Textile, clothing, footwear, and leather (TCFL) industries have suffered severely due to Asian competition and pandemic-related economic slowdowns. As a result, the CRE@CTIVE project was launched by the EU under ENI CBC MED Programme to foster growth and competitiveness in the Mediterranean TCFL industry through innovation, new business models, and collaborations.

Henceforth, CRE@CTIVE created a network of 6 L@Bs across Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia, Italy, and Spain, each specializing in a specific field to foster growth and innovation. Additionally, innovators can opt for a L@B in another country if they feel it is more relevant to their needs. 

• Palestine Design-L@B in Hebron supports leather and shoes small-and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by combining traditional and modern practices to ensure social innovation and inclusivity.
• Tunisia Techno-L@B in Monastir focuses on the technical textiles field and intelligent textiles and composites. It also provides solutions for digitizing production systems.
• Egypt's Net-L@B in Alexandria will link TCFL MSMEs and stakeholders with tools for business sustainability and provide technical assistance in accessing these tools and services.
• Spain's Eco-L@B in Alicante supports artists and (micro-small-and-medium enterprises) MSMEs from the TCFL and technological-based companies in applying cutting-edge sustainability tech solutions for their production process.
• Italy's Heri-L@B in Prato promotes innovation in the local textile and clothing sectors by integrating the legacy of past economic activities in the region and linking heritage to textiles.
• Italy's Make-L@B in Palermo acts as a business incubator by providing dedicated acceleration services, knowledge exchange, training and testing facilities for the TCFL sectors.

By building a culture of creativity, fostering experimentation, and constantly analyzing failures as learning opportunities, the L@BS promotes and uplifts one another, consequently boosting employment, social inclusion, and growth.

Check out WAVE-PLATFORM to learn more about the services provided by each lab !