Textile? Europe!
Wanted: overcomers of borders, diversity experts, network builders … (m/f/d)
Have you ever visited the real Manchester?
Been impressed by Mulhouse?
Shone in the latest Łódź chic?
Interwoven tradition and modernity in Gabrovo?
Been inspired by the textile city of Tampere?
This – and much more – is made possible by ‘Textile? Future!’ made in Europe.
Textile? Future! ‘Made in Europe’
Like the ‘Saxon Manchester’, all European partners of the special exhibition ‘Tales of Transformation’ are characterised by textiles. Similar to Chemnitz, the textile industry in all five cities can tell stories of change – albeit with a time lag and with different political agendas.
Today, the textile industry is facing the same challenges across Europe: maintaining production according to high social and ecological standards – despite increased energy costs and a shortage of skilled labour. Quality, innovation and sustainability as a requirement and a location factor ... Or are there regional differences after all?
So what do the textile present and the textile future look like in the five exhibition partner cities, Manchester, Mulhouse, Łódź, Gabrovo and Tampere? The textile players present themselves here region by region. Stay curious! The next European partners will follow shortly.
Textile? Łódź!
The Polish clothing industry is growing. In 2022, its turnover was more than 12 billion US dollars – and a significant increase is expected. This is mainly due to the location conditions: inexpensive but well-trained skilled workers and modern factories with high export potential. Shoes, underwear and leather are Poland’s top exports.
In Poland the city of Łódź is called ‘Polish Manchester’ or ‘kingdom of the textile industry’. In more than 150 years, textiles have become an integral part of the city’s history. Almost a fifth of all textile companies in Poland are based in Łódź. The same applies to a good quarter of all Polish employees in the textile sector.
Institutions such as the Central Textile Museum in Łódź preserve the heritage of the Łódź textile industry. The Polish Textile Institute is also based in the city.