The kick-off conference at the Umweltforum Berlin on 11 and 12 March 2025 marked the start of the new 'Circular Textiles' funding measure from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in which a total of 16 joint research projects and an accompanying networking and transfer project will be working on solutions to support a circular textile economy until 2028. The aim of the event, which was attended by around 100 people, was to present the individual projects, identify common challenges and derive cross-cutting topics for collaborative work.

Objective of the funding measure 

The funding measure "Circular Textiles" is part of the implementation of the BMBF research concept "Resource-Efficient Circular Economy" within the framework of the BMBF strategy for sustainability research (FONA). It supports the development of sustainable and circular textiles and at the same time strengthens the innovative capacity of the German textile sector. The focus is on the development of new processing and recycling methods, innovative circular designs and the exploration of promising industrial synergies. Special emphasis is placed on the circularity of technical textiles.

Role of ZirTeNet 

ZirTeNet connects collaborative projects and stakeholders in the German textile sector. It promotes exchange between companies, researchers and experts, focusing on four key elements: networking, knowledge transfer, broad impact and strategic reflection. The aim is to create synergies between projects and to integrate their progress into new business models, services and technologies.

Training programmes and educational initiatives will target different audiences and help raise awareness of the importance of a circular textile industry. By continuously evaluating the progress of the collaborative projects and organising events and conferences, ZirTeNet ensures a dynamic exchange that promotes the dissemination of research results. This is a crucial contribution to the transformation of the textile industry.

Further information and updates on the funded research projects can be found on the project website "Zirkuläre Textilien" or LinkedIn.