In this episode of The WTiN Podcast, we talk to Lutz Walter, director of Innovation and Skills at EURATEX. 

EURATEX is the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, representing the interests of the European textile & clothing industry at the level of the EU institutions. Walter himself has been working for the organisation since 1999 when he took on the role of R&D manager, and he has since been involved in many other European projects and has developed a fountain of knowledge concerning the textile & apparel industry. 

In this podcast, Walter talks about so many things such as how the industry has been impacted by Covid-19 and EURATEX’s Proposals for Recovery, whereby a digital and ‘green’ shift will provide significant opportunities for long-term survival. He also gives his thoughts on the drivers behind a digital future. For example, he says that business models will change hand-in-hand with manufacturing changes and how start-ups will likely make a ‘revolutionary impact’. Elsewhere, he says that the industry will change dramatically over the next 10-20 years, thanks to IoT developments, smart textiles, and the change to using versus owning garments.