Borås and Barcelona: Where Textile Heritage Meets Innovation
21/11/2025
Borås, in Region Västra Götaland, and Barcelona, in Catalonia, both share a rich textile heritage that continues to evolve through innovation and strong regional ecosystems. This shared legacy provided the backdrop for a recent study visit to Barcelona, where representatives from the Textile Fashion Center Borås took part in a series of exchanges and meetings aimed at strengthening cross-regional cooperation.
The Swedish delegation included companies from the textile and fashion sector, as well as representatives from TEX! Sweden—the national platform supporting collaboration, innovation, and growth within Swedish textiles—and Borås INK, a startup incubator driving entrepreneurial development in technology, textiles, and fashion.
The study visit offered a comprehensive programme showcasing Catalonia’s dynamic textile and innovation landscape. Participants visited MODACC, the Catalan Fashion and Textile Cluster, where they gained insight into the region’s collaborative strategies for competitiveness, sustainability, and internationalisation. The agenda also included a visit to TecnoCampus in Mataró, an innovation hub affiliated with Pompeu Fabra University, which integrates a business park and incubator to support entrepreneurship and applied research.
Sustainability emerged as a central theme throughout the visit. The delegation met with Coleo Recycling, an organisation dedicated to advancing circularity and driving systemic change in the textile industry. Two leading companies with strong sustainability commitments—Mango HQ and TwoThirds—also opened their doors to the group, offering valuable perspectives on responsible production and innovative business models.
To conclude the visit, the delegation explored Tech Barcelona, a vibrant innovation hub that brings together startups, companies, and research actors in shared spaces designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and technological development.
This exchange highlighted the strong potential for continued cooperation between Västra Götaland and Catalonia, reinforcing the importance of regional partnerships in driving sustainable innovation, supporting industry transformation, and strengthening skills ecosystems across Europe.
