Australia is a major producer of high-quality natural fibres, yet much of this value is exported before downstream processing, while most finished textile products are imported. Domestic manufacturing capability has declined, supply chains are fragmented, and Australia lacks sufficient scale-up, sorting and recycling capability to capture emerging opportunities in advanced fibres, technical textiles, traceability and circular business models.
The Future Textiles CRC will provide a national platform connecting fibre producers, manufacturers, designers, brands, retailers, recyclers, researchers, governments and communities to build a more competitive, advanced, circular and resilient Australian textile system. It will support innovation across the full value chain, from fibre production and manufacturing through to use, repair, reuse, recovery and recycling, while building the infrastructure, workforce and collaborative capability needed to retain more value in Australia and create new commercial opportunities.