Partners

CFE

Children’s Fashion Europe (CFE) is a new generation association set up to gather children’s fashion and childcare manufacturers, technological institutes and universities within the European Union. It has a clear orientation to the market, focusing on improving the companies’ competitive position. It offers complementary services to those of national and regional associations and consortiums.

CFE is an association which works at a supranational level, that is, European scope and acts over the 27 European countries. Its aims are complementary to the national associations.

Association targets

- Participation in European Projects

- Organization of commercial actions to enhance the prestige, promote and extend European children’s fashion and childcare mainly into non European countries.

- Specific measures in order to defend the EU market against unfair or antisocial competition and establishing a “lobby” in the European Community administration.

Children’s Fashion Europe (CFE) is the lead partner of the BraM project, as representative of the European companies working in the sector.

CFE will be responsible for the Dissemination and Communication (WP6), and the Management and Coordination (WP8) work packages, assuring the adequate deployment and monitoring of all the project activities.

Due to their European dimension, CFE also will guarantee that the results will be available for all the European companies; assuring a wider exploitation.

For further information: cfe@childrensfashioneurope.com

IEP

IEP is an innovation management consultancy, specialised in the promotion and implementation of innovation as a factor in competitiveness. Within this innovation-driven framework, the company has thus been involved in the last years in a number of initiatives directed to carry innovation management diagnosis in SMEs and find their possibilities for innovation.

Some examples of their current activities in this field are:

- Design and develop of innovation management diagnosis methodology in textile companies implemented in European countries in the project INTEX of the European Commission.

- Direction and implementation of projects addressed to perform diagnostics in SMEs in order to design and deploy Implementation Plans to improve innovation in the companies.

- Direction and implementation of audits in SMEs from different sectors: textile, metal mechanic, wood and furniture, food processing, leather and shoes, ceramics.

IEP will take an active role in the Analysis of Needs, providing the support for the data collection and handling.

As consultancy company with great number of years of experience in the innovation management improvement in the companies, analysing and improving fashion companies, IEP will be key in the link with the application of the results in the SMEs, thank to their knowledge in these companies.

After their contribution in the definition and validation of the training materials and training system, IEP will coordinate the entire Pilot test (WP5) work package, assuring the homogeneity of the national pilot, as well as the functionality of the Pilot test Report.

IEP will participate in all the dissemination activities and in the evaluation monitoring, playing an important role in the Exploitation Plan.

For further information: floras@iepinfo.eu

CNA Federmoda

CNA, the National Confederation of Crafts and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, was created in Rome in December 1946. The structure of CNA consists of 19 regional offices, 105 provincial offices, and the 10 National Unions, including CNA Fashion Federation (CNA Federmoda).

CNA Federmoda group the textile sector, clothing, shoes, etc., representing around 25.000 SMEs; an important part of them represents the fashion sector. CNA Federmoda is extended along the Italian territory.

The Union provides to their members with services and consulting in Training, Marketing and promotion, and promoting the Cooperation among the SMEs.

CNA Federmoda will participate in the Analysis of Needs (WP1) work package, collecting the needs of the Italian companies, and contributing to the professional profile of the Brand Manager definition.

After contributing to the definition and validation of the training materials and training system, CNA Federmoda will coordinate the pilot test in Italy, providing the trainers and tutors for the companies involved.

CNA Federmoda will lead the Exploitation Plan (WP7) work package, linking the interest of Associations, SMEs, and training providers to assure the wider and broad exploitation of the results of the project. CNA Federmoda will participate in all the dissemination activities forecasted.

For further information: franceschini@er.cna.it

HCIA

The Hellenic Clothing Industry Association (HCIA) is a non profit industrial association established in Athens in 1962. It represents Greek companies from all sub-sectors of the clothing industry.

The activities of HCIA are related with the representation of the sector companies, to provide them information and consulting relating the commercial, industrial and social policy matters, to participate in the negotiation of sectoral and regional collective agreements, to disseminate information on technological, industrial, commercial and economic issues, and to represent the industry in International and European sectoral organisations (IAF and Euratex).

HCIA provides a wide range of services to its members using its own network of contacts for information gathering. HCIA services are: Information provision, Consulting, Support, Sectoral and individual company promotion, and Training and education, including the provision of training centre and related facilities.

HCIA represents the entire clothing industry in Greece. From this point of view, the Association will take a similar role that CFE guaranteeing that the results of the project will be adequate to the needs of these companies.

HCIA will lead the Analysis of Needs (WP1) work package, where the needs of the companies will be in-depth analysed, and the professional profile of the Brand Manager will be defined.

After contributing to the definition and validation of the training materials and training system, HCIA will coordinate the pilot test in Greece, providing the trainers and tutors for the companies involved.

The point of view of the Association will be present in the definition of the Exploitation plan, and HCIA will participate in all the dissemination activities forecasted.

For further information: tlybereas@gmail.com

MKL

The Association of Fashion Retailers in Finland is working for the good of its members connected with the clothing, shoe, textile and other fashion businesses. All the functions of the association are aimed at improving the situation of retailers. It ensures that trade development is healthy and that the interests of its members are taken into account by all decision-making bodies related to the business. By maintaining contact with suppliers and other interest groups, consumers included, and enforcing co-operation and feelings of affinity among its members, it promotes fashion both nationally and internationally.

MKL represents the fashion retailers sector in Finland. Its main role is to assure that the needs, and the point of view, of the counterpart of the fashion producers is taken into account, and to guarantee that the results of the project will be adequate to the needs of these companies.

MKL will participate in the Analysis of Needs (WP1) work package, collecting the needs of the Retailers companies, and contributing to the professional profile of the Brand Manager definition.

After contributing to the definition and validation of the training materials and training system, MKL will coordinate the pilot test in Finland, providing the trainers and tutors for the companies involved.

MKL will lead the Quality and Evaluation (WP8) work package, preparing the Quality and Evaluation plan, and coordinating the work of the external reviewers. MKL will participate in all the dissemination activities forecasted.

For further information: tarkko.nuutinen@muotikaupanliitto.fi

HB

The Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås is a comprehensive resource for education, training, research and societal cooperation and within its field unique for Sweden. It has an excellent support from the country’s textile industry and well developed contacts with universities and institutes in other countries in the textile and fashion sector. Research activities at the Swedish School of Textiles aim at developing and integrating its three areas, textile design, textile engineering and textile business & management. The school’s research has a focus on two main programmes, “Smart Textiles” (which was the winning initiative in the VINNVÄXT contest for projects supporting sustainable growth and prosperity, as announced by VINNOVA, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, in 2008) and “Fashion and Function”.

University of Borås will be the main responsible for the educational aspects of the project: the definition of the curricula and the definition and development of the training materials. HB must to assure the integration of the braM course in the formal training, providing them with a sound qualification and recognition framework. HB will lead the Curricula (WP2) and Training Materials (WP3) work packages, doing the major part of the preparation of the corresponding tasks, supported by all the partners.

HB will contribute to the Pilot test, and will do corresponding modifications of the materials after the feed-back, and in all the dissemination activities. Their role will be key in the definition of the Exploitation plan.

For further information: hakan.torstensson@hb.se

S2

S2 is an IT privately held company based in Valencia, Spain. It was founded in 1999 and is specialized in information systems security, Business Activities Monitoring (BAM), Collaborative work tools and e-learning tools.

In the area of BAM, S2 has developed a commercial product named S2-eMas (Events and Alarms Management System), becoming one of the first Spanish companies that has implanted BAM applications in the industrial sector. S2-eMas is totally designed and developed by S2. Integration of BAM concepts with traditional management systems constitutes the basis for Real Time Management Systems, allowing an unprecedented level of control over business processes.

S2 centres its activity in e-learning projects on two open source tools: Moodle and SAKAI. First one is mainly used in projects for SMEs and SAKAI is used in projects with more sophisticated multimedia needs. S2 works in collaboration con Polytechnic University of Valencia in this area.

S2 will be responsible for the ICT aspects of the project, mainly the related with the definition, design, implementation and deployment of the eLearning platform and the integration of all the training materials.

S2 will contribute to the definition of the curricula and the training materials, especially taking note of the needs related with their integration and deployment as part of the eLearning platform.

S2 will contribute to the Pilot test, and will do corresponding modifications of the system after the feed-back, and will participate in all the dissemination activities. Their role will be important in the definition of the Exploitation plan.

For further information: mjuan@s2grupo.es