Ignite Labs: Event Series Briefing
Watch the recording below:
During this event, we will discuss the overall plan for the Ignite Labs event series of webinars as well as the informative site visits that will be taking place over the next few months.
We will also take a deep dive and explore the strategic outlook of the challenges and issues facing the textile industry as it innovates towards a sustainable and circular future. We will be joined by a selection of specialist panellists and attendees will have the opportunity to ask the speakers about their work, their understanding of these challenges, and where they think businesses should focus to future-proof their growth.
Join us for this webinar to find out more about getting involved with the upcoming Ignite Lab events from the Innovate UK KTN Design team and to participate in a lively conversation with our fantastic lineup of speakers.
Panelists
During this event, we will be joined by:
- Bill Macbeth, CEO of The Textile Centre of Excellence
- Shahid Rasul, Project Lead for Texonomy and Lecturer at Northumbria University’s Mechanical and Construction Engineering Department
- Talia Hussain, Researcher of Retail and the Circular Economy at the University of Loughborough
What are Ignite Labs?
Ignite Labs – a brand new series of events developed to share and exchange knowledge and best practice in sustainable textile and circular systems, with coordinated visits to highly innovative companies, organisations and facilities based across the UK.
This Innovate UK programme consists of in-person visits that will be supported by a suite of online workshops and presentations, introducing Lab participants to the very best design innovation approaches, thought leadership, and case studies, to help them refine their strategies and project ideas. They will receive help and support in collaborative working and partnership building, as well as learning more about routes to grant funding, competition guidance, and application development.
About the Ignite Lab Series
Who are the Ignite Labs events for?
We are looking to engage textile manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and recyclers of any size – taken to encompass not only clothing and fashion, but soft furnishings, mattresses, sportswear, and leisure equipment – who are in and around the cities of Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, and Huddersfield, and who wish to innovate towards a profitable, more sustainable and more circular business model. They might have a defined project idea, but are struggling to access design innovation expertise and knowledge; they might not see how they can future-proof in support of net zero policies and agendas; they might wish to engage more deeply with the developing circular industry ecosystem in their area to help them grow.
Ignite Lab attendees will hear from experts in the field, tour key sites of innovation activity, and receive targeted support in the development of ideas and projects which will help ensure their sustainable growth. These events are for start-ups looking to use strategic design to help brilliant ideas get to the right market and for established businesses looking to reposition or expand their offering.
This programme of events looks to capture best practices and support knowledge exchange in this area, exploring design-led innovation approaches to sustainability and circular business models that will help UK textile businesses meet Net Zero goals while also achieving sustainable growth.
Ignite Lab attendees will hear from experts in the field, tour key sites of innovation activity, and receive targeted support in the development of ideas and projects which will help ensure their sustainable growth in the face of considerable 21st Century pressures.