The textile, apparel, leather, and footwear industries are on the cusp of a major transformation. New European regulations, such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and the Digital Product Passport (DPP), require companies to provide much greater transparency regarding the origin of materials, production processes, and the entire product lifecycle.

For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), however, this transition is anything but easy. They want to become more sustainable, but in practice they face various obstacles. Digitalization requires new knowledge, investments, and collaboration within the supply chain. At the same time, the sector remains highly fragmented, and many processes are still carried out using analog methods. As the project initiators point out: 'Everyone is talking about circular textiles, but in practice, the sector is still fragmented and often organized in a fairly analog way.' That is why TOS13 was established.

In practice, the textile sector is still fragmented and often organized in a fairly analog way.

From regulations to practical solutions

TOS13 explores how SMEs can digitize their entire value chain. In doing so, the field lab helps companies not only comply with new European regulations but also strengthen their competitive position and profitability.

Within the field lab, companies, researchers, and technology partners collaborate on practical digital solutions that are developed and tested directly in real-world settings — not based on a theoretical model, but on concrete challenges faced by the companies themselves. Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is leading this effort and follows the 'research through design' methodology: designing, developing, testing, and improving through design-based research. According to the project initiators, TOS13 revolves around three interrelated goals: 'better connecting the sector, digitizing analog manufacturing processes, and extending the useful life of textiles.'

For and with the industry

TOS13 is firmly anchored in the Brainport ecosystem and brings together knowledge institutions, technology partners, and companies from across the textile supply chain. Practical projects are carried out with SMEs that contribute their own innovation challenges. The demonstrators, digital tools, frameworks, and business cases developed are then made available to other organizations within the sector.

It’s not just an abstract innovation project, but a field lab where the entire supply chain comes together.

This not only generates knowledge for the participating partners but also creates a broader digital ecosystem that supports the continued sustainability of the textile, apparel, leather, and footwear industries. As the project initiators describe it: 'The beauty of TOS13 is that it doesn’t remain an abstract innovation project. The collaboration between Patience Studio Amsterdam, Vlisco, Vodde, Texplus, and United Repair Center creates a field lab where the entire supply chain — from design and production to repair and reuse — is brought to the table.'

A total of €539,994 in PPP funding is being allocated to the project.