The Business of Repair

Dr Ruth Cherrington is the Project Lead and is working with the Manchester Metropolitan University and Finisterre.  This project will collect rigorous data on business-led repair initiatives, identifying barriers and opportunities in the business-community-consumer interface.  Ruth said: "Collaboration is at the heart of this project. Businesses bring the real-world challenges and opportunities, while research adds depth and rigour. Working together allows us to generate insights that are not just useful, but also inspiring to apply in the real world."  Join the repair workshops to help shape this research.  Details here

Data Visualisation Impact Working Group

This project will address the challenges of data analysis and knowledge generation.  UAL have partnered with The University of Leeds and Northumbria University. Tackling complex environmental challenges often requires collaboration across disciplines however this isn't always easy when scientific data are interpreted and communicated in different ways. Data visualisation can be a powerful tool that helps tackle this.  The working group will focus on developing clear guidance and best practices for using visualisation to address some of the most pressing challenges in environmental research. More details here.  

Science Pioneer: Professor Ceri Lewis

University of Exeter's Professor Ceri Lewis, one of FFN+ Team members, has been selected as one of Woman & Home’s Amazing Women Award winners, in partnership with NHS Charities together.

Looking to collaborate? Use the FFN+ Noticeboard 

Do you have a great idea, service or product or are you looking for collaborators in the fashion and textiles sector?   We have a new forum to bring together potential partners.  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'. 

Finisterre Repair Workshops - Join us in shaping the future of repair! 

We’re inviting you to take part in one of our upcoming Finisterre Repair Workshops in London Bristol or Falmouth, part of a new research project exploring how businesses and communities can make repair a bigger part of everyday life.

By joining, you’ll not only learn practical repair skills to extend the life of your clothes, but also contribute to important research on how businesses and consumers can support more sustainable choices.

Your experiences and perspectives will help us gather real-world insights into what works, what doesn’t, and how repair can be made easier, more accessible, and more rewarding.

Whether you’re a repair pro or just curious to give it a go, your input matters.
Find a workshop near you and sign up here

ECR Circular Seminar Series -Career Journeys with Peter Palmer

Just in case you missed this in our last newsletter, Peter Palmer, CEO at Circular Flow and MBA from Henley Management College, will be the special guest for the ECR Seminar on Thursday, September 25th, at 10:00 a.m. He is also a research fellow at Bristol University, specialising in building sustainable brands and circular solutions through innovation and entrepreneurship.  

Please contact Abigail Irving-Munro for more questions and links at a.irving-munro@northumbria.ac.uk. 

ECR Circular Seminar Series continues in October with James Gallagher

Impact Through Engagement

Discover how to create engagement that leads to long lasting and meaningful impact. Through this interactive workshop you will explore the research impact landscape discovering how to create changes and benefits beyond the academic. From planning engagement projects to working with communities, this session will show you how to create high-quality projects tailored to your subject and skills.  Whether you are new to engagement or looking to get new perspectives on what you can do to improve this workshop is packed with tips, tricks and strategies for making the most of your engagement.

Both Sessions Will take place on ZOOM (not Microsoft Teams). Please see the poster attached to this email for details.  Please contact Abigail Irving-Munro for more questions and links at a.irving-munro@northumbria.ac.uk.

Register for the ECOSYSTEX Conference 2025

The third ECOSYSTEX Conference will take place as a physical event on 29 September-1 October in Gothenburg, Sweden, in partnership with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

This event will bring together experts, innovators, and industry leaders to explore new technologies and business models for textile circularity.

Join Textile ETP!

Discover Europe’s largest and most dynamic network of professionals driving research and innovation in the textile and clothing industries. As the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing, we unite researchers, industry leaders, and innovators shaping the future of the sector. 

Visit Textile ETP website for all upcoming events  here.

Textile Institute World Conference (TIWC) 2025 - Fibre to Future: Transforming Fashion and Textiles through Sustainability and Digitalisation 

The 93rd Textile Institute World Conference (TIWC) 2025 will be hosted by AQUITEX and take place from 7 – 10 October 2025 at Porto Palácio Congress Hotel and Spa, Porto, Portugal. The conference will explore cutting-edge approaches to addressing sustainability challenges, from the environmental impact of textile production to the development of circular economies. It will showcase innovative digital technologies that enhance efficiency, transparency, and sustainability across the entire supply chain—from fibre production and manufacturing to consumer use and end-of-life solutions. Read more here.

Beyond 2025

The leading conference for research and innovation in the creative industries, bringing together thinkers, makers, researchers, creatives, start-ups, students, investors and policy-makers from across the globe. This year’s conference takes place on November 24 – 26 in Media City, Salford and explores the intersection between imagination, technology and place, focusing on the rise of CreaTech, Innovation Districts and the Creator Economy.  For more information, please visit the link: BEYOND 2025

Textile Library Website: Open Access 

Ozkan Kalkan is a Textile Engineer from Istanbul, Turkiye. He has  founded the Textile Library website which is a resource giving open access to academic articles, videos and podcasts about textile, apparel and fashion. You can access the website here. 

Call for Papers for SETAC: EFFECTS OF TEXTILES MICROFIBERS & CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

There is still time to submit your manuscript to the Special Issue “Textiles Microfibers and Chemicals”​ that Professor Tamara Galloway is guest editing.  More information can be found here.

Back to Baselines funds new research into non-fashion textile flows

The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has launched a new report on research carried out as part of a Back to Baselines Sustainable Fund project. Mapping non-fashion textile flows Advancing a circular textile economy in the UK reveals that non-fashion textiles represent an equally significant, and potentially larger, portion of the UK’s textile stream. It highlights the urgent need to shift the focus towards understanding this often-overlooked sector in order to build a truly circular ecosystem.  Read the report here.

Information on Future Opportunities

UKRI Policy Fellowship 2025

UKRI fund a cohort of policy fellows. Fellows will provide research and expert advice on the host’s policy priority areas and support wider knowledge exchange between government, policy, and academia.  UKRI policy fellowships 2025 – UKRI

UKRI Policy Internship Scheme

As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s postgraduate training portfolio, the UKRI Policy Internships scheme provides an opportunity for UKRI-funded doctoral students to undertake a three-month placement at one of a selected group of influential policy organisations. UKRI Policy Internships scheme – UKRI

ECR Fellowships (in cultural and heritage institutions)

This fellowship offers early career postdoctoral (or equivalent) researchers the opportunity to gain research and career experience in the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) sector. More details here.