<p>After an intensive period of collaboration, experimentation and learning, the EU project <a href="https://euratex.eu/projects-initiatives/regiogreentex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">RegioGreenTex (RGT)</a> has officially come to an end. What started as a collection of SME innovation projects has ended up as a solid foundation for the further development of an interregional ecosystem for circular textiles and concrete tools for companies looking for investors. This result has been achieved by looking at chains and regions from the perspective of individual companies. RegioGreenTex was made possible in part by a grant from the EU's I3 (interregional innovation investments) programme. This programme focuses on strengthening regional innovation ecosystems in Europe.<br><br>Within RegioGreenTex, companies, knowledge institutions and regional development agencies worked together to strengthen the technical, economic and organisational aspects of a circular textile chain. The project demonstrated that the answer lies not in isolated initiatives, but in cooperation within the chain, a clear focus on market development and access to appropriate financing.</p><h2>From individual initiatives to a strong ecosystem</h2><p>An important result of RegioGreenTex is the development of a clear approach to cooperation within regions. A regional hub acts as a connecting link between entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, governments and financiers.&nbsp;<br><br>Crucially, this so-called Greentex hub not only supports individual companies, but also focuses on chain and cluster development. In the Dutch context, think of the establishment of joint innovation projects under the banner of the Circular Textiles Action Plan. Supported by the ROMs and Invest NL, industry organisations such as Modint and knowledge institutions, including the three textile colleges from the NewTexEco Sprong project. Here too, the approach is for companies to work on innovative projects based on their own business strategy. The chain approach shows that investing in circularity is not only about technology, but also about collaboration, market development and new business models.</p><h2>Investment readiness innovations</h2><p>In addition to building cooperation, RegioGreenTex focused explicitly on the question of how circular textile companies can continue to grow. The project worked on providing insight into what is needed to make innovations investment-ready. This includes the importance of market validation, working with pilots and involving financiers at an early stage in scaling issues. This ties in seamlessly with existing and new instruments, such as the Customer Discovery Programme of Oost NL and the national Green Chemistry Acceleration Programme of the joint regional development companies. This creates a bridge between innovation and upscaling.</p><h2>Practical examples from the ecosystem</h2><p>The power of RegioGreenTex became apparent in practice during meetings such as those held in the Lowlands. During the last meeting, discussions were held with the UPV Textiel Foundation and colleagues from Flanders and France about the importance of extended producer responsibility (UPV/EPR) in relation to market demand and upscaling. There were also calls for effective cooperation and the creation of an Airbus in the field of circular textiles. These moments emphasised how essential chain cooperation is to really advance circular textiles.<br><br>Meanwhile, Oost NL is helping the ecosystem further with ongoing and new initiatives, such as Interreg CEO and Two4C, which provide financial and substantive support to companies in the border region in their circular transition. Projects such as CEMTex, which focuses on making medical textiles circular, and the recently launched Medi4Future also demonstrate how the knowledge and networks that have been built up are being put to use.</p><h2>Sustainable RegioTex 2.0</h2><p>The completion of RegioGreenTex coincides with a broader European movement. Within the EURATEX trade association, work is underway on RegioTex 2.0: a structural and sustainable initiative to better connect textile regions in Europe and align them more closely with European policy and funding.<br><br>RegioGreenTex played an important role in this. Through the Mirror Group, in which eleven European regions collaborate and share knowledge, valuable experience has been gained in joint policy development, investment mapping and interregional cooperation. Oost NL played a leading role in this.</p><h2>From project to lasting impact</h2><p>RegioGreenTex shows that the transition to circular textiles does not happen by itself. It requires targeted cooperation, smart organisation and new forms of financing. With the knowledge, structures and collaborations it has built up, RegioGreenTex is a powerful springboard for further steps. With RegioTex 2.0 and new innovation projects arising from the practical experience of textile companies, this approach is being further strengthened and scaled up. RegioGreenTex is therefore not only a completed project, but above all a lasting driver for a resilient and circular textile ecosystem in Europe.</p>

RegioGreenTex lays solid foundation for future of circular textiles