AMFI

Textile research, starting points for a European organization for UAS

In Europe the Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) represent a vitally important group of institutes that educate people for key positions in the textile industry and perform applied scientific research. They represent a large part of the total textile research investments.Customers and partners in this respect are universities (fundamental knowledge) and the industry that benefits directly through bilateral dissemination or membership of focused research consortia and projects. These applied research institutes are also partners in the research programs. The aim is valorization of knowledge and know-how by the industry.

Funding of research programs is of utmost importance, particularly since many of the industrial customers are SME and cannot individually dedicate the huge investments required for research.

In the foreseeable future funding of R&D will largely be organized through EU systems, like the horizon 2020 program. Therefore it is important that the UAS get a strong voice in the agenda setting expert groups in Europe. Forming a group for regular discussion on different subjectsis considered extremely useful and, in addition, to give UAS a voice in strategic EU-agenda discussions.

One of the obvious pathways is getting this access through the ETP for TEXTILES. The ETP is organized in such a way that Autex, Textranet and Euratex are board members and thus play a dominant role in determining future strategies and policy for textile research, including possible funding regimes. Since the UAS are not allowed to become a member of AUTEX and/or Textranet, the input of the UAS is missing in strategic discussions in the ETP.

ETP management favors a group that safeguards the applied research domain as worked on by the UAS.

PROPOSAL

As a group of UAS we therefore intend to set up an organization for textile research to support/strengthen/safeguard our position in Europe. Together we cover a broad, complete, and up to date technology infrastructure. We practically have every processing unit required for

textile research and production on lab/pilot plant scale. Diversity proved to be our strong point.Obviously, we foresee close cooperation with Autex and Textranet.

In addition, also SME-associations will be contacted to participate. They are considered as important partners and a go-between for the dissemination of project results to the industry. Together we will be able to contribute to the impact of the textile and clothing industry in our society.

On March 31, 2014a meeting was held at the Husa Hotel, Brussels, coinicidently with the ETP conference. The objective of this meeting was to establish if there is sufficient support amongst the participants for the establishment of an organization as described above.

The following agenda was discussed:

  1. Short introduction of participants.
  2. Summary of the position paper. It was added that we operate on TRL level 5 and higher, even at TRL level 8. Due to the nature of our work (applied) we have good access with the industry. We are going to exploit that aspect. We agreed to investigate representation at ITMA and Techtextil in 2015.
  3. Discussion on content. E.g. what will be our objective, what activities are we going to pursue and the like.
  4. Being represented at relevant decision making forums was agreed by the group.

Influencing strategic decision making is a part of this issue.

  1. Building a strategic network,but at least as important as that, building a know how network was considered to be an important aspect of our position in Europe’s textile R&D network.
  2. Formation of a network for the exchange of project opportunities will be the consequence of our actions.
  3. Student and/or scientists exchange. For this we are goingto investigate the possibilities of Erasmus and Marie Curie actions.
  1. Decisions agreed / actions.
  2. We seek collaboration with Autex.
  3. We should not forget contacting the technology centres
  4. We are going to build an overview of our joint competencies
  5. All participants agreed to spread the news of the establishment of our network
  6. For the time being Ger Brinks and Gerrit Bouwhuis will form an operational team and will execute the agreed actions.
  7. We will invite participants to propose a good name for our network. We need this in order to set up a website and to set up a LinkedIn network.
  8. We agreed to investigate representation at ITMA and Techtextil in 2015.
  9. Once establish we seek financial support for the organisation of activities.
  10. Next meeting: November 2014 in conjunction with a Euratex conference.

The participants list is included below.

Name
Alphabetical / Institute / Email address / Phone nr
Gerrit Bouwhuis / Saxion UAS / / +31623460187
Ger Brinks / Saxion UAS / / +31622901777
Hein Daanen / AMFI, Amsterdam UAS /
Linda Deceuninck / Hogeschool Gent /
Rudolf Haug / Hochschule Niederrhein / rudolf.haug@ hs-niederrhein.de / +49-170-3317586
Lucie Huiskes / ArtEZinstitue of arts / / +31655757515
Poul-Erik Jørgensen / VIA University College
TEKO Design + Business / / +45 87 55 05 30
FatmaKalaoglu / Istanbul Technical University, school of textile technologies & design / / +905326149857
KaterinaMachova / Fachhochschule Dresden / / +4935148174915
Wendy Malem / London College of Fashion /
Tina Moor / HochschuleLuzern
Design & Kunst / / +41 41 248 61 60
Marc van Parys / Hogeschool Gent /
Madalena Pereira / University of Beira Interior Portugal / / +35478970167
Thomas Poetz / FH Münchberg/DE / / +4980321416 office
+491729598462
Alexandra de Raeve / Hogeschool Gent / / +32 478 97 01 67
JochenSträhle / Reutlingen-University /
EugenijaStrazdiene / Vilnius university of applied science, Lithuania / / +37068147376
VilijaSulskiene / Vilnius university of applied science, Lithuania / v. sulskiene @mtf.viko.lt / +037061685513
Jose Teunissen / ArtEZinstitue of arts / / +3126-3535771
BojanaVoncina / Univ. of Maribor, fac of mech engineering / / +38622207911