Textiles, creating one of the leading sectors in Turkey's economy added value. High-quality products, proximity to large markets, flexibility and speed of production organization, factors such as human resources, increasing Turkey's competitiveness in the international market. Despite all these advantages; The lack of adequate digitalization of design in the sector makes it difficult to compete with developed countries and large companies in the foreign market.

The beneficiary of the project, Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters' Association (İHKİB), aims to create an infrastructure in line with the requirements of the age, as well as to increase the digital skills of SMEs and innovative entrepreneurs operating in the ready-to-wear and textile sectors.

Within the scope of the project, a need map of digital skills that will enable SMEs and entrepreneurs to produce at European standards will be created. Various training and consultancy services will be provided to at least 50 SMEs and entrepreneurs to develop digital skills. Groups performing different tasks such as managers, designers and blue-collar employees will be able to benefit from the services provided.

Integration of digital supply chains and global platforms is another goal of the project. The strategy for adaptation to the digital market will be determined with networks to be established at local and international levels. Special trainings on the subject will be designed and service provider handbooks will be prepared.

Today, the presence of substances harmful to nature and human health in textile materials prevents Turkish ready-to-wear industry actors from entering EU markets. In order to eliminate this problem and to strengthen the position of local actors in the international market by providing health and environmental standards, the test and analysis infrastructure of the EKOTEKS Laboratory, which was established by İHKİB in 1998, will be strengthened by the use of technological products and the development of new analysis methods.

It is expected that new methods will be developed and implemented to detect harmful particles that pose a threat to both humans and the environment in the content of textile products through the laboratory. In addition, within the scope of the project, research and development studies will be carried out on methods that will test organic cotton, whose importance is increasing day by day in the ready-to-wear market.

The project, in the long run "is produced entirely in Turkey" to express the foreign market embraced almost as a trademark and Turkey's "fastest manufacturer and supplier" aims to contribute to becoming an actor with adjectives.

The project aims to strengthen the infrastructure of İMA and EKOTEKS and to provide training and consultancy services to at least 150 SMEs and entrepreneurs.