The TEX-BREIN project – Interregional community of TEXtile ecosystems for the circular transition: Building capacities, REINforcing networking and organisations – focuses on strengthening innovation capacities within textile ecosystems across Europe. It comprises a consortium of eight European partners: CLUTEX – Klastr Technicke Textile – (Czechia); NTT – Next Technology Tecnotessile Società Nazionale di Ricerca e Sviluppo – Italy; PRODUTECH – Association for Production Technologies (Portugal); CIRI – Centre for Investment, Development and Innovation (Czech Republic);  CITEVE – Portuguese Textile and Clothing Industries Technology Centre (Portugal); Téxtils.CAT – Association of Innovative Textile Companies (Spain); PIOT – Association of Employers in the Clothing and Textile Industry (Poland) and UB – Bora University (Sweden).

Further information on the TEX-BREIN project.

TEX-BREIN is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement no. 101180358. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Throughout the two‑day program, participants had the opportunity to learn more about the work carried out by leading national organizations. The Learning Expedition included visits to CITEVE, CENTI, RIOPELE, LIPOR and VALERIUS 360, all of which stand out for their contribution to innovation, circularity and sustainability in the textile sector and in waste management.

PRODUTECH extends its thanks to all the entities that welcomed the delegation, as well as to the TEX‑BREIN organization for preparing this initiative. The experience allowed participants to deepen their understanding of textile recycling in Portugal, raising awareness of the importance of circularity and highlighting the crucial role that Production Technologies will continue to play in building a more sustainable industry.

The TEX‑BREIN project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101180358. The views and opinions expressed, however, are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

•    Energy efficiency technologies related to energy systems;

•    Transformative industrial technologies leading to decarbonisation.

•    Electrical grid technologies;

Applications must be submitted by consortia comprising at least two SMEs located in two different EU Member States or countries associated with the SMP-COSME programme and belonging to two distinct sectors. Projects will have 9 months for implementation.

This is an excellent opportunity to have your project funded and contribute to the green transition and decarbonisation of EU industry 🌿

Funding: 10 projects will have access to funding of up to €100,000 (maximum of €60,000 per SME), alongside training and internationalisation services.

Deadline for applications: 20 May 2026, at 17:00 (Brussels time) (16:00 in mainland Portugal).  Find out more about the rules and guidelines for the call at: https://lnkd.in/dEfzSVGe

Join the GREEN MANTIS matchmaking platform to receive all the latest project updates, promote your idea and find partners.

If you’d like to find out more about GREEN MANTIS, please get in touch!

We’ll be holding an information webinar on 31 March at 2.30 pm; you can register here.

The GREEN MANTIS project is Co-Finded by the European Union.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The consortium is led by CLUTEX – Klastr Technicke Textile (Czechia) and includes the following partners: NTT – Next Technology Tecnotessile Societa Nazionale di Ricerca R.L. (Italy), PRODUTECH – Associação para as Tecnologias de Produção (Portugal), CIRI – Centrum Investic Rozvoje a Inovaci (Czechia), CITEVE – Technological Centre for the Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal (Portugal), Tèxtils.CAT – Agrupació d’Empreses Innovadores Tèxtils (Spain), PIOT – Zwiazek Pracodawcow Przemyslu Odziezowego i Tekstylnego (Poland), and UB – Högskolan i Borås (Sweden).

During the meeting, the consortium reviewed the activities carried out so far and aligned the next steps to ensure the continued progress of the project and the achievement of its strategic objectives.

The TEX‑BREIN project is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101180358. The views and opinions expressed, however, are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

This Call for Proposals covers training actions aimed at innovation and competitiveness objectives, through the specific qualification of business owners, managers and workers, in order to reorganise and improve their management skills and boost their productivity. 

This call for proposals, especially aimed at medium-sized and large companies, is an excellent opportunity for companies to submit training plans geared towards their specific needs. 

The support call for business training in joint projects within the scope of competitiveness clusters has also been published. This notice covers training actions aimed at innovation and competitiveness objectives, through the specific qualification of workers, entrepreneurs and managers of the SMEs involved, in order to reorganise and improve their management skills and boost their productivity. Private non-profit organisations with specific skills aimed at companies can apply for this call.  

The deadline for submitting applications is 31/01/2025 to 31/03/2025 (17 hours). 

More information:

      - Notice Individual business training: COMPETE2030-2025-1 

    - Notice Joint business training: COMPETE2030-2025-2 

Companies that are interested or require further clarification can contact PRODUTECH by e-mailing: geral@produtech.org. 

GreenTech Lab, a pioneering test bed by Aliados Consulting, offers essential technological support to help companies align practices with European regulations and strengthen competitiveness in the market.

The session took place at the Pestana Palácio do Freixo and was attended by several dozen participants.

The EU is India's largest trading partner, with trade in goods reaching €115 billion in 2022. Together they build bridges between key value chains such as aerospace, digital, energy, healthcare, mobility and textiles.

Pedro Rocha and the rest of the delegation were also at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, where the European delegation participated in panel discussions exploring topics such as AI and human collaboration that will shape industries in the coming years. The delegation that the Director General of PRODUTECH is part of visited the exhibition area where he made important contacts.

In a workshop led by Leena Pishe Thomas , gaps and opportunities for future EU-India collaboration were identified, addressing the strategic sectors that promise impactful partnerships.

There was also a visit to POSSPOLE where delegates were introduced to a showcase of cutting-edge innovations from startups and discussed tangible opportunities for future collaboration. 

PRODUTECH was one of the two clusters selected to participate in the meeting with the Minister of IT and Rural Development and present the cluster of national production technologies.

Pedro Rocha had the opportunity to meet with Priyank M Kharge, Minister of IT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Depts, Government of Karnataka, and Dr. Ekroop Caur Secretary of Electronics, IT, Bt and S&T, GoK, to explore strategic opportunities.

There was also a session entitled "Building bridges: strengthening EU-India collaboration", co-hosted by #ECCP and Global Business Inroads (GBI). This session provided a platform for EU delegates and Indian groups to present their expertise and establish new partnerships. Key sectors such as Agritech, Biotech, Healthcare, AI/ML, IoT and Greentech occupied the agenda and opportunities for innovation and trade between the EU and India were presented.
Wrapping up the mission that aimed to promote EU-India cluster cooperation, the European representatives were introduced to Bangalore's innovation hubs through a series of site visits: The first was at nasscom – Centre of Excellence for IoT and AI, liaising with the government's Digital India campaign leveraging India's IT strengths in action. The center aims to develop IoT, AI ecosystems, and critical technologies in India. After lunch, participants set off on personalized tours to explore the innovative solutions emerging from Karnataka's strong culture of collaboration between academia and industry:
At the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC), they have come into contact with efforts to bring life science innovations to practical uses through deep collaboration with academia! It was clear that Bengaluru is home to one of the most advanced life science ecosystems in the world, championing research and innovation! A visit to the ELCITA-Electronics City Industrial Township Authority provided a remarkable transformation into a modern municipality and a future-ready smart city, exemplifying dynamic governance, community-driven growth, and visionary leadership. The city was a clear example of how technologies can be harnessed to meet the needs of a growing population with sustainability in mind.
At the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore, they were treated to an inside look at the fields of research and start-ups. This gave an inside look at the successes that public-private partnerships can bring to regional research and innovation initiatives.
This mission laid the foundation for a bright future of new opportunities for collaboration between India and Europe!

In addition to the presentation of IN TRANSIT's 2nd Open Call DEVELOP, we will also hear from a company ERISING, which has participated in different initiatives of this type of project with cascade funding.

Participation is free, but prior registration is required, which can be done until the end of the morning on November 7, at the following link: https://forms.gle/WxgDUrog3bEvLqGU8

We look forward to your presence.

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In this session of great interest, the areas of cross-border cooperation were discussed, and the preliminary results of the 1st workshop were also presented.

Among other entities, INESC TEC, FEAGA, Mobinov - Cluster, CCG/ZGDV Institute, CEAGA and CCDR N participated.

European manufacturing has been the backbone of European prosperity, providing wealth, security, and comfort to its citizens and workers. Europe's history of technological innovation positions us to reclaim our role as global leaders in producing the most innovative products and systems.

Manufacturing serves as the foundation for addressing and mastering the challenges facing our European continent. It plays a crucial role in creating quality jobs, achieving full circularity in production, overcoming skills shortages, decarbonising transport and energy, adapting to societal changes, and developing defence systems. By prioritising manufacturing, we can effectively tackle these challenges and ensure a prosperous future for Europe.

All these challenges require the European industry to be more resilient regarding technologies, manufacturing capacity and value chains.

Manufacturing and research are not separate entities, but rather two sides of the same coin, both crucial for European progress. Support for manufacturing research is vital at all levels – European, national, and regional – to ensure our competitiveness in technological advancement and global competition.

In Framework Programme 10, a significant part of the activities should be earmarked for manufacturing research, mainly through the Made in Europe Partnership. By doubling the funding and making the process efficient and fast, the aim is to attract industry and deliver faster and better results.

The collaboration and synergies between the Made in Europe Partnership and sector-specific or technology-specific initiatives need to be intensified and well-coordinated. We must gear up our efforts to establish a unified and effective approach to addressing our manufacturing challenges. Recognising the interconnected nature of manufacturing research and product development is crucial.

Let's raise our voices - please sign the petition!

#StrongEuropeThroughManufacturingResearch

Pedro Rocha participated in the European Commission's EU-SouthMed Matchmaking 2024 initiative, which takes place in Frankfurt, Germany, from 11 to 13 June, as part of a delegation of representatives from Clusters and other organizations from these two economic regions. As part of the program, a visit was also made to ACHEMA 2024 expo, which takes place between June 10 and 14, 2024

European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP).

With the assistance of close to six dozen partners of this great differentiating project, important rules for publicity and dissemination were shared within the scope of the projects supported by the RRP, as well as a set of good practices that partners must follow in their dissemination actions.

In addition, the promotional video of the PRODUTECH R3 Agenda was also presented and shared, as well as an indication of how and where partners can use the video.

The PRODUTECH R3 project  aims to induce a structural change in the Production Technologies Sector (FTP), enabling it to exploit the significant investments that the industry will make with the green and digital transition, reducing external technological dependence, increasing the added value generated in the country and contributing to a change in the specialization of the Portuguese economy.

The PRODUTECH R3 project - Mobilizing Agenda of the Production Technologies Sector for Reindustrialization, is funded by the European Union under the NextGeneration EU program through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP - recuperarportugal.gov.pt).