UPWEARS - Sustainable solutions for upgraded smart wearables

Objectives 

UPWEARS will contribute to structural resource efficiency and a sustainable economy by unlocking the potential of a new generation of biobased and hybrid fabrics for sustainable e-textile. It will feature high performance, smart functions inspired by nature (e.g., bioluminescence, breathability etc), green and AI-based process alternative, cost-effective multi-functionality. UPWEARS e-textile will also be fully recyclable and have a reduced environmental footprint.

Challenges adressed

Global market demand for sustainable and high-value-added products is putting increasing pressure on the European Union textile industry, which faces major shifts in production practices, product concepts and increasing volume trends. Currently, the textile industry is the world’s third largest polluter, responsible for extensive water and energy consumption, water and soil pollution, waste generation, and representing 10% of global carbon emissions. Thus, the textile industry needs to (i) increase the share of biobased materials, (ii) find innovative solutions to improve the production process, (iii) improve the handling of product end-of-life.

UPWWEARS concept relies on three main technological dimensions to addresses these needs: material, process, and product development – driven by Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and customers/industrial specifications. UPWEARS will propose and demonstrate in real conditions an integrated solution (innovative e-textile and adapted manufacturing process): a smart, functional, protective, and sustainable cross-country biking suit. The e-textile and final product will meet consumers’ expectations as they will be biobased, EU-sourced, sustainable, smart, and traceable.

UPWEARS relies on a multi-disciplinary consortium bringing together 15 partners from 7 countries and covering the technical e-textile value chain, from fibre to prototype manufacturing and testing, including fibre functionalisation, yarn and sensor production and integration, process simulation, AI expertise, additive manufacturing using recyclate textile material.

Project’s pathways towards impact

From a technical point of view, UPWEARS will bring to the market several innovations: 

• Novel biomimetic and bioinspired design for clothing applications 
• Biobased materials from EU suppliers (Flax fibres / hemp fibres/ cork / industrial lignin) 
• Functionalisation process based on fibre/yarn coating to improve fibre performance. 
• AI tools and topology optimisation for production process control and material quality monitoring. 
• Design for disassembling of sustainable e-textile & cross-sectorial interaction towards AM. 
• New pathway technology to replace bleaching stimulating the market of eutectic green solvent. 
• Imbedded electronic with sensing features answering to future consumer needs. 

These innovations will enable UPWEARS to rethink textile manufacturing by following the safe and sustainable design framework. It will lead to an integrated e-textile solution towards a new generation of sustainable and intelligent technical textiles from locally sourced European materials. UPWEARS will also advance the development of modelling and simulation: usability, material modelling, integration into digital workflows. The final idea is to automate 100% of the process control and monitoring through AI and achieve digital twin of textile products.