The Switchers Open Eco-Innovation platform is active with the creation of innovative challenges seeking green and circular solutions. The aim of the platform is to help match companies and public institutions in search of green and circular business solutions with entrepreneur providers, using an open innovation approach.

STAND Up!, the EU-funded project under the ENI CBC Med Programme that is behind the creation of the platform, and Switchmed Programme, aim to help meet the sustainable innovation challenges faced by private and public companies in the textile and fashion industry and to provide business support organisations (BSOs) with the necessary tools to facilitate links between solution seekers and entrepreneurs.

The winning start-up with the best solution will be rewarded with a voucher of 20.000€ to develop and implement it and to be spent on prototyping (all the info about what the voucher includes can be found inside the challenges). Berytech is the enabler facilitating these challenges in Egypt.

Find below the current challenges and basic information in Egypt:

1. Organic Chemicals Management within textile production

Goal: Identify technological innovations to control the use of harmful chemicals in the textile industry and at the same time ensure sustainable production with high resource efficiency. The aim of the challenge is to select the most innovative and efficient chemical management solution that ensures the safe storage, use and transport of chemicals and the safety of workers, through compliance with all applicable legal rules and regulations on the use of chemicals. The evaluation and use of safe and alternative chemicals must take priority.

Companies: NatureTex, founded in 1998 it successfully competes in the global market for organic textiles by designing, producing and marketing high-quality products from Egypt, the home of today's fine cotton production. The company produces and markets its products under numerous brand names such as 'Cotton People Organic' (CPO), 'NatureTex', 'Organic Baby' or under private labels such as 'People Wear Organic' (PWO) or 'Under The Nile'.

Start-ups participation: The challenge is addressed to early and growth stage ventures or independent entrepreneurs in the textile and clothing sector that are legally constituted in one of the eligible areas from ENI CBC Med Programme in Egypt. All selected ventures must be led by women (no age limit) and/or youth (up to 35 years old).

Deadline to submit your solution: 10/4/2023

Status: CLOSED

2. Textile Wastewater Treatment

Goal: The purpose of this investigation is to collaborate on the characterisation of wastewater from cotton and polyester dyeing processes and to evaluate a proposed physiochemical treatment process to reduce pollution prior to membrane separation.

Companies: El Chourbagui Textiles one of the leading textile traders and manufacturers in Egypt, with over 75 years of experience in the industry. The company produces. Specialising in the production of high-quality textiles and knitwear, the company is also a designer for local and international fashion manufacturers, as well as a dyeing, printing and finishing factory.

Start-ups participation: The challenge is addressed to early and growth stage ventures or independent entrepreneurs in the textile and clothing sector that are legally constituted in one of the eligible areas from ENI CBC Med Programme in Egypt. All selected ventures must be led by women (no age limit) and/or youth (up to 35 years old).

Deadline to submit your solution: 10/4/2023

Status: CLOSED

The detailed description of the challenges, the modalities and requirements for submitting your solution, the timeframe and the possibilities offered by the vouchers are available by registering at The Switchers Open Eco Innovation platform HERE

3. Energy Saving in Cotton Manufacture

Goal: Since the rapidly rising price of cotton and high energy use have a strong impact on the costs of textile production, the goal of this challenge is to find ways to save a substantial part of the enormous amounts of heat energy consumed during wet processing finding an innovative solution to decrease the heat wasted in water removal, find new pressing techniques and optimise the heating time.

Companies: Al Rasail Al Dawlia Knitting Factory is an international company, working in the manufacture and dyeing of the finest types of textiles for the local market and export. It has the latest types of Mayer International machines for circular weaving to produce high quality that suits our strongest client network in Egypt

Start-ups participation: The challenge is addressed to early and growth stage ventures or independent entrepreneurs in the textile and clothing sector that are legally constituted in one of the eligible areas from ENI CBC Med Programme in Egypt. All selected ventures must be led by women (no age limit) and/or youth (up to 35 years old).

Deadline to submit your solution: 25/4/2023

Status: OPEN

4. Recycled Cotton Fabric for Toys

Goal: In textile recovery and production to make new toy products, the most challenging obstacle, particularly for textile recycling, is that textiles are often made of mixed materials and it is not easy to separate and recycle cotton and polyester blends. This challenge aims to find innovative separation technique to part recycled cotton from other synthetic fabric components to be used in soft toys production.

Companies: NatureTex, founded in 1998 it successfully competes in the global market for organic textiles by designing, producing and marketing high-quality products from Egypt, the home of today's fine cotton production. The company produces and markets its products under numerous brand names such as 'Cotton People Organic' (CPO), 'NatureTex', 'Organic Baby' or under private labels such as 'People Wear Organic' (PWO) or 'Under The Nile'.

Start-ups participation: The challenge is addressed to early and growth stage ventures or independent entrepreneurs in the textile and clothing sector that are legally constituted in one of the eligible areas from ENI CBC Med Programme in Egypt. All selected ventures must be led by women (no age limit) and/or youth (up to 35 years old).

Deadline to submit your solution: 25/4/2023

Status: OPEN

5. High Quality Cotton Textile

Goal: The bleaching process present trend is to have long-length fabric well prepared during earlier stages of processing so that final dyes or printed fabric or even full white material is of high quality. The goal of this challenge is to find an innovative solution to integrate all the stages of bleaching processes together and change the operational mode from batch to continuous.

Companies: El Chourbagui Textiles one of the leading textile traders and manufacturers in Egypt, with over 75 years of experience in the industry. The company produces. Specialising in the production of high-quality textiles and knitwear, the company is also a designer for local and international fashion manufacturers, as well as a dyeing, printing and finishing factory.

Start-ups participation: The challenge is addressed to early and growth stage ventures or independent entrepreneurs in the textile and clothing sector that are legally constituted in one of the eligible areas from ENI CBC Med Programme in Egypt. All selected ventures must be led by women (no age limit) and/or youth (up to 35 years old).

Deadline to submit your solution: 25/4/2023

Status: OPEN

The detailed description of the challenges, the modalities and requirements for submitting your solution, the timeframe and the possibilities offered by the vouchers are available by registering at The Switchers Open Eco Innovation platform HERE