During the European Technology Platforms Conference, organised by The European Commission and the Austrian EU Presidency, which was held on May 4-5, in Vienna, the European Technology Platform for Assuring the future of Manufacturing in Europe (Manufuture) and the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP) launched an initiative entitled ManuTex in order to nurture closer collaboration in pre-competitive research and development at European level.

The objectives of the ManuTex initiative are:

• The establishment of a permanent collaboration forum between textile/clothing manufacturers and developers and manufacturers of machines, systems & tools for textile/clothing production to exchange major technological trends and evolving user needs

• The combination of complementary elements of the Strategic Research Agendas of the Manufuture and Textile European Technology Platforms in a joint implementation plan

• The initiation of strategic, genuinely breakthrough-oriented collaborative research projects between the two sectors bringing together the best available competences and capacities to mutual benefit.

The implementation of ManuTex will be coordinated by a Coordination Committee composed of representatives of all stakeholder groups. The Coordination Committee will be chaired by Professor Thomas Gries, director of the Institut für Textiltechnik at the RWTH Aachen University, Germany (ITA).