The textile and fashion industry is one of the world’s most polluting sectors, with a massive environmental footprint in greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use, and raw material consumption.
Co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme, the MATRIX (Mediterranean Pathway for Circular Textiles) project addresses this problem at its source: the design phase. By shifting the fashion design process from linear to circular production, we can pre-determine a product’s sustainability for its entire lifecycle. It aims to transform the Mediterranean textile industry by empowering Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with the tools and knowledge to adopt circular practices, meet EU circularity standards, and align with new market trends.
Key Components & Outputs:
- The Circular Fashion Design Toolbox: Our main output, this toolbox provides innovative solutions focused on three key areas: Resources (water & energy), Materials and Digitalisation.
- Capacity Building: The toolbox is the foundation of a comprehensive training program, empowering 200 SMEs and stakeholders.
- Pilot Implementation: 90 selected SMEs will test the solutions, leading to tangible results such as:
- Environmental footprint measurements.
- Sustainability plans.
- New circular product prototypes using AI & digital technologies.
- Obtaining ecolabel certifications.
- Collaboration & Alliance Building: The project will facilitate study visits, peer-review exchanges, and matchmaking events between solution providers and fashion brands. These efforts will culminate in the Mediterranean Pact for Circularity—a new value chain that brings together policymakers, tech centres, civil society & the industry.
Our project partners:
- Modacc – Catalan Fashion Cluster (Spain)
- NTT – Next Technology Tecnotessile Società Nazionale di Ricerca r.l. (Italy)
- MFCPOLE – Pole de Competitivitè Monastir-El Fejja (Tunisia)
- CERTE – Centre des Recherches et des Technologies des Eaux (Tunisia)
- LI – Leaders Organisation (Palestine)
- İZKA – Izmir Development Agency (Türkiye)
MATRIX is a project under the Interreg NEXT MED programme with a duration of 30 months and a total budget of 1.901.025,00 €, of which 89% is co-funded by the European Union.
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Project website / MATRIX Interreg NEXT MED