EU Project Partners 2015-2019

City of Prato (Lead Partner)

The city of Prato has been famous since the Middle Ages for the manufacture of textiles, particularly woolen cloth, although it was only with the advent of industrialization in the mid-19th century that the area developed a real and proper industrial production system.

Market and consumption changes throughout history have forced the city to change tactics and to downsize. As a result many local companies are now searching for new development prospects.

Nonetheless, with almost 7,200 companies employing over 35,000 workers in the production of over 70,000 new items and approximately 350 million metres of fabric for clothing, furnishings and technical uses, Prato is currently one of the most important textile manufacturing areas in Europe.

Istituto Superiore Mario Boella

The Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB) is an applied research centre focused on innovation enabled by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). ISMB, was established in 2000 as a result of a partnership between the bank foundation Compagnia di San Paolo and the Politecnico di Torino.

ISMB is organised in research areas focused on core aspects of ICT: satellite navigation systems, wireless sensor networks and pervasive systems, broadband communications and electromagnetic simulation, optical fibres, cloud computing, applications for mobile devices, and new paradigms for information management and innovation development.

The Open University

The Open University is the UK's largest university, with more than 200,000 students per year studying its courses.

It is represented in this project by a TEL R&D/Strategy group, the Knowledge Media Institute, KMi, a proof-of-concept and prototype development laboratory which was set up by the OU in 1995 in recognition of the need to be at the forefront of research and development in a convergence of learning technologies and new media.

The KMi laboratory has a big showcase area; a range of “Hot Desk” spaces designed to suit the needs of visiting e-learning researchers; a substantial technology masterclass teaching area and a Podium presentation space – all of which are routinely used for knowledge sharing events and showcasing

Tavistock Institute

The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (TIHR) is a social science research, consultancy and training organisation that applies social science ideas and methods to problems of policy and practice, change and innovation, and organisational design.

A distinctive feature of the Institute’s work is its focus on social, organisational and policy dynamics through action research, formative evaluation, cross-national research, consultancy, and leadership and management training all in service of supporting sustainable change and ongoing learning.

What distinguishes the Tavistock Institute is its integrated research and consultancy practice; its action orientated research, and knowledge based change and development consultancy. The Institute is particularly known for its expertise in action research, systems thinking, and political and human dynamics.

A particular strength of the Institute’s work is a commitment to the utilisation and implementation of research findings particularly focused in the areas of employment policies, education and training, learning, technology development, partnerships, social capital, local & regional development, and health & social welfare.

Waag Society

Waag Society, Institute for Art, Science & Technology, is an interdisciplinary non-profit media lab based in Amsterdam. Its mission is to provide meaning and give direction to the role of technology in society.

In interdisciplinary teams and in close co-operation with end-users it develops technology that enables people to express, connect, reflect and share information, goods and responsibilities.

Waag Society has extensive experience in interdisciplinary community building, project management in innovative and avant-garde projects and technical infrastructures. Waag Society combines the input from different sectors to come up with meaningful innovations.

The eInstitute (eZavod)

E-Institute (E-zavod) is a non-profit development organization, based in Ptuj, Slovenia. The scope of E-Institute activities is focused on supporting open end user innovation in R&D projects from the fields of innovation, economy, ecology, energy, ICT, rural development and social equity.

E-Institute contributes to successful implementation of national and EU strategies; therefore the efforts are oriented to European integration and realization of quality projects, supported with funds or policies from European Union.

E-Institute also performs different supporting activities for the Operational plans and Strategies of Slovenian ministries linked to the implementation of EU programs. Key competencies of E-institute are open innovation (living lab), smart cities & PPPP, public participation & dialogue, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and business & market analysis.

Unioncamere del Veneto (UCV)

Unioncamere del Veneto (UCV) is the Association of the 7 Chambers of Commerce of Veneto region.

Its main tasks are the coordination of the provincial Chambers, the design and implementation of activities in strict coordination with regional and local institutions, business associations, research centres and universities, in favour of economic development, SME’s internationalisation, consumer protection, fight of counterfeiting, quality insurance, market surveillance, IP protection and others.

UCV Research Centre has an important role in the production and diffusion of statistics and economic information on a regional level: studies, observatories and publications on economic statistics provide a data base able to help and support enterprises, institutions and economic operators in their decision process, a determining factor for the local development.

Sanjotec - Centro Empresarial e Tecnológico

SANJOTEC - Scientific and Technological Association is a strategical initiative of S. João da Madeira that aims to support technically and scientifically the regional enterprise community, through the dissemination of an innovative, creative and entrepreneurial culture.

SANJOTEC manages the Business and Technology Center, the Science and Technology Park of S. João da Madeira, and the Creative Industries Incubator of Oliva Creative Factory. These two infrastructures, which have been experiencing a sharp growth since its creation, currently host 60 entrepreneurial projects, 40 technology-based companies and 20 in Cultural and Creative industries´s areas.

SANJOTEC also has a critical role in the management of the Industrial Living Lab (SJM-ILL), taking advantage of the networking potential with other living labs of the ENoLL. SJM-ILL is a co-creative space for innovation focused on giving empowerment to the regional business and industrial community end users, mainly in the areas of Design & Product Development, automation, robotic and energy efficiency.

Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes University is one of the UK's leading modern universities and enjoys an international reputation for teaching excellence and innovation. It has been named the best modern university in England by the Sunday Times University Guide eleven years in a row and employs approximately 2500 staff of which 1300 are academic.

The Department of Computing and Communication Technologies at Oxford Brookes University contains around 30 academic staff and has an excellent reputation for research with 85% of its output judged to be internationally leading in the last UK research assessment exercise.

It includes experts on decision support systems and other forms of artificial intelligence, as well as human computer interaction, computer security, and mobile computing. The School of Health and Social Care also conducts high quality research in a variety of areas including cancer care and diabetes.

Centre Scientifique & Technique de l’Industrie Textile Belge

Centexbel (CTB) is the Belgian scientific and technical centre for the textile industry, located in the heart of the Belgian textile industry with strong links to the majority of the textile companies.

CTB offers a complete range of standardized testing, it is a notified body for protective clothing and can deliver CE marking and testing. CTB is also involved in standardization committees and offers technological advice and training to companies in Belgium and abroad.

Via a take-over of the “Flemish Plastic Centre” its expertise and services have been diversified towards the plastic and composite industry. The research focus of CTB is on applied research, funded by private contract as well as national and international agencies.

Institut d’Arquitectura Avancada de Catalunya – Fundacio Privada (FabTextiles)

Fab Textiles is developing and implementing a new approach on to how create, produce and distribute fashion elements, by using distributed manufacturing infrastructures and knowledge networks.

They are experimenting with the human body and human culture, by recycling, hacking and sensing it, creating feedback loops with project development, where materials, aesthetics and customisation play equal and important roles. Fab Textiles offers a cross-disciplinary education and research platform, where production and culture through advanced technologies are making impact in the way we think and act towards the fashion industry.

They work locally, while creating connected communities globally. They are not waiting for things to change, they are changing them from the ground up.

Sqetch BV

Sqetch offers unparalleled online access to apparel and accessories manufacturers, enabling enable small and medium sized fashion brands to source easily in Europe and beyond. Brands are guided through the making process with access to a database of manufacturers that can be filtered according to preferences.

At the same time Sqetch improves the online visibility and competitiveness of manufacturers to help them grow their business. The site has a European focus although there are businesses registered from elsewhere. Education material is available to assist designers and minimize the possibility of order mismatches between participants.