Some 450 industrial companies (spinners, weavers, recyclers, knitters, finishers, garment makers, etc.) with a total of 13,500 direct jobs are grouped together under the name Textile Valley, in an area that is the second largest textile-clothing region in France, as well as the “first textile-clothing Euro-region in Europe”. Some 15 reindustrialization projects are said to be underway locally, with some 4,000 jobs at stake.
Textile Valley is working around three major axes. The first is to simplify and make visible the industry by pooling and consolidating its communication, both locally and internationally, says the collective, which plans an exhaustive mapping of know-how, a presence at trade shows, or the creation of films and promotional campaigns.
Another axis is to “awaken” the attractiveness of the sector through professional and public events. Such as the Textile Valley Awards, student fairs, or strengthened links with trainers and schools.
Last axis but not least, aim to create inter-company connections in order to initiate future reindustrialization projects, taking into account social and environmental issues. To this end, a series of “Textile Valley Forum” meetings will be organized, as well as conferences and working groups, while best practices will be developed between companies.