Crafting a new Sustainable Approach for tomorrow's Fashion Industry

AI Quick Summary

DESCRIPTION   The Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle empowers operational, technological, and social innovations developed with and for the Swiss Fashion and Lifestyle sector. Leveraging the Leading House community and network, the Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle creates a unique ecosystem enabling the dissemination of radical solutions to the challenges of the sector.   CALL FOR CHALLENGES SPECIFICATIONS   PROBLEM STATEMENT We are searching for impactful and transformative innovation hypothesis to help the Swiss organizations and society adopting new radical approaches to technologies and cultural shifts that can help approaching Sustainability in Fashion & Lifestyle in an innovative way. The fashion industry is at a critical juncture, facing mounting pressure to enhance sustainability due to evolving consumer expectations, regulatory changes, and environmental imperatives. We want to gather the most promising ideas that can help understanding the current issues, enhancing the co-creation of new radical solutions to disrupt the Fashion & Lifestyle Industry approach to sustainability.   In considering eligible innovation hypothesis, we report hereafter a list of topics and challenges to be addressed:   WASTE MANAGEMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF COLLECTION AND SORTING PROCESSES Advanced technologies to assess and pre-analyze materials for recovery and reuse is essential. This approach facilitates the activation of circular economy principles, reducing textile waste and promoting resource efficiency. A structured methodology for material assessment and the activation of AI-driven sorting solutions can enhance efficiency.   TRANSPARENCY AND DATA MANAGEMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Digital Product Passports (DPP) to enhance data management, enabling accurate impact assessments and improved traceability throughout the supply chain. This transparency is crucial for meeting regulatory requirements and building consumer trust. The adoption of standardized sustainability metrics and AI-driven analytics further strengthens impact evaluations.   NEXT-GENERATION BIO-BASED MATERIALS FOR FASHION CIRCULARITY Adoption of sustainable, bio-based materials offers alternatives to traditional textiles, reducing environmental footprints and fostering circularity in fashion. Research into biodegradable textiles and regenerative material sourcing is key.   ECO-DESIGN FOR RECYCLING AND CIRCULARITY Eco-design approaches to ensure that products are created with end-of-life considerations, facilitating easier sorting, recycling, and reuse. This includes designing for disassembly, using monomaterial compositions, and developing tools to support material selection for recyclability.   CONSUMER AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT Solutions to boost an effective communication and educational initiatives towards consumers to make sustainable choices, thereby driving demand for environmentally friendly products and practices. Implementing digital platforms to support consumer decision-making and incentivizing responsible purchasing are key initiatives.   AI-BASED METHODOLOGIES FOR RESPONSIBLE PURCHASING AND RECYCLING AI to support responsible purchasing decisions by analyzing material compositions, assessing sustainability credentials, and optimizing sorting processes for reuse and recycling. AI-driven decision support tools can enable real-time sustainability assessments at the point of purchase.   SMART TEXTILE INNOVATIONS AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY INTEGRATION Advancements in smart textiles, such as biodegradable fibers and self-repairing materials, contribute to sustainability by extending product life cycles and reducing environmental impact. Innovations in polymer-based fibers, such as bio-based and recyclable synthetic materials, enhance textile durability while ensuring compatibility with circular recycling processes. Research on fiber separation and reusability further strengthens recyclability and material recovery.   LOW-IMPACT DYEING AND WATERLESS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES Innovations in dyeing processes, such as waterless and bio-based dyeing techniques, significantly reduce water consumption and chemical waste in textile production. Scaling up closed-loop water systems further minimizes environmental impact.   BLOCKCHAIN FOR SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY Blockchain technology enables greater supply chain transparency by securely tracking material origins, production processes, and ethical sourcing, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards. Decentralized data frameworks can strengthen accountability across the value chain.   AI-DRIVEN DECISION SUPPORT FOR DESIGN FOR SORTING AI-enabled frameworks can facilitate the design of products optimized for circularity by analysing composition data and recommending material combinations that support efficient sorting and recycling processes.   NEW SOLUTIONS AND APPROACHES FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Development of new paradigms and solutions regarding CSR, solving current lack of supply chain transparency, pour labour practices and working conditions and managing the environmental impact of production processes.   Please note that the previous topics are not to be considered exhaustive, you can apply for to join the Call for Challenges even with others Sustainability related topics.   YOUR BENEFITS   Participate in a transformation journey contributing with new innovation hypothesis and the possibility to co-create and test new potential and radical in the Fashion & Lifestyle Industries Pitch to a dedicated jury with the opportunity to be funded with up to CHF 28'000.- to test the potential of your idea for its desirability, feasibility or viability (e.g. desirability assessment, realise feasibility study, POC realisation) Get the support of top Industry experts and methodological best practices Participate to events, dedicated workshops and trainings on innovation topics   TO JOIN THE PROGRAM   STEP 1   Fill out the following form to: https://share.hsforms.com/1eJsHvHAYQGCpLuuVMkVSSQ4m7jf Confirm your availability to participate in-person in the mandatory workshop on September 30th – ‘Challenge Your Ideas’ in Lugano (All day) Submit your innovation hypothesis filling the mandatory form   STEP 2   Your submission will be evaluated by the Innovation Booster Team You will be notified with the result Innovation Teams formation will be facilitated to find the best research or implementation partner if not already present;   STEP 3   Participate in the Co-creation Workshop 'Challenge your ideas' in Lugano September 30th 2025 Industry problems and challenges will be explored to discover the underlying assumptions; Collaboration among different stakeholders and experts will support you with Design Thinking methodology to co-create ideas for radical solutions.   STEP 4 Submit your idea by September 5th, 2025* *Guidelines will be shared during and after the 'Challenge your ideas' Workshop to ensure a proper submission before the deadline.   STEP 5 Once all the Innovation hypothesis will be gathered, the jury of the Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle program, which includes experts and decision-makers from the industry, will vote for the best ones to join the final step of the competition, the Pitch Day.   STEP 6 An optional virtual workshop, Innovation Arena, will take place on November 4th to help you to enrich and refine your idea, preparing for the Pitch Day.   STEP 7 Pitch Day: on November 14th submitted ideas will be pitched to the program Jury and the selected 5 winning ideas will be awarded with ≈ CHF 28'000.-. The awarded ideas will be announced on November 26th   IMPORTANT: Participation in the Workshop 'Challenge your ideas' on September 30th is mandatory for ideas to be eligible to access the Pitch Day and receive funding. An Innovation Hypothesis is a potential new approach to solve an existing Industry problem, to be further explored and developed with the help of experts and fellow innovation team members during a dedicated workshop. This is a call for challenges and not a call for ideas. The program focuses on the very first stages of the innovation funnel to seek new approaches to solve current Industry problems with the objective of idea testing.     WHO CAN APPLY You can apply if you are a: Start-up/Scale-up SME Large organisation Any company offering products, services or process implementation Non-profit organisation Association University research institute Non-commercial research centre Departmental research institution Federal research institute   NOTE: Innovation teams must be completed to join the Program, from joining the Co-Creation Workshop to Pitching the idea and be funded. Innovation teams consist of at least one research partner and one implementation partner. Please state in the form if you already identified an Innovation team partner.   Tell us more about how you would like to address a mentioned industry challenge and participate in the Workshop 'Challenge your ideas' on September 30th in Lugano to: Develop a new product, service, process or business model Make a positive impact on the Swiss Fashion & Lifestyle industry and society Be aligned with our core values expressed in our Manifesto: Sustainability, Diversion, Inclusion and Equality, User-centric, Trustworthy and Collaborative Have the opportunity to work with industry experts and leading researchers in Switzerland and co-create new potential and radical innovative ideas Be funded and test the potential of your idea   For more information, please contact us at: info@ibfashionandlifestyle.ch

Challenge Metadata

• Challenge Name: Crafting a new Sustainable Approach for tomorrow's Fashion Industry
• Date: 4/2/2025 2:28:02 PM
• Administrators:
  • Adrian Bachofen  | 
  • Daniele Panato  | 
  • Michele Crespi

Challenge Description

DESCRIPTION

The Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle empowers operational, technological, and social innovations developed with and for the Swiss Fashion and Lifestyle sector.

Leveraging the Leading House community and network, the Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle creates a unique ecosystem enabling the dissemination of radical solutions to the challenges of the sector.

CALL FOR CHALLENGES SPECIFICATIONS

PROBLEM STATEMENT

We are searching for impactful and transformative innovation hypothesis to help the Swiss organizations and society adopting new radical approaches to technologies and cultural shifts that can help approaching Sustainability in Fashion & Lifestyle in an innovative way.

The fashion industry is at a critical juncture, facing mounting pressure to enhance sustainability due to evolving consumer expectations, regulatory changes, and environmental imperatives. We want to gather the most promising ideas that can help understanding the current issues, enhancing the co-creation of new radical solutions to disrupt the Fashion & Lifestyle Industry approach to sustainability.

In considering eligible innovation hypothesis, we report hereafter a list of topics and challenges to be addressed:

WASTE MANAGEMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF COLLECTION AND SORTING PROCESSES

• Advanced technologies to assess and pre-analyze materials for recovery and reuse is essential. This approach facilitates the activation of circular economy principles, reducing textile waste and promoting resource efficiency. A structured methodology for material assessment and the activation of AI-driven sorting solutions can enhance efficiency.

TRANSPARENCY AND DATA MANAGEMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

• Digital Product Passports (DPP) to enhance data management, enabling accurate impact assessments and improved traceability throughout the supply chain. This transparency is crucial for meeting regulatory requirements and building consumer trust. The adoption of standardized sustainability metrics and AI-driven analytics further strengthens impact evaluations.

NEXT-GENERATION BIO-BASED MATERIALS FOR FASHION CIRCULARITY

• Adoption of sustainable, bio-based materials offers alternatives to traditional textiles, reducing environmental footprints and fostering circularity in fashion. Research into biodegradable textiles and regenerative material sourcing is key.

ECO-DESIGN FOR RECYCLING AND CIRCULARITY

• Eco-design approaches to ensure that products are created with end-of-life considerations, facilitating easier sorting, recycling, and reuse. This includes designing for disassembly, using monomaterial compositions, and developing tools to support material selection for recyclability.

CONSUMER AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT

• Solutions to boost an effective communication and educational initiatives towards consumers to make sustainable choices, thereby driving demand for environmentally friendly products and practices. Implementing digital platforms to support consumer decision-making and incentivizing responsible purchasing are key initiatives.

AI-BASED METHODOLOGIES FOR RESPONSIBLE PURCHASING AND RECYCLING

• AI to support responsible purchasing decisions by analyzing material compositions, assessing sustainability credentials, and optimizing sorting processes for reuse and recycling. AI-driven decision support tools can enable real-time sustainability assessments at the point of purchase.

SMART TEXTILE INNOVATIONS AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY INTEGRATION

• Advancements in smart textiles, such as biodegradable fibers and self-repairing materials, contribute to sustainability by extending product life cycles and reducing environmental impact. Innovations in polymer-based fibers, such as bio-based and recyclable synthetic materials, enhance textile durability while ensuring compatibility with circular recycling processes. Research on fiber separation and reusability further strengthens recyclability and material recovery.

LOW-IMPACT DYEING AND WATERLESS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

• Innovations in dyeing processes, such as waterless and bio-based dyeing techniques, significantly reduce water consumption and chemical waste in textile production. Scaling up closed-loop water systems further minimizes environmental impact.

BLOCKCHAIN FOR SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY

• Blockchain technology enables greater supply chain transparency by securely tracking material origins, production processes, and ethical sourcing, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards. Decentralized data frameworks can strengthen accountability across the value chain.

AI-DRIVEN DECISION SUPPORT FOR DESIGN FOR SORTING

• AI-enabled frameworks can facilitate the design of products optimized for circularity by analysing composition data and recommending material combinations that support efficient sorting and recycling processes.

NEW SOLUTIONS AND APPROACHES FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Development of new paradigms and solutions regarding CSR, solving current lack of supply chain transparency, pour labour practices and working conditions and managing the environmental impact of production processes.

Please note that the previous topics are not to be considered exhaustive, you can apply for to join the Call for Challenges even with others Sustainability related topics.

YOUR BENEFITS

1. 1. Participate in a transformation journey contributing with new innovation hypothesis and the possibility to co-create and test new potential and radical in the Fashion & Lifestyle Industries
   2. Pitch to a dedicated jury with the opportunity to be funded with up to CHF 28'000.- to test the potential of your idea for its desirability, feasibility or viability (e.g. desirability assessment, realise feasibility study, POC realisation)
   3. Get the support of top Industry experts and methodological best practices
   4. Participate to events, dedicated workshops and trainings on innovation topics

TO JOIN THE PROGRAM

STEP 1

1. Fill out the following form to: https://share.hsforms.com/1eJsHvHAYQGCpLuuVMkVSSQ4m7jf
2. Confirm your availability to participate in-person in the mandatory workshop on September 30th – ‘Challenge Your Ideas’ in Lugano (All day)
3. Submit your innovation hypothesis filling the mandatory form

STEP 2

1. Your submission will be evaluated by the Innovation Booster Team
2. You will be notified with the result
3. Innovation Teams formation will be facilitated to find the best research or implementation partner if not already present;

STEP 3

1. Participate in the Co-creation Workshop 'Challenge your ideas' in Lugano September 30th 2025
2. Industry problems and challenges will be explored to discover the underlying assumptions;
3. Collaboration among different stakeholders and experts will support you with Design Thinking methodology to co-create ideas for radical solutions.

STEP 4

1. 1. Submit your idea by September 5th, 2025*

*Guidelines will be shared during and after the 'Challenge your ideas' Workshop to ensure a proper submission before the deadline.

STEP 5

1. 1. Once all the Innovation hypothesis will be gathered, the jury of the Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle program, which includes experts and decision-makers from the industry, will vote for the best ones to join the final step of the competition, the Pitch Day.

STEP 6

1. 1. An optional virtual workshop, Innovation Arena, will take place on November 4th to help you to enrich and refine your idea, preparing for the Pitch Day.

STEP 7

1. 1. Pitch Day: on November 14th submitted ideas will be pitched to the program Jury and the selected 5 winning ideas will be awarded with ≈ CHF 28'000.-.
   2. The awarded ideas will be announced on November 26th

IMPORTANT: Participation in the Workshop 'Challenge your ideas' on September 30th is mandatory for ideas to be eligible to access the Pitch Day and receive funding.

An Innovation Hypothesis is a potential new approach to solve an existing Industry problem, to be further explored and developed with the help of experts and fellow innovation team members during a dedicated workshop.

This is a call for challenges and not a call for ideas.

The program focuses on the very first stages of the innovation funnel to seek new approaches to solve current Industry problems with the objective of idea testing.

WHO CAN APPLY

You can apply if you are a:

1. 1. Start-up/Scale-up
   2. SME
   3. Large organisation
   4. Any company offering products, services or process implementation
   5. Non-profit organisation
   6. Association
   7. University research institute
   8. Non-commercial research centre
   9. Departmental research institution
   10. Federal research institute

NOTE: Innovation teams must be completed to join the Program, from joining the Co-Creation Workshop to Pitching the idea and be funded. Innovation teams consist of at least one research partner and one implementation partner. Please state in the form if you already identified an Innovation team partner.

Tell us more about how you would like to address a mentioned industry challenge and participate in the Workshop 'Challenge your ideas' on September 30th in Lugano to:

1. 1. Develop a new product, service, process or business model
   2. Make a positive impact on the Swiss Fashion & Lifestyle industry and society
   3. Be aligned with our core values expressed in our Manifesto: Sustainability, Diversion, Inclusion and Equality, User-centric, Trustworthy and Collaborative
   4. Have the opportunity to work with industry experts and leading researchers in Switzerland and co-create new potential and radical innovative ideas
   5. Be funded and test the potential of your idea

For more information, please contact us at: info@ibfashionandlifestyle.ch