The conference Weaving the Future: the challenges of smart and functional textiles was organised by the Portuguese team on the past 15th January 2016.

The Portuguese, Italian, Irish and German students have been researching and working on new and innovative materials, including nano and smart materials. It has also become imperative to build “bridges” between the schools, local research centres, universities and industries. How are smart materials being used in today’s industrial production? What technology is being used in local industries? Is there a future for our students in these fields?

In order to provide some answers, the Portuguese Erasmus+ team organised their first regional conference on the development and use of smart textiles in the local textile industry, for which Barcelos is very well-known. This conference, entitled Weaving the Future: the challenges of smart and functional textiles, was held at the Barcelos Town Hall, on Friday, 15th January 2016, and it was supported by the Mayor himself, Mr. Miguel Costa Gomes. More than 350 students from our school, Escola Secundária de Barcelinhos, and local vocational schools as well as textile producers, met with the  CEOs of major textile companies, innovators, researchers and teachers from CITEVE- Tecnhological Institute, University of Minho and IPCA – Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave, to discuss the future of the textile industry, its challenges and innovations.

In this conference, the CEOs of major textile companies, such as P&R Texteis, Impetus, Valerius, Flor da Moda – Ana Sousa, Barcelcom and BECRI, shared their know-how and expertise with the students, encouraging them to pursue a career in this field and to be creative and innovative.

It was an extremely productive and enlightening afternoon for all the participants.

You can check out the video of the conference here!