CEDECS-TCBL

Their core work

CEDECS-TCBL is a Paris-based SME operating at the intersection of circular textiles, bio-based materials, and inclusive maker ecosystems. In the HEREWEAR project, they contributed to developing locally-produced, bio-based garments designed to minimize microfibre pollution and close the loop on textile waste. In shemakes.eu, they led a network-building initiative connecting fablabs and grassroots making communities specifically to address the gender gap in design and digital fabrication. Their dual focus — sustainable textile systems and inclusive innovation ecosystems — positions them as a bridge between circular economy practice and community-driven design culture.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CEDECS-TCBL entered H2020 through HEREWEAR in 2020 with a clear environmental-technical focus: bio-based materials, circular design, and microfibre pollution reduction in the textile industry. By 2021, their second project shifted entirely to social infrastructure — gender equity, FabLabs, and grassroots maker communities — with no overlap in keywords. This is not a gradual drift but a parallel track: the organization appears to hold two distinct work streams, one technical-environmental and one social-innovation, possibly reflecting their dual identity as a business lab (TCBL) with community engagement roots.

CEDECS-TCBL is moving toward social innovation and inclusive design ecosystems, suggesting future collaborations are likely to sit at the junction of sustainable textiles, open fabrication, and community empowerment rather than deep material science alone.

How they like to work

CEDECS-TCBL has taken both coordinator and participant roles across just two projects, showing flexibility rather than a fixed pattern. As coordinator of shemakes.eu they managed a multi-country community network, which points to capacity in stakeholder coordination and project governance. Their involvement in HEREWEAR as a participant within a larger IA consortium suggests they contribute specific thematic expertise — circular design and textile knowledge — rather than acting as a technical infrastructure lead.

Despite only two projects, CEDECS-TCBL has built connections with 25 unique partners across 12 countries, which is unusually broad for an organization of this size and project count. This suggests they participate in large, geographically diverse consortia rather than tight bilateral collaborations.

What sets them apart

CEDECS-TCBL occupies a rare niche: an SME that connects circular textile innovation with inclusive maker culture and gender equity. Most textile sustainability organizations focus purely on materials science or supply chains; CEDECS-TCBL also brings community-building and social dimension expertise that is increasingly required in Horizon Europe projects. For consortia needing both circular economy credibility and responsible innovation framing, they offer a combination that is hard to find in a single small organization.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HEREWEAR
  A four-year Innovation Action (2020–2024) focused on bio-based, locally-produced circular textiles, making it CEDECS-TCBL's largest funded project and their main technical credential in sustainable fashion.
• shemakes.eu
  Coordinated by CEDECS-TCBL, this CSA project is notable for its explicit gender-equity mission within FabLab ecosystems — an unusual thematic combination that demonstrates their capacity to lead EU-funded network projects.