The European project VERDEinMED, a European initiative in which CTA is a partner, held its final conference on March 13 in Thessaloniki, Greece, titled “Advancing a Circular and Sustainable Textile Sector.” The event marked the culmination of the partners’ efforts to promote textile circularity in the Mediterranean and highlighted the project’s impact in Andalusia. Attendees included experts from European institutions, regional and local authorities, research centers, and industry representatives.
The conference was inaugurated by Chrysovalantis Ketikidis, Associate Researcher at the Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH) and coordinator of VERDEinMED, and by Haris Paliogiannis, Senior Policy and Programme Officer at MIO-ECSDE. Both presented the objectives of VERDEinMED and highlighted the specific features of the Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission, which co-financed the project.
Following the inauguration, three workshops and two panel discussions were held, featuring speakers from organizations such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, Textile ETP, and Fashion for Good, among others.
VERDEinMED, which has a budget of nearly €3 million from the Interreg Euro-MED programme, started in January 2024, with partners and associate partners from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Turkey, Belgium, and Lebanon. During its course, members have created national textile hubs, organized living lab events, developed training programmes, and held discussions with policymakers to promote circular economy regulations.
Impact in Andalusia
CTA has played a key role in VERDEinMED. As the entity responsible for the project’s communication strategy, as well as for various technical activities, it has successfully generated significant synergies in Andalusia. Firstly, the project has participated for two consecutive years in the Transfiere Forum in Malaga, where it brought together experts from eight countries in a workshop to analyze European textile circularity policies.
Additionally, CTA organized two citizen-focused living lab events: one at the sustainable clothing exchange “La Musa Reúsa” and another through a roundtable gathering 100 fashion students, with participation from UCAUCE, Moda re-, and the Higher Artistic Design School (ESSDM). On the educational front, the project strengthened its ties with the university community by hosting a meeting in February 2026 with students from the University of Malaga and the city’s Provincial Solid Waste Consortium.
Notably, the Spanish Textile Circularity Hub of VERDEinMED was launched, moderated by CTA and the Consorci de la Ribera, bringing together nearly 20 companies, institutions, and organizations from the textile sector across four separate meetings.
Finally, CTA coordinated the implementation of technical assistance on circularity with the company Mayoral under the mentorship of FNO Project, contributing to the adoption of more sustainable processes within the company.
Key results
Among the overall results of the VERDEinMED project, three key achievements were highlighted at its final event: the creation of a Knowledge Platform or digital hub, providing resources to support the circular economy; the development of a social media awareness campaign; and the establishment of a technical assistance service for textile companies, which provided guidance to 37 cases across seven territories: Italy (8), Spain (7), Greece (6), North Macedonia (5), Slovenia (4), Bulgaria (4), and Portugal (3).
About VERDEinMED
VERDEinMED is a European initiative that promotes sustainability and the circular economy in the textile sector. The project brings together 10 partners and 17 associate entities from 11 countries, aiming to reduce environmental impact while fostering innovation and competitiveness. It has a total budget of €2,848,602, co-financed by the Interreg Euro-MED programme.
- Knowledge Platform: https://knowledge.verdeinmed.eu/
- Website: https://verdeinmed.interreg-euro-med.eu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdeinmed/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verdeinmed/#
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verdeinmed
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VERDEinMEDproject
