Imagine bringing back a lost art by combining old-world secrets with modern tech. This effort finds ancient mulberry trees and rare silkworms to restart local silk farming in Europe. It's like creating a high-tech map for a new 'Silk Road' that helps artists and factories make luxury fabrics without relying entirely on imports.
European silk producers are overly dependent on Chinese imports and facing rising international prices. Additionally, the region is losing the traditional skills and genetic biodiversity needed to maintain a local silk industry.
A mulberry database and a knowledge bank of cultural heritage. Genetic analysis of mulberry trees and identification/propagation of local silkworm breeds.
If you are a luxury brand dealing with high import costs and dependence on Chinese silk — this project developed a resilient European silk ecosystem that provides local raw materials and traditional skills. This allows for more sustainable, 'made in Europe' luxury collections.
If you are a tour operator dealing with a lack of unique regional experiences — this project developed a European Silk Route as a cultural itinerary. This creates new non-traditional tourism products based on silk heritage and architecture.
If you are a farming group dealing with loss of agrobiodiversity — this project developed a mulberry database and genetic analysis of local silkworm breeds. This enables the propagation of resilient crops for local silk production.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or cost structures for the silk ecosystem tools are not provided.
The project aims to reconstruct a resilient silk ecosystem to revitalize industrial processing and improve the competitiveness of European Cultural and Creative Industries.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of licensing terms for the mulberry database or genetic analysis results.
The project period runs from 2023-03-01 to 2026-02-28.
The project leverages digital applications and cutting-edge technologies to foster the transition to sustainable business models in the silk sector.
The consortium is diverse, featuring 14 partners across 7 countries. It has a balanced mix of 3 universities, 3 research organizations, and 3 industry players (including 3 SMEs), resulting in an industry ratio of 21%. This structure suggests a strong bridge between academic genetic research and practical industrial application in the textile sector.
Contact the Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria in Italy.
Contact us to connect with the ARACNE consortium for sustainable silk sourcing.
