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The Dutch Embassy in France, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Enterprise Europe Network are organizing an virtual Dutch mission to France for 12 Dutch participants in the sustainable Fashion and Textile sector. On 18, 19, 23 and 30 November we organize an on-line matchmaking prior to the digital Erasmus Descartes Conference 2020 in order to facilitate networking and stimulate Dutch-French collaborations in research and innovation. Industry, universities, researchers as well as governmental agencies can join this conference and matchmaking.
Participants will be able to:
• Expand their international fashion network.
• Find and meet potential business partners.
• Initiate cross-border contacts and co-operations.
• Take part in pre-arranged 20 minute meetings.
Opportunities for collaboration in sustainable fashion and textile
Innovation in the fashion and textile industry is key as it is the second largest source of environmental pollution: creating large CO2 emissions, micro-plastic leakage into oceans and high use of pesticides. In order to contribute to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to achieve our climate targets, production and consumption methods of textiles and fashion need to change. Momentum for change is growing: there is more awareness for the industry's impact on the environment, especially in France and the Netherlands. The industry is uniting itself in dialogues and coalitions (such as the French Fashion Pact or the Dutch platform Fashion for Good) between federations, knowledge institutes, public organizations and the private sector, especially in the context of corporate social responsibility. Tech start-ups, designer labels and fashion schools are dealing with how technologies will disrupt the fashion system. Sustainability is on everyone's mind.
What connects us are the shared challenges to make the fashion industry more sustainable. We have complementary expertise on ways to innovate, produce and use new materials. Together, we are natural partners to accelerate the transition to a sustainable fashion sector because:
- France excels in fundamental research in textile and material development, mechanical recycling and is the largest fashion country in Europe.
- The Netherlands is specialized in applied research, chemical recycling, biobased materials, design thinking and has a strong collaborative approach.
Combining opportunities and developments from the French and Dutch ecosystems can scale up sustainable technologies and help improve the fashion industry.
