During the annual assembly of all staff (around 1,000 people from all 28 EU member countries) held on the 5th of November 2013, the management of DG Enterprise chose to highlight a particular sector of European industry with a high innovative character or potential. After the aerospace industry in 2011 and “3D Printing” in 2012, this year it was the turn of textiles, nonwovens and technical textiles.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (DG Enterprise) has the mission “to promote a growth-friendly framework for European enterprises”, and plays a key role in the Europe 2020 agenda of “smart, sustainable and inclusive growth”.

During annual assembly of all staff (around 1,000 people from all 28 EU member countries) held on the 5th of November 2013 and attended by the EU Commission’s Vice-President Commissioner Tajani, the management of DG Enterprise chose to highlight a particular sector of European industry with a high innovative character or potential.

After the aerospace industry in 2011 and “3D Printing” in 2012 (described as “additive manufacturing” at EDANA‘s OUTLOOK13 conference one month ago), this year it was the turn of textiles, nonwovens and technical textiles.

EDANA is particularly pleased to have helped to influence this choice, raising the profile of nonwovens through its partnership with EURATEX.

EDANA member companies, Freudenberg and Lenzing, gave short and dynamic presentations highlighting some of their innovations in process, product, and end-uses. In addition, a stand manned by EDANA staff illustrated the many different applications of nonwovens and technical textiles from Lenzing, Freudenberg and several members of Clubtex, the French association for the development of technical textiles.

At the stand, DG Enterprise staff had the opportunity to see and touch nonwovens, hearing about their applications not only in industry, but the many points at which nonwoven materials touch lives every day.  In this description and explanation, during the Annual Assembly, a world with nonwovens was recognised as a better and safer world in which to live.