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The VERDEinMED project showcases key results on textile circularity at its final conference

17/03/2026
  • The event held in Thessaloniki featured speakers from the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Textile ETP, Fashion for Good, and other international institutions.
  • Co-financed with nearly €3 million under the Interreg Euro-MED programme, the project has established a legacy of resources, including the Knowledge Platform, which serves as a digital hub for circularity initiatives.

The European project VERDEinMED held its final conference, titled “Advancing a Circular and Sustainable Textile Sector,” on 13 March at the Thessaloniki Town Hall. The event marked the culmination of the project’s efforts to promote circularity in the Mediterranean textile sector. Attendees included experts from European institutions, regional and local authorities, research centres, and industry actors.

The conference was opened by Chrysovalantis Ketikidis, Associate Researcher at the Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH) and VERDEinMED coordinator, and Haris Paliogiannis, Senior Policy and Programme Officer at MIO-ECSDE. They presented the objectives of VERDEinMED and highlighted the specific features of the Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission, which co-financed the project. The opening was followed by three workshops and two roundtables featuring speakers from organisations such as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, Textile ETP, and Fashion for Good, among others.

VERDEinMED, which had a budget of nearly €3 million, started in January 2024. Over the course of its activities, it has established national textile hubs, living labs events, train-the-trainers programmes and VERDE Academy events, which are debates with political figures to foster policies in the textile sector. In addition, the project has produced a series of publicly available documents and deliverables, as well as three main initiatives: a Knowledge Platform, a social media communication campaign, and a Technical Assistance Service for textile companies.

A Knowledge Platform to support the circular transition

One of the main results of the project was the VERDEinMED Knowledge Platform, which is publicly available. The platform acts as a digital hub, bringing together tools, data, best practices, and expert-reviewed resources to support stakeholders across the textile value chain in adopting more sustainable and circular practices.

Communication campaign in social media

VERDEinMED also launched a powerful communication campaign through social media videos to raise awareness about textile waste. The campaign involved partners from Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain, reaching more than 26,500 unique views.

Filmed in different countries, the videos helped citizens understand the impacts of the fashion industry and how their purchasing choices affect the environment, using a scientific, data-driven approach to answer pressing questions about circularity in textiles.

Technical Assistance Service for textile companies 

Over recent months, VERDEinMED delivered a Technical Assistance Service (TAS) to support textile companies in adopting circular economy principles and accelerating their sustainability transition. The project provided mentoring for a total of 37 cases across seven territories: Greece (6), Portugal (3), North Macedonia (5), Slovenia (4), Bulgaria (4), Italy (8), and Spain (7). 

Companies benefited from guidance offered by qualified mentors, including consulting firms, research institutes, and independent experts. Services ranged from sustainable product innovation and climate change guidance to support on new international legal and regulatory standards and labelling.

VERDEinMED Final Conference Flash Report

About VERDEinMED 

VERDEinMED is a European initiative promoting sustainability and circularity in the textile sector. The project unites 10 partners and 17 associated entities from 11 countries, aiming to reduce environmental impact while supporting innovation and competitiveness. It has a total budget of €2,848,602.00, co-financed by the Interreg Euro-MED Programme.