Samenvatting

The in-depth assessment of the situation of the European textile and clothing sector is composed by six independent reports with a close focus on key aspects useful to understand the dynamics and the development of the textile and clothing industry, drivers of change – most notably the impact of the financial crisis – and identification of policy responses and best practices. This has been done in six specific tasks leading to the six reports:
Task 1 Survey on the situation of the EU textile and clothing sector
Task 2 Report on research and development
Task 3 Report on SME situation
Task 4 Report on restructuring
Task 5 Report on training and Education
Task 6 Report on innovation practices
Task 6 focused on understanding how European textile & clothing companies are engaged into innovation practices. Hence key questions regard what is critical to transform knowledge and Research and Development (R&D) into good selling marketable products and which are the driving forces and relationships towards a better competitive performance through innovation. The analysis was carried out and the trends were then verified in selected regional cases: Lombardia Piemonte, Baden Württemberg, North Portugal and Galicia, Slovenia and Romania.