Global Expert Mission: UK-USA Fashion Tech in New York

In November 2019 Sandeep Sandhu and Richard Foggie, KTN, hosted a UK delegation of fashion tech sector specialist organisations to New York.

In early November Innovate UK in partnership with Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and the Science and Innovation Network (SIN) led a Global Expert Mission to New York to learn about emergent environmental sustainability innovation for applications in the fashion industry.  The purpose of the Mission was to gain learnings and insights on the US fashion industry’s environmental sustainability context, priorities and innovation as well as identify potential opportunities for Innovate UK to develop strategic partnerships to help leverage and catalyse innovation that can help reduce the environmental sustainability impacts occurring in the global fashion industry’s supply chain.

 

The Mission was comprised of selected professionals from the UK fashion industry, innovation and academia able to provide a rich range of expertise and perspectives to help Innovate UK examine and assess the many opportunities for collaboration and partnership. Over the course of a week the Mission met with a wide variety of US design institutions, fashion businesses, fashion technology companies (with a sustainability focus), trade associations, government agencies and investors to learn about their environmental sustainability focus and approach. The week was full of shared discussion and enthusiasm for collaboration and partnership to help address the environmental impacts of fashion that could be achieved through knowledge exchange, technology and business model innovation and government support.

 

The next step is the preparation of a Mission Report that will be shared publicly in early 2020. The report will collate the findings and make recommendations for activities that will accelerate knowledge and innovation tackling the environmental impact of the fashion industry in alignment with the UK government’s clean growth strategy.

UK Fashion Tech Sector Delegation

British Fashion Council

Ananas Anam Ltd

Future Fashion Factory

Arts and Humanities Research Council

Common Objective

Ahluwahlia Studio

 

This Global Expert Mission was organised by Innovate UK, KTN and Pilio.

 

About Global Expert Missions

Innovate UK’s Global Expert Missions programme is one of its most important tools to support the UK’s Industrial Strategy’s ambition for the UK to be the international partner of choice for science and innovation.

Global collaborations are crucial in meeting the Industrial Strategy’s Grand Challenges and will be further supported by the launch of a new International Research and Innovation Strategy.

Innovate UK’s Global Expert Missions, led by KTN, play an important role in building strategic partnerships, providing deep insight into the opportunities for UK innovation and shaping future bilateral collaboration programmes.

For more information, and to get in touch, please contact the International Team.