Webinar successfully held: “Textiles in the Age of AI – Smart Manufacturing and Digital Innovation”
Today, we successfully brought together leading experts, innovators, and companies from across Europe for the webinar “Textiles in the Age of AI: Smart Manufacturing and Digital Innovation”.
Organized within the Enterprise Europe Network framework, the event highlighted cross-border collaboration between North Rhine-Westphalia, Piedmont, and Macedonia, with a strong focus on advancing digital transformation in the textile sector.
In the introduction and opening we had the leads of the North Rhine-Westphalia, Piedmont, and Macedonia presenting the idea behind the webinar:
- Federica Leonetti, Chair SG Textile, Unioncamere Piemonte (EEN Italy)
- Ekaterina Karpushenkova, ZENIT GmbH (EEN Germany)
- Emilija Andronova, MIR Foundation (EEN North Macedonia)
- Andreea Timaru, Fondazione Piemonte Innova (EEN Italy)
- Chiara Soffietti, Turin Chamber of Commerce (EEN Italy)
A key highlight of the webinar was the active participation of Macedonian companies and organizations, demonstrating the country’s growing role in shaping the future of smart and sustainable textiles. Representatives from Macedonia contributed both at the strategic and technical levels—sharing insights, expertise, and real-world applications.
Notably, Macedonian stakeholders:
- Presented transnational digital frameworks for sustainable and data-driven textile innovation, showcasing regional collaboration and innovation capacity
- Shared knowledge on AI integration and digital tools in fashion and textile production
- Actively engaged in discussions on circularity, sustainability, and cross-border cooperation
The presence of Macedonian companies and institutions in this international forum reflected the strength and potential of the national textile ecosystem, as well as its commitment to embracing artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
In different sessions we had the chance to hear the presentations of:
A Transnational Digital Framework for Sustainable and Data-Driven Textile Innovation by Nina Mladenovikj, Macedonian Textile Trade Association – Textile cluster, VerdeInMED Project
Weaving Intelligence into Fashion by Emilija Slavkova, International Balkan University
The Agenda of the webinar and all the speakers can be seen here: Agenda.pdf – Google Drive
Throughout the webinar, participants explored:
- The latest AI trends and smart manufacturing solutions
- Real-world applications and best practices in the textile industry
- Digital tools for sustainability and circularity
- Opportunities for EU collaboration and funding
With contributions from academia, industry leaders, and innovative SMEs, the event served as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and future partnerships.
We are proud to have seen Macedonian companies positioned as active contributors in this important European dialogue, driving forward innovation and competitiveness in the textile sector.
