advanced technologies in circular textile production, as well as 5 specialist micro-credentials for academic teachers and trainers.
The project will also provide a space for learning through experience and cooperation. It includes training and certification for at least 400 participants, international summer schools, training for teaching staff, a Digital Lab and a series of international hackathons. During these events, students and young professionals will address real challenges facing the textile industry, seeking solutions at the intersection of technology, design and sustainable development.
An important pillar of CIRCUTEX will also be the Circular Textile Digital Platform – a shared digital space that will bring together educational materials, a certification system, the outcomes of hackathon participants’ work, and an environment for cooperation between universities and industry. As a result, the project is intended not only to develop the competences of students and academic staff, but also to strengthen cooperation between higher education, the textile sector and the socio-economic environment. Its ambition is to bring the academic world closer to business and create a space in which science, innovation and the needs of the economy mutually drive one another.
The international nature of the project is reinforced by a consortium comprising seven organisations from Poland, Sweden, Romania and Serbia: Lodz University of Technology, the University of Lodz, the University of Borås, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași, the National Research & Development Institute for Textiles and Leather (INCDTP), Helixconnect Balkans and Konfindustrija Srbija.
Combining the experience of European universities and research institutions with the competences of partners representing the business environment will make it possible to view the future of textiles from multiple perspectives – from education and research, through new technologies, to the practical needs of industry.
The project, which begins on 16 November 2026, will last 31 months. The first kick-off meeting is planned for early December.
As the coordinator of CIRCUTEX, the Faculty of Textile and Design will have a real influence on the way we teach, design and think about the textiles of the future.
The project is funded by the European Union. Monika Malinowska-Olszowy, Faculty of Textile and Design