OPEN-Fashion
Open business models, textiles, and design to build capacity in the fashion industry for South Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Tunisia).
OPEN-Fashion is a project designed to modernise vocational education and training (VET) within the fashion industries of Morocco and Tunisia. The initiative seeks to implement a twin transition by integrating sustainable practices and advanced digital tools, such as 3D prototyping, into existing curricula. Coordinated by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Barcelona, the consortium includes partners from Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, and Morocco who collaborate to foster open-business models. The project’s framework focuses on capacity building for trainers and the introduction of micro-credentials to validate new professional skills. By bridging European expertise with the South Mediterranean market, the project aims to enhance employability and promote circular economy principles. Ultimately, the proposal serves as a comprehensive action plan detailing the budget, methodology, and strategic impact required to achieve these educational goals over 36 months.
The Challenge
The fashion and textile sector is currently the second most polluting industry in the world, plagued by unsustainable practices such as the fast fashion supply chain, which results in excessive water consumption, chemical waste, and massive apparel disposal that pollutes air and water. While the industry is increasingly focused on sustainability and digital transformation, concretely addressing these issues is difficult due to entrenched unsustainable models and a lack of education systems tailored to current market demands. Specifically, in South Mediterranean (SM) countries like Tunisia and Morocco, the sector faces significant barriers, including fragmented digitisation efforts, a lack of high-profile digital skills, and the need for Industry 4.0 integration to remain competitive in the global market
Our Solution
OpenFashion proposes an innovative “Open Model” built on the three pillars of accessibility, knowledge sharing, and co-creation to challenge traditional proprietary industry approaches. The project aims to empower Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Continuous Vocational Education and Training (C-VET) providers by integrating an open-business approach with advanced technologies like 3D prototyping and co-design. By connecting European expertise from Spain, Italy, and Greece with the evolving markets in Tunisia and Morocco, the project fosters a collaborative ecosystem where educators and designers can share resources and develop the “twin transition” skills (green and digital) necessary for a sustainable fashion future
Type of Project
ERASMUS-EDU-2025-CB-VET-SMC
Type of Action: ERASMUS-LS
(ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants)
Proposal number: 101242586
Project Outputs
The project will produce several key deliverables, including a Project Management Handbook and a Quality Assurance Framework to ensure effective execution. Substantial technical outputs include a field research report on best practices and needs, Guidelines for OpenFashion Capacity Building, and a comprehensive OpenFashion Toolkit for trainers covering open business, co-design, and digital making. Additionally, the project will launch an OpenFashion Online Learning Platform (MOOC) to host these resources and publish Collaborative Guidelines for Transferability to support the implementation of EU competence frameworks in SM countries
The Project
Co-Creating a Sustainable Future through Open Design is a 36-month initiative funded under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of VET call. The project is designed to modernise fashion education by bridging the gap between academic research, vocational training, and the actual needs of the labour market through transnational cooperation. It operates across five work packages that move from foundational research and guidelines to the delivery of trainer capacity building, culminating in the certification and validation of learning outcomes aligned with European standards.
The project focuses on environmental sustainability and digital proficiency, aligning with the EU’s Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. By creating a dynamic, interconnected learning ecosystem, OpenFashion enables students and educators to experiment with emerging technologies and open-source fashion business models. This approach transforms static, localized training into a cross-border co-creation platform that promotes intercultural exchange and reinforces the competitiveness of the fashion design sector in the Mediterranean region.
Our Contribution
The Institut d’Arquitectura Avançada de Catalunya (IAAC), through Fab Lab Barcelona, serves as a primary technical expert and the Lead Beneficiary for Work Package 3, which focuses on training VET/C-VET trainers. IAAC brings extensive experience from its Fabricademy (Textile & Technology Academy) and its pioneering Fab Textiles approach to develop the project’s pedagogical methodology. They are responsible for defining module learning outcomes and creating the OpenFashion Toolkit, focusing on digital making, virtual prototyping, and sustainable practices.
Beyond content creation, IAAC is responsible for leading the Transnational Capacity Building Workshop in Morocco, where their experts will provide hands-on training to VET/C-VET staff in advanced technical fields like 3D garment design.
Who is it for?
The project primarily targets VET and C-VET providers, staff, and trainers , who will acquire new skills in twin transition implementation and open-business methodologies to enhance their training quality. It also aims to benefit trainees and students by equipping them with the digital fluency and entrepreneurial skills required to emerge in a competitive global market. Furthermore, the project addresses Higher Education institutions, SMEs, and fashion industry stakeholders, including policymakers and national agencies, to foster interest in sustainable practices and create a more inclusive, future-oriented fashion ecosystem
Our Consortium
1 CAMARA DE COMERCIO ITALIANA – BARCELONA Spain
2 INSTITUT D’ARQUITECTURA AVANCADA DE CATALUNYA Spain
3 BASE3 SOCIETA COOPERATIVA Italy
4 PANEPISTIMIO PATRON Greece
5 AGENCE TUNISIENNE DE FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE Tunisia
6 centre hana de formation Tunisia
7 ECOLE SUPERIEURE DES INDUSTRIES DUTEXTILE ET DE L’H Morocco
8 Association R&D MAROC Morocco
