

About the project
Textile, footwear and leather are Mediterranean traditional sectors, with an annual estimated global turnover of more than €280 billion and 2.7 million employees working mainly in MSMEs which account for 90% of the industry. During the last decades, these sectors have been affected by the economic slowdown and a very strong competition from Asia. These Mediterranean traditional sectors are under threat if they do not quickly renew their business models. Unable to compete in price or volume, the main challenges for traditional sectors are related to product and process innovation, the establishment of new business models and the creation of business sustainable alliances to strengthen the value chains. To address these challenges, the CRE@CTIVE project will boost creativity as a key aspect for increasing economic opportunities of the MSMEs by creating links between the traditional sectors and the creative industries (crafts, design, culture, etc.). As a result, creative innovation will upgrade the products and will improve their positioning, making them more competitive in the global markets.