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
The objective of task 4 was to provide an assessment of past or on-going restructuring and modernisation processes in textile and clothing enterprises in the EU and their responses. This task provides an overview of drivers of restructuring and presents an anatomy of restructuring of the textile and clothing industry in the EU in terms of changes in the company business models. Case studies were carried out in five textile and clothing manufacturing regions of the EU with a particular emphasis on emerging strategies and business models and providing evidence for the impacts of restructuring processes.
Another objective has been to analyse framework conditions and identify constraints and best practice measures and initiatives at company and regional/national level concerning anticipation of change and management of modernisation and restructuring processes, so that these examples may inform policy action and initiatives in other regions in Europe.