#Associations

2022-10-13

Porto Convention asks how to square the circle?

On 13-14 October, EURATEX in partnership with ATP is organising the 10th European Textile & Apparel Convention in Porto, Portugal; the convention marks also the 24th Textile Industry Forum for Portugal.

The Porto Convention – titled Sustainability meets Competitiveness: How to Square the Circle? – will look at how companies can anticipate the new European regulatory framework, embrace innovation, and develop a business model where sustainability becomes a source of competitiveness and growth. In the current economic, social and political environment, Europe is facing many challenges: increased energy prices, unforeseen inflation and climate change, which add to the day-to-day challenges of running a business. Embracing the European Union’s commitment to a green and digital transformation, the textile industry needs to also move towards a new circular economy where recycling is at the core of the design process supported by digitalisation, innovation and new skills, and creativity. The conference will address explore solutions to turn quality and sustainability into a source of competitiveness.

The Porto Convention, the most important event at European level for the textile and apparel sector, will see representatives of national and European institutions, leading experts from the industry and like-minded entrepreneurs come together to discuss ideas, share experiences and find solutions to face common challenges. On Thursday will see the intervention of a keynote speech by Mr. Pedro Siza Vieira, Former Minister for the Economy and Digital Transition of Portugal, and two CEOs panels addressing the themes of communicating and financing sustainability:

How to Measure and Communicate about Sustainability

Show me the money – financing sustainability

The afternoon will see four workshops with industry experts for a hands-on experience addressing the themes of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Textiles, Digital Product Passport, Recycling Textile Waste and Labelling Textile.

Finally, the second day of the convention will offer the participants the opportunity to visit local textiles companies and the CITEVE research centre to further understand the European textile context in practice. The visit will include: Têxteis J.F. Almeida, RIOPELE, and TMG Automotive.

In the evening of the convention, participants will also have the opportunity to attend a gala dinner at the beautiful location of Palacio da Bolsa.

For any further information and details about the speaker panels, you may consult the convention website – https://portoconvention.eu/ – or contact Cristina Gatti (cristina.gatti@euratex.eu).

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“Action helps us change what we do!”

DAY 0 takes place deliberately before PERFORMANCE DAYS begins. It is conceived as a space for reflection, dialogue and active engagement — a moment to pause before the fair, rethink established systems and address sustainability not as a trend, but as a fundamental transformation challenge. Under the guiding metaphor “Turn the Tap Off”, DAY 0 focuses on root causes rather than symptoms, systemic change rather than isolated solutions, and collective responsibility rather than individual silos.

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China’s pet economy is booming, especially amongst younger generations, and pet apparel – from designer outfits to functional garments – was a RMB 3.5 billion (over USD 500 million) market in 2024, growing more than 20% annually¹. To help exhibitors harness this trend, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2026 will launch the Pet Boutique, presenting a range of innovative, sustainable materials that prioritise both functionality and comfort for pets.

VAUDE eliminates PFAS from all products

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