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smartX · Project

Building the Smart Textiles Supply Chain So SMEs Can Sell Wearable Tech

manufacturingTestedTRL 6
smartx-europe.eu

Imagine you want to make a jacket that monitors your heartbeat or a factory glove that warns you about hazards — right now, there's no easy supply chain to build that. The companies who make fabrics, electronics, sensors, and software all work in separate worlds. SmartX brought these different players together, funded over 40 small companies to run pilot projects, and built a collaboration platform so textile firms, electronics makers, and designers can actually find each other and create smart clothing products together.

By the numbers
40+
SMEs funded through Trailblazer innovation projects
150+
Target company members on collaboration platform
60,000+
SMEs accessible through 8 partner clusters across Europe
€5.5 billion
Estimated European smart textiles market value
22,000
Estimated jobs in the European smart textiles value chain
€150 billion
Global wearables market estimate for 2026
15
Regions in REGIOTEX thematic partnership for follow-up funding
14
Consortium partners across 7 countries
21
Total project deliverables
The business problem

What needed solving

Smart textiles — fabrics with embedded sensors, electronics, or connectivity — have huge market potential but no established supply chain. Textile companies, electronics makers, IoT developers, and designers all work in isolated sectors with no easy way to collaborate on products. Without a working value chain, promising smart textile ideas die before reaching production.

The solution

What was built

SmartX funded over 40 SME-led Trailblazer innovation projects through open calls, built an open collaboration platform targeting 150+ company members, and delivered 21 outputs including the STIR Self-assessment tool for evaluating smart textile innovation potential. The project also applied the Innovation Potential Audit and connected participants with 15 regions through REGIOTEX for follow-up funding.

Audience

Who needs this

Textile manufacturers wanting to add smart features (sensors, connectivity) to their productsPPE and workwear companies looking to develop next-generation protective clothingHealth-tech startups developing wearable patient monitoring garmentsIoT and microelectronics companies seeking textile industry partnersFashion-tech companies exploring connected clothing product lines
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Protective workwear
SME
Target: Manufacturers of safety clothing and PPE for construction, mining, or industrial settings

If you are a workwear manufacturer struggling to add smart features like heat sensors or impact detection to your products — this project built a cross-sector value chain and coaching program that connected textile companies with electronics and IoT specialists. Over 40 SMEs were funded to pioneer smart textile manufacturing stages, and an open collaboration platform with over 150 company members was created to help you find the right partners.

Healthcare wearables
SME
Target: Medical device companies or health-tech startups developing patient monitoring garments

If you are a health-tech company trying to embed biosensors into patient monitoring garments but lack textile manufacturing expertise — smartX created a ready-made network of 8 clusters accessing over 60,000 SMEs across Europe. The project's Trailblazer funding scheme supported cross-sector teams combining textiles, microelectronics, and data processing to build healthcare and wellbeing products.

Industrial IoT textiles
mid-size
Target: Companies developing sensor-embedded fabrics for industrial monitoring or logistics

If you are an industrial IoT company that wants to integrate sensors into textiles for factory environments but cannot find the right manufacturing partners — smartX established cross-regional value chains connecting textile producers, microelectronics firms, and IoT companies. The project funded small innovation actions and provided coaching from specially trained cluster managers to support production scale-up.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access the smartX network or collaboration platform?

The project's open collaboration platform targeted over 150 company members and was designed to be maintained beyond the project's end. Based on available project data, the platform aimed for open access, though current status and any membership fees after the project closed in April 2022 would need to be confirmed with the coordinator.

Can the smartX approach scale to full industrial production of smart textiles?

SmartX was specifically designed to bridge the gap between smart textile technology and industrial manufacturing. The project funded at least 40 SMEs through Trailblazer innovation projects covering multiple stages of the value chain, from textiles and microelectronics to distribution and end users. The consortium included 8 clusters with access to over 60,000 SMEs across Europe.

What IP or tools came out of this project that I could license or use?

The project delivered 21 outputs including the STIR Self-assessment tool, which helps companies evaluate their smart textile innovation potential. The project also applied the award-winning Innovation Potential Audit methodology. Licensing terms for these tools would need to be discussed with the coordinator.

Which end markets did smartX focus on?

SmartX focused on three specific end markets: protective wear, industrial applications, and healthcare and wellbeing. The project estimated that smart textiles represent approximately 10% of the wearables market, worth around €5.5 billion in Europe and supporting roughly 22,000 jobs.

How does smartX connect to regional funding or follow-up support?

SmartX linked with REGIOTEX, a thematic partnership of 15 regions under the S3 Platform on Industrial Modernisation, specifically to help participants access follow-up funding. The project also built on the successful WORTH project model for implementing small funding schemes.

What kind of companies participated in the Trailblazer projects?

The Trailblazer projects were cross-sectoral, cross-cultural, and cross-regional innovation actions involving SMEs and start-ups from textiles, design, microelectronics, data processing, IoT, manufacturing technology, distribution, and end user sectors. At least 40 SMEs were selected through open calls by independent external experts.

Consortium

Who built it

The smartX consortium of 14 partners across 7 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden) is heavily oriented toward innovation support rather than direct manufacturing — with 8 clusters, 2 RTOs, and 3 innovation support entities forming the backbone. Only 2 partners are classified as industry and 4 are SMEs, giving a modest 14% industry ratio. This means the project was designed as an ecosystem builder, not a product developer. For a business looking to enter smart textiles, the real value is the network behind the consortium: those 8 clusters collectively access over 60,000 SMEs across Europe, making this a gateway to partners, suppliers, and potential customers rather than a single technology provider.

How to reach the team

The coordinator is Plate-forme Technologique Européenne pour le Future du Textile et de l'Habillement (Belgium). SciTransfer can help identify the right contact person.

Order a report on this consortiumSee PLATE-FORME TECHNOLOGIQUE EUROPEENNE POUR LE FUTURE DU TEXTILE ET DE L'HABILLEMENT profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the smartX network or find smart textile manufacturing partners in Europe? SciTransfer can broker an introduction to the right cluster or consortium member for your specific need.

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