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Future Fibres Network Plus January'26 Newsletter
Dear subscribers,
Welcome to the January newsletter. As the project moves into its final phase we’re excited to share the latest progress, funding updates and events that drive sustainable transformation across the fashion and textile sector.
With warm wishes,
Tamara
Tamara Galloway is Professor of Ecotoxicology at The University of Exeter
Future Fibres Network Plus' Final Consortium Meeting
We were delighted to welcome so many of you to our final consortium meeting in London last week at the Natural History Museum. The theme was Fashion and Textiles – The threads run much deeper than ‘the plastics problem’. We showcased the incredible work that has taken place since the start of Future Fibres Network Plus including conclusions, updates and recommendations discovered on our 11 mini-projects. It was inspiring to see the breadth of variety across the supply chain. The projects are at different stages of readiness with some at proof-of-concept stage with others being practically ready to go.
Project Lead, Tamara Galloway initiated the day with this comment: “A systems thinking framework based on Environmental Science Research will identify leverage points with maximum impact and allow us to model how the system changes to avoid unintended consequences.” She continued to say that we should pre-empt and prevent environmental harm before it occurs. A clear translation of evidence to inform decision-making and change behaviour must be provided as well as the ‘voice of the environment’ as an integrated stakeholder in any novel solution development.
Having a presentation slot with an update from NERC, AHRC and Innovate UK after lunch set the scene for us to discuss the future of the project and the area of funding in general.
Industry was well-represented with thoughtful discussion about how to commercialise a number of the mini-projects.
An expert panel chaired by Professor Richard Blackburn allowed for some excellent discussions. Academia was represented by Professor Kate Goldsworthy and Professor Richard Thompson. Adam Mansell, CEO of The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT), June Swindell from Salt. Fabrics and Tim Cross from Project Plan B spoke for industry. Questions put to the panel such as ‘What are the main challenges and opportunities of aligning environmental sciences, textile manufacturing and design?’, ‘Can we actually embed circular economy thinking across the entire textiles supply chain?’ provoked some entertaining and informed debates.
In conclusion the event was a celebration of what can be achieved when bringing multiple disciplines together to tackle this complicated issue.
Huge thanks to Temujen Gunawardena for attending the event as our live illustrator. She was present throughout the day and summarised the events on to one page which can been seen below and above.
Collaborate with the FFN+ Noticeboard!
Whether you're a scientist, designer, researcher or business expert in manufacturing, supply chain or marketing, you can now access our cross-disciplinary network of specialists. Check this out on our website here. If you would like to submit a post please send this to: ffnplus@exeter.ac.uk with the subject 'Noticeboard Submission'.
Update from Back to Baselines in Circular Fashion
Thematic Area 4 (Skills) and UKFT are hosting workshops for industry experts: Shaping the Future Skills for a Circular Fashion and Textiles Industry
Scheduled for late January, the workshops will take place online/at UKFT's London headquarters. They aim to engage professionals from across the UK fashion and textiles sector, with more than 30 UKFT member organisations represented. TA4 will share initial project findings and use interactive activities to gather expert feedback that will inform their final skills‑for‑circularity recommendations - the final of their B2B work.
For more information please visit their website.
Material Research Exchange
Date: 18-20 February
In-person event at Business Design Centre, London
Showcasing advanced material research and innovation across all sectors, including textiles.
Textiles session: Developments in sustainable and circular sportswear, 20 February
New AHRC opportunity - UKRI Translation: AHRC Proof of Concept
AHRC will be hosting a webinar on Thursday 5 March to walk through the opportunity and answer questions. Register through the link below. For questions about this specific opportunity please contact: enquires@ahrc.ukri.org
Future Fabrics Expo 2026
Future Fabrics Expo 2026 will take place on 24–25 June in Brussels, running alongside the Textiles Recycling Expo. Free registration now open. It's the largest showcase dedicated exclusively to sourcing sustainably and responsibly-produced, best-practice and certified materials for fashion, footwear, home, interiors & lifestyle. The free ticket includes access to the Textiles Recycling Expo — Europe’s leading exhibition & conference dedicated entirely to textile recycling, offering an additional conference programme and over 120 exhibitors.
Free Ticket available
Surface Design Show (SDS26)
One of our mini-projects, All-Cellulose Composite, will be showcasing samples at the Surface Design Show in Islington, London.
Taking place on 3-5 February this event hosts over 180 exhibitors and over 6000 visitors are expected. The Surface Design Show is a unique gathering of the architecture and design sectors. SDS26 will provide the opportunity to engage face-to-face with a hard-to-reach and targeted audience from the A+D sector. More information can be found here.
The Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM)
The Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) is the flagship conference for the ocean sciences and the larger ocean-connected community. It is taking place in Glasgow from 22-27 February. In 2024, nearly 6,000 attendees from 60 countries came together to advance ocean science. Cutting-Edge Research. It's a chance to discover the latest findings across diverse fields, from marine ecosystems to climate change impacts.
A POP-UP SHOP THIS WEEKEND
Preloved & Vintage Shopping
Curated preloved fashion, vintage collections, iconic second hand clothing, good vibes… all under one (dry) roof.
FREE ENTRY
Room 71-73, Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0AS
31 Jan - 01 Feb 26
11:00 AM - 18:00PM
Interested in being involved in Future Citizen but need some support?
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Please visit our website for all the recent publications. Link here.
Sign up to the new Network Plus Knowledge and Information Portal
The knowledge and information portal from the Network Plus is now live – https://circulartextilesportal.org. It offers a curated selection of the latest news and research from the fashion and textiles sector – and it will house all the outputs from the FFN+ flexible fund projects, as well as research from the other subnetworks, IMPACT+ and Back to Baselines.
To ensure you don’t miss out, please sign up here to the monthly bulletin, where you will receive news of the latest resources available through the portal direct to your inbox.
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