The European Centre for Innovative Textiles (CETI), in Tourcoing in the Hauts-de-France region, is a centre for applied research that incorporates technological pilot lines on one site, in order to meet the challenges of tomorrow's textile manufacturers.
- 18 June 2020
CETI incorporates unique technology, with one of the world’s five three-component spinning platforms for the creation of new materials and the flexible setup of ’nonwoven’ dry and melt spinning pilot lines with more than 150 possible combinations for creating new nonwoven textile structures.
Born of a strong political will and driven by the Up-Tex competitiveness hub, CETI embodies the entire Hauts-de-France region and Lille Eurometropolis’ commitment to galvanise a future-oriented textile industry.
CETI was made possible thanks to the mobilisation of stakeholders in the textile industry and financial support from the state, Lille Metropole Urban Community, the Nord Pas-de-Calais region, Europe, and the Nord Department of France. It is the result of work undertaken by the public authorities since 2003 and today amounts to an investment of more than EUR 40 million.
A global technical centre
The CETI building is original, modern, and bold, the work of the Saison Menu firm, and stretches over two multi-purpose buildings, easily adapted to operate independently. Covering a total area of 15 000 m², the CETI site consists of workshops (50% of the total area), laboratories (a third of the total area) and offices.
CETI's ambition is to design, prototype and industrialise fibrous materials and finished products. Today, CETI’s engineering strengths in the research and development of advanced textiles justify its position as a European leader and one of the ’Top 5’ technical centres worldwide.
Circular economy materials and products
The digital age and ’smart technologies’ have an impact today on the textile industry of the future. Therefore, CETI adds a digital dimension to materials and products including the client experience. Likewise, optimising the environmental footprint of textiles, incorporating eco-design and a circular economy, is at the heart of the centre's developments. These advances, which merge innovation and added value for society, boost local economies and develop close relationships with small and medium-sized French companies (SMEs), while giving projects global reach by promoting ’French Tex’.
CETI coordinates experts and relies on a wide range of professionals from within the textiles industry. This multidisciplinary and multicultural team brings experts together and combines their expertise.
Since 2015, CETI has also become an international training organisation dedicated to textile innovation. It facilitates the transformation of companies in the wider textile, fashion, luxury, and distribution industries. The European association representing companies of the non-woven sector, EDANA, has called upon CETI’s R&D teams’ know-how and knowledge of nonwovens to become the official trainer of the Nonwovens Learning Cycle.
Total investment and European funding
Total investment for the ‘Participation in the R&D funding of the European Centre for Textiles in Tourcoing’ project was EUR 11 931 484; the European Regional Development Fund contributed EUR 5 000 000 under the ‘Nord-Pas de Calais OP ERDF/ESF’ cooperation programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the ‘developing innovation and promoting the financial value of research’ priority.