In a first of its kind industry-led programme, the Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) has been launched with a two-year goal to create an Industrial Scale Change Programme for the UK Fashion and Textile Industry (UKFT) through the lens of circularity and innovation.
- The network will receive £1.8m and it will play an essential central convening role in UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) £15m Circular Fashion programme to accelerate positive change within the fashion industry.
THE STAKEHOLDERS: The CFIN, launched by the UKFT, the British Fashion Council (BFC) and UKRI, will bring together industry, innovators, investors, academia and broader stakeholders through an action led roadmap to accelerate the UK to a leading circular fashion economy.
- The network, which is co-chaired by BFC CEO, Caroline Rush and UKFT CEO, Adam Mansell, will sit under the Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) and will bring together industry, innovators, investors, academia and broader stakeholders through an action led roadmap to accelerate the UK to a leading Circular Fashion Economy.
- The Advisory Board spans luxury, premium, high street, supermarket and value led businesses as well as representatives from UKRI, Academia and NGOs.
Other programmes include the:
- Recycling Sorting Demonstrator led by UKFT;
- NERC’s Network Plus programme led by Exeter University;
- Leeds University and Northumbria University which will provide research capability focused on the improvement of data analysis, establishing research-validated baselines and environmental impact and circularity.
Through the BFC’s Colleges Council and UKFT Education Partner Network, briefings on the programme to broader academic institutions will take place.
WORKING GROUPS: The six working groups within the programme are:
- Circular business models – Focus on reduction of waste and overproduction by embedding circular business practices; consideration of regulation changes.
- Recycling infrastructure – Optimise closed-loop recycling processes, develop partnerships and develop foundations for extended producer responsibility (EPR).
- Sustainable manufacturing – Lower environmental impact by achieving supply chain resilience, creating deeper links between brands and manufacturers, and scaling digital traceability tools.
- Novel technology – Scale up and integrate novel technologies that support circular fashion.
- Diverse and future-proof workforce – Upskill the workforce and build a diverse and future-proof talent pipeline to close the skills gaps.
- Green growth – Create economically viable circular fashion products, services, and IP which create high value jobs, support growth through responsible design, retail and manufacturing.
THE BACKDROP: The fashion industry is a very significant part of the UK economy, contributing £29 billion to the UK gross domestic product. However, it is estimated that the consumption of new clothes in the UK is higher than any other European country.
- The high consumption is coupled with low usage and large amounts of waste and there is therefore an urgent need to convene stakeholders and enable an actions-oriented forum to further the sustainable fashion agenda.
WHAT THEY SAID:
It has never been more important to combine knowledge and networks to tackle the challenges of sustainability. We’re excited to work with the BFC and other partners via the Circular Fashion Innovation Network to establish both direct interventions and long term plans to help the transition towards a new circular economy in the UK. Our particular area of focus will be sustainable manufacturing and recycling infrastructure, which we believe will be key drivers in helping to build the most resilient, sustainable and competitive sector for future generations.
— Adam Mansell
CEO
UK Fashion and Textile Industry
Collaboration has always been our guiding principle in effecting change. The new Circular Fashion Innovation Network rests on this very spirit – our cross sector advisory board will combine and advance novel technologies and approaches, which we hope will create a world-class blueprint here in the UK. It builds on the BFC’s Circular Fashion Ecosystem work, established in 2020 as a multi-year endeavor to establish not just what needs to be done to achieve circularity in our fashion industry, but who needs to do it.
— Caroline Rush
Chief Executive
British Fashion Council
We are delighted to work directly with BFC and UKFT on this exciting new innovation network — which aims to significantly accelerate the adoption and diffusion of knowledge, research and innovation across the whole fashion and textiles supply chain. Innovate UK has already seen a significant increase of ground-breaking UK innovations in this space, which we are supporting, and we believe that these additional investments will be transformative for the sector.
— Tom Fiddian
Innovate UK
UKRI
