“Stand Up” Project: An environmentally friendly industry

2023-09-25 09:55:06

The Stand Up-Citet project aims to strengthen scalable, reproducible and inclusive circular economy companies in the Mediterranean, through an ecosystem of support for firms, innovation and technological transfer which will lead to the creation of sustainable jobs for young people and women.

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A collective of public economic interest organizations organized in Tunis a thematic seminar dedicated to the capitalization of the “Stand” project following it came to an end (July 2020-December 2022). The organizers who are the International Center for Environmental Technologies of Tunis (Citet), the Textile Technical Center (Cex) and their partners from the Regional Activities Center for Consumption and Sustainable Development have titled this meeting “An action sustainable textile for networking and development of circular economy businesses in the Mediterranean”.

3,7 millions d’euro

The “Stand Up-Citet” project has the defined essential objective of “strengthening scalable, replicable and inclusive circular economy businesses in the Mediterranean by developing an ecosystem of business support, innovation and technology transfer that will lead to creation of sustainable jobs for young people and women.

A vast program, in truth, for which the European Union has allocated a substantial budget of nearly 3.7 million euros.

According to its designers, the “Stand Up” project is supposed to lead to an increase in income for existing green SMEs as well as the creation of new sustainable textile companies. This will naturally generate demand for new jobs that will be filled by highly skilled people. Concretely, 400 companies, established in five Mediterranean countries and operating in the textile sector (Spain, Italy) and in the clothing sector (Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia), were able to benefit from this program. A number of these businesses in an early design phase were taken on to support the creation of future employment opportunities; 20 other companies, in the start-up and growth phases, benefited from support to maintain stable employment and create at least two new direct jobs each. In addition to this direct and indirect socio-professional impact of consolidating employment, the project demonstrates a major and constant concern to work to stimulate innovation and minimize the negative environmental impact throughout the clothing life cycle. It will also facilitate the region’s transition to sustainable consumption and production in the textile and clothing industry. Overall, the project will mark an important milestone in each region’s ability to harness the potential of eco-innovation and entrepreneurship in the textile and clothing sectors.

Seize opportunities commercial

The project recommends the transition, which has become obligatory, to an ecologically and socially responsible circular model in the textile sector, a traditional key industry in the Mediterranean. The project intends to support entrepreneurs and eco-innovative companies in the textile sector in 5 participating countries to help them seize the business opportunities and jobs that will inevitably be generated by the green evolution in the region. The objective of the “Stand Up” project is ambitious, as is its scope with numerous actions to be undertaken in terms of training, financial subsidies, market stimulation, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights… As a result, SMEs in the sector will be more competitive and, at a global level, the value chain will be strengthened and new cross-border links will be established.

The “Stand Up” project plans, in this regard, to intervene with some 400 entrepreneurs, at least 50% of whom are women and young people, with the aim of ensuring their training, in an initial ideation phase.

In their start-up and growth phase, 50 entrepreneurs will benefit from vouchers worth a maximum of 9,000 euros. In addition, a system of eco-innovation vouchers was established which granted to 20 entrepreneurs to finance technological innovations, products and services. The project also did not forget the development of three national policy documents on sustainable textiles and clothing.

Prizes worth 50,000 euros rewarded eco-innovative solutions for the textile and clothing industry.

In Tunisia, there are reports of some 47 start-ups having benefited from technical, financial and marketing support to develop their projects.

The results of the project are described as promising. They have created jobs, reduced the sector’s environmental footprint and stimulated innovation. In terms of employment, the “Stand Up” project would have contributed to the creation of more than a thousand jobs. These jobs have been created in companies of all sizes, from small craft businesses to large and medium-sized businesses.

The challenges to be met

As for the environmental impact, it was announced that the project would have contributed “greatly” to reducing the environmental footprint of the textile and clothing sector. Companies supported by the project have adopted more sustainable practices, such as using recycled raw materials, reducing water and energy consumption, and producing less polluting waste.

As for the innovation aspect, the “Stand Up” project has stimulated, it is assured, innovation in the textile-clothing sector in Tunisia. Noting that member companies have developed new technologies and new products that are more environmentally friendly.

The “Stand Up” project was a success, welcomed the organizers, speakers and experts present at the seminar, noting however that challenges remain to be met and that the path is still strewn with pitfalls. The textile-clothing sector in Tunisia must continue its commitment to improving its working conditions.

As for start-ups and potential investors, their conviction must be firmly anchored in the intimate relationship linking, today, eco-innovation and sustainable development. The Mediterranean textile-clothing sector can turn towards more environmentally friendly production and consumption.

However, the legislator and decision-makers are responsible for laying the legal and political pillars so that the efforts made to moralize industrial activities are not in vain and so that the pious wishes of establishing, for good, are realized. the best conditions for a clean, environmentally friendly industry.

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