WHAT’S INSIDE
Top stories and what you’ll find in our newsletter this month:
● Some interesting workshop opportunities from our members
● A new Erasmus+ project to follow from Cedecs-TCBL
● Some dates to save for upcoming events - a busy summer ahead!
OUR PROJECTS
CIRCUFASH
Cedecs-TCBL announces the new Erasmus+ project CIRCUFASH in partnership with Amsterdam Fashion Institute (NL), Social Fashion Factory (GR), “Lucian Blaga” University from Sibiu (RO), and Fashion Revolution France (FR). The project will develop circular fashion training targeted at migrants, women survivors, and unemployed youth. The specific skills to be developed will respond to the needs of local SMEs and microfactories, and there will be opportunities for you to get involved! In the meantime follow @circufash on Instagram and stay tuned.
VETRINE
The VETRINE project final conference on June 4 2026 will present the results of the Erasmus+ funded project – a curriculum to train students in sustainable garment design and manufacturing, and the real-world experience of garment production through company mentorship. The conference will take place in Paris at Plateau Fertile and be live streamed. Info and sign up here
FABRIX x ECOSYSTEX
The 4th annual Ecosystex Conference date and theme has been announced - from 22 to 24 September 2026 in Antwerp, Belgium! This year, the conference will gather experts to explore the theme of circular textiles beyond recycling. Cedecs-TCBL will be there with the FABRIX project. Registrations will open in late spring, see here for info
AVANTEX
Save the Date for Avantex at Texworld Apparel Sourcing, August 31 to September 2, 2026 / Paris. TCBL will once again be present with opportunities for members to showcase through display and talks. If you’ve got a project or product to highlight, please get in touch with Frédérique Thureau!
TCBL MEMBER NEWS
The Textile Lab is launching the first edition of Woolmix, a design marathon taking place at the Halle des Valoristes in Villeurbanne from June 5th to 7th, 2026. Applications are still open! While part of the event & communication will be in French, applications from international participants are welcome, diversity is encouraged for the teams and the organizers will support you in any language barriers. Apply here
The IMASUS Project has an open call (deadline may 9) for a 2-day workshop in Prato (IT) at TCBL member Lottozero. This practice-based workshop connects academic research on sustainable fashion with the real needs of designers, supporting the integration of circular design strategies into contemporary practice and will take place May 23-24, 2026. Apply here
The European Creative Hubs Network, one of the 39 networks operating under the Creative Europe networks program, announced the launch of the annual CREATIVE HUBS BAROMETER. It aims to offer a collective snapshot of Europe’s creative hubs, built from the input of creative hubs from across Europe. It strives to capture insights about the spaces, communities, programs, partnerships, financing of hubs and the outlook of the creative hubs ecosystem as a whole. Take the CREATIVE HUBS BAROMETER survey here! Deadline May 15.
If in Paris: the 11th Enamoma Matinale event will take place on May 19th (in French and in person) at Université Paris Dauphine – PSL. These seminars draw from a range of fields on the topic of eco responsibility. At this edition, Cedecs-TCBL’s Frédérique Thureau will be speaking alongside Mariangela Lavanga from Erasmus University. Details forthcoming here
Member Profile: Earth Protex offers three innovations to provide the industry with regenerative and scalable material solutions. Its Tex2Tex® thermo-mechanical recycling system transforms synthetic waste (including polyester) into high-quality fibers. To ensure these recycled materials meet technical standards, its Upspun™ multifilament spinning technology improves strength, durability, and comfort. Beyond synthetic materials, Earth Protex uses Agrefinery™ to convert agricultural residues into bio-based textile inputs. Earth Protex invites interested TCBL network members to co-create solutions and forge interdisciplinary partnerships to accelerate the transition to a regenerative textile system rooted in a specific territory. TCBL members can contact them through their profile page on the tcbl.eu website (when you’re logged in).
WHAT WE’RE READING
- Twisted, not chopped. In North-West Belgium, a factory is trialling a one-of-a-kind machine for “soft mechanical recycling”. Instead of shredding or tearing fabric to gather fibres, this process unravels the material so the fibres keep their strength and length. It’s part of the tExtended project. Read the
story in Horizon Magazine.
- Winners of the
Techtextil Innovation Award 2026 have been announced, which reads like a checklist for innovation and we’re pleased to see the participation of TCBL members and institutes with whom we have collaborated on projects. There’s a flexible wood veneer that can be used by the automotive industry (by NUO in collaboration with TCBL member
DITF);
CITEVE has developed bio-based (over 94 per cent) and water-based printing pastes as an alternative to petroleum-based formulations; and Australian biotech company
Samsara Eco to break down polyester and nylon.
- With
France's PFAS ban effective from January 2026, research into alternatives for technical textiles has accelerated. Options include natural hydrophobic treatments, expanded polyethylene, flower-inspired mechanisms, laser treatment, or plasma osmosis among others. IFTH lab is clearly one leader in these efforts.
Read the article in Reporterre (in French)
- But is it really recycled cotton? No method currently exists in industry to independently verify the quantity of mechanically recycled cotton in a garment, giving rise to unfounded greenwashing claims. That gap is precisely what a team of researchers at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, publishing in Scientific Reports, has set out to close with a 3-step methodological toolbox (microscopy, DP testing, fibre length analysis) that, at least in theory, works. Read the summary of the scientific findings on texfash
- Vinted, the leading C2C platform, generated €813 million in revenue and achieved €76 million in net profit, with a Gross Merchandise Volume exceeding €10 billion. Its business model is distinguished by "hyperliquidity," which refers to the accelerated circulation of products. Read an interesting analysis of why Vinted is so successful (in French)
AGENDA
CREDITS
Editors: Alexandra Korey, Frédérique Thureau, Jean-Renaud Cuaz
Photos: Project photos and TCBL Member
News photos © TCBL Association
Copyright: Online programming © 2026 Audasud
