Welcome to our interview series with the partners running Better Factory. Today we are lucky to be joined by one of our all-star team, Petra Dufková, of CLUTEX – klastr technical textile (technical textile cluster) from Czechia. Today in this interview we will learn more about this cluster and their role in the project!
Thank you for joining us today! Please could you give us a short introduction to CLUTEX, based in Czechia, and explain your activities deepening the cooperation of manufacturing companies and research institutions? And what is your role here?
Our cluster CLUTEX – cluster of technical textiles producers – was founded in 2016 and is the only Czech cluster focused on textiles, mainly on (multi)functional textiles, personal protective textiles, design of customized textile structures and nanotechnology in textiles, biotechnology and bio-based resources.
We orient our R&D activities to the specific textile machines or their innovation. The cluster concentrates particularly on cooperation in the area of national and international projects, on joints marketing and promotion activities, as well as on obtaining and sharing information. Member companies produce higher added value products, make higher use of R&D results, and improve the qualification of workers.
At present CLUTEX contains 31 companies, 2 associations and 1 University.
Our role in Better Factory is providing promotion for the project and disseminating the activities and results among our members and professional public, not only in the textile branch but also to related industries as footwear, wood and furniture etc.
Thank you! How would you describe the benefits of joining Better Factory in simple terms, for an SME?
Better Factory is about bringing digitalization and innovation to factories. Better Factory can help small and big production facilities in each of these steps and different phases of digitalization. It can help to find the partner or experts – technological or art – to start the innovation process, to do the first step.
The financial support to start verification of new ideas will be probably the main benefit for SME participation.
Our companies commonly cooperate in the frame of the Czech Republic but Better Factory will help them to find other partners outside of our country.
CLUTEX is mostly involved in the dissemination and marketing of the Better Factory project among your networks. Could you tell us about this aspect of the project from your point of view?
This form of making consortia from producers, designers and technology supporters (in the Better Factory call) is new for our companies. It is bringing new possibilities in terms of finding partners for cooperation and bringing innovation into their production.
What do you expect for the results of Better Factory, for example how do you think it will increase cooperation and competitiveness of Czech manufacturing companies nationally and internationally, and how RAMP will play a part in this?
Our companies commonly cooperate in the frame of the Czech Republic but Better Factory will help them to find other partners outside of our country, not only from the textile branch but also from another areas of business. In this way it will help to increase their competitiveness.
Using the RAMP platform enables companies and operations to optimize their products and workflows while supporting steady improvement of daily work and processes.
No doubt there will be some readers that are keen to meet you to talk more about the project and your role in it. Which events can people find you at in 2023, and beyond?
The first recommendation is to visit our website www.clutex.cz, where you can find list of our members and actual activities of CLUTEX at fairs and conferences.
In addition to that, where could you find our members in next few months?
- European Textile Platform, Annual conference, Porto, May 10-12,2023
- TEXWASTE, Hradec Kralove, May 17, 2023
- ITMA Milan, June 8-14, 2023
- STYL-KABO Brno, August 19-21, 2023
- TEXCHEM-RegioTex, Hradec Kralove, November 9-10, 2023
- Techtextil Frankfurt, April 23-26, 2024
If you’d like to learn more about our partners or KTEs, just head back to the Insights section to read more interviews!
