European Apparel and Textile Organisation
24 rue Montoyer – B – 1000  Brussels
phone: + 32.2.285.48.81 – Fax : +32.2.230.60.54
e:mail : william.lakin@euratex.org
Web-site : www.euratex.org

The EU apparel business goes high-tech

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The European Commission’s services, in collaboration with Euratex, are organising a one-day conference on 15 October 2002 in Brussels. The objectives of the conference are to highlight the use of information technology in the European apparel sector and to demonstrate the opportunities for the sector to increase competitive advantage by focusing on high value-added activities. It will also showcase the results of a number of research projects co-funded by the EU.
The aim is to present innovative technologies and processes for the apparel sector such as:
· 3-D body scanning and automatic body measurement;
· on-screen visualisation of clothes and virtual try-ons;
· “wearable technology” and multi-functional clothing;
· industrial made-to-measure and mass customisation;
· multi-media applications for fashion retailers;
· on-line retailing and other e-commerce solutions for the sector.
The conference will bring together representatives from the Commission, Member States and Candidate Countries, members of the European Parliament’s “Forum for Textiles, Clothing and Leather”, participants from the European trade associations, unions and textile research institutes, consumer representatives and the specialised press. We anticipate that around 120 people may attend. Commissioner Liikanen will open the event, and the conference will be chaired by Mr de Jaegher, Deputy Chairman of Marzotto S.p.A. and former President of Euratex.
Please consult our website “europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/textile/conf-apparel.htm” for further information and registration details.
Contact:
European Commission
Enterprise Directorate General
Unit E5: Textiles, footwear, leather, toys
B-1049 Brussels
Fax: +32 2 296 96 38
E-mail: entr-conf-apparel@cec.eu.int

About Euratex

Euratex, the European Apparel and Textile Organisation, represents the interests of Europe's textile and clothing industry. It expresses the views of that industry to the European Commission and to the European Parliament on behalf of 114,000 companies in the European Union which employed close to 2.2 million workers in 2001. Today, Euratex concerns itself principally with external trade, intellectual property, the environment and R & D. In addition to its members in the EU, Euratex also has members in Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and a majority of CEEC candidate countries. The current President of Euratex is Filiep Libeert (Belgium).

For further information, contact:

William LAKIN                                                            Francesco MARCHI
Director General                                                         Director Economic Affairs
Phone : 32.2.285.48.82                                                32.2.285.48.92
William.lakin@euratex.org                                       Francesco.marchi@euratex.org