Agenda

Introduction
     Status of The Textile Sector Market
          The Challenge of Globalisation
     European Textile Clusters & Networks
     Brief Presentation of INNOTEX Project
          Project Objectives
         Activities to be Organised
Summary

Textile Sector

Textiles and clothing are a major sector of European industry.
     Annual European turnover of 215 billion in 2003
     Workforce of around 2.6 million.
           25-30% of total industrial employment in some southern and eastern EU Member States
     The sector accounts for a total of approximately 200,000 companies in the enlarged EU
           95 % of which are mainly SMEs.
It is a major player in world trade, the first in textile exports and the third in clothing.

The Challenge of Globalisation

Intensified Competition Due to
     The Completion of the European Internal Market
     Internationalisation of Product & Labour Markets

Work Package 4
Defining a Best Practice Platform for Entrepreneurial Innovation

Activities
    Define a framework for a best practice platform
    Define the content
   Define for the technical textiles industry

Deliverables
    Report on framework for a best practice platform
    Report on content for a best practice platform
    Model of the best practice platform

Work Package 5
Preparation of Policy Recommendations & Modification of the Platform

Activities
    Benchmark INNOTEX against other projects
    Develop general model for platform
    Develop policy recommendations

Deliverables
    Benchmarking report on the best practice platform
    A general model for a best practice platform
    Report specifying policy recommendations

Work Package 6 - Dissemination

Activities
    Synergies with other projects, action plan, promotional material
    Four National Conferences
    Information seminars at Trade Fairs
    Synergies with PAXIS projects
    Final conference

Deliverables
    Action Plan for exploitation of results
    Dissemination information events, press releases, brochure etc.
    Evaluation of results
    Final conference reports

Summary

Aims to use high value added products to compete against threat from Asia Pacific
Transfer of best practice between complementary clusters in textile related sectors
Develop a model transferable to other sectors
Development of new networks and pan-European joint projects

Work Package 1
SWOT analysis of the clusters

Activities
    Meet to establish common framework
    Do SWOT analysis of clusters
    Benchmark the clusters innovation capacity

Deliverables
    Common framework for the SWOT analysis
    Report on the SWOT analysis for each of the four clusters
    Report on the benchmarking exercis

Work Package 2
Exchange of Knowledge & Best Practice between Clusters

Activities
    Identify vehicles for exchange of knowledge
    Plan timetable & content for vehicles
    Execute events & document with at least 4 exchange visits to the 4 participating clusters.

Deliverables
    Report on the vehicles chosen for knowledge & best practice transfer between partners
    Plan for seminars, workshops, exchange visits etc.
    Report on each seminar, workshop & exchange visit

Work Package 3
Development of Joint Projects & Innovative Strategies

Activities
    Cluster competency analysis
    Definition of joint projects & identification of funding
    Form new and larger cross cluster supply chains for the development of high quality concepts        for cross cluster collaboration
    Drafting of joint innovative business strategies for cooperation

Deliverables
    Report on cluster complementarities
    Report on potential joint project activities
    Report on potential joint business strategies

INNOTEX

'The development of a cross cluster best practice platform for entrepreneurial INNOvation for the technical TEXtiles sector'

The overeaching goal of the INNOTEX project is to:

Develop a best practice platform for innovation and entrepreneurship within the technical textiles sector by identifying and facilitating the transfer of innovation and entrepreneurship best practice between complementary clusters in the technical textiles domain.
The above goal encompasses 3 objectives:

      To support networking activities between existing business clusters that operate in the same          or different sectors in Europe, highlighting the need to establish European level co-operation          platforms that facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practice between clusters in         Europe.

 To promote co-operation among industrial clusters in the most advanced regions in Europe in    order to exchange experience and expertise and to develop policy recommendations that will     benefit everyone and particularly the less advanced regions of Europe.
To enable synergies to develop and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge from different    disciplines for the development of joint programmes and the establishment of joint projects and    business strategies between participant clusters.

The INNOTEX partnership includes clusters from different sectors with complementary competencies related to the technical textiles sector. Besides representing leading clusters within their own sectors, the consortium members will include representatives from clusters in different phases in the struggle against low-wage competition from Eastern Europe and Asia.

For more information contact
INNOTEX Co-ordinator:
Mick Parmar
Pera Innovation Limited
Pera Innovation Park
Melton Mowbray,
Leicestershire
LE13 0PB, UK
Tel: 44 1664 501501
Fax: 44 1664 501556
e-mail: mick.parmar@pera.com

Asia-Pacific worth nearly 60% of Global markets value with sales of $612.4bn in 2004
Global Compound Annual Growth Rate of 4.2% predicted for 2004 2009 to a value of     $1,268 billion by 2009, with dominance of Asia-Pacific unlikely to be weakened
Datamonitor, 2005

Textile Sector

Tough Challenges for the EU Textile Industry
1.3m jobs lost in textiles and clothing industry in Europe from 1990 2004
Unsustainable Price Competition
          Increase of low cost imports from Asia Pacific
          Massive Differential in Labour Costs

Europe no longer able to compete on quality, cost & delivery

This is Not Exclusive to The Textile Sector

Technical Textile Industries

Agriculture
Automotive
Aerospace
Building/Construction/Engineering
Medical/Hygiene
Packaging
Protective clothing
Sportswear
Transport

Technical Textile Application In Automotive Sector

Source: Euratex estimate for 2004 based on Eurostat, 2004 and OETH, 2000

European Textile Clusters & Networks

With the unprecedented competition the 190,000 SMEs in the textile and clothing sector, are increasingly recognising the importance of collaboration and networking in a traditionally secretive industry:
   Allowing development of efficient supply chains thus improving competitiveness
   Providing new markets
   Transfer best practice and improve innovation capacity
   The broader use of textile materials across an extensive range of end-uses,
Providing niche sectors in which they can more easily differentiate their products in terms of quality and charge higher prices

European Textile Clusters & Networks

European Textile Clusters & Networks

Within FP6 a number of Economic and Technological Intelligence (ETI) projects for SMEs will touch about 30 clusters of SMEs around Europe

     Fashion Net - aiming at fostering innovation and technology transfer among European SMEs        of the fashion system, promoting partnerships and networks

     Intelligent Textile Environment (ITE) - assists entrepreneurs in their Framework Programme         research through events, coaching, benchmarking and case studies

     Shoes 5000 aims to involve 5000 footwear SMEs in working towards technological         innovation through research participation and dissemination of information

INNOTEX Project

Brings together a supply chain of 5 complementary EU clusters
     To form a new Network of Clusters involving several leading European regions
     Domain of technical textiles.
     Leading clusters within their own sector
     Representing different phases in the production process and use of technical textiles
     Clusters at different phases in the struggle against low-wage competition from Asia Pacific.
  Estonian polymer-composite cluster will allow transfer knowledge and best practice from the     very best clusters in the Western Europe regions to clusters in the new member states

INNOTEX Objectives

Develop a best practice platform for innovation & entrepreneurship for the technical textiles    sector through transfer between clusters

Increase competitiveness through raised innovation capacity and exposure to innovation     opportunities requiring cross cluster competency mixes for new markets

Strategic Output

Development of pan-European and cross sector supply chains

Joint projects utilising competency complementarities

New innovative strategies and ongoing cooperation

Participants

UK
   LSEP                                          (Textile Cluster)
   LI                                                 (Knowledge transfer)
   Pera                                            (Innovation/SMEs)

Denmark
   Flagskibet.dk                               (Maritime Cluster)
   Elvstrm Sails                             (End user)
   UdviklingsCenter Hadersley     (Knowledge transfer)

Spain
   Inspiralia                                      (Innovation/SMEs)
   FITCA                                           (Textiles Sector)
   FSV                                               (Research)

Estonia
   Enterprise Estonia                      (Composites Sector)
   ECTA                                            (Textiles sector)

Project Overview

Supports pilot action 1.2.3.1
supporting network activities between existing business clusters that operate in the same or different sectors in Europe.and confirming the need and willingness for establishing at European level co-operation platforms facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices between existing clusters in Europe

30 month duration

Start date 1 October 2005

8 work packages