The fashion and garment industries keep a constant eye out for new creative ideas and talent. What’s more, they also watch for new materials, manufacturing methods and possibilities for cooperation. Re-FREAM is a research project that invites artists and designers to connect with scientists on a common ground in order to rethink the fashion industry’s manufacturing process. The project is part of the STARTS programme (Science + Technology + The Arts), an initiative of the European Commission under its Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Applicants from around the world can submit proposals. During the first stage, an expert group will select 18 of them to go on to be judged by an international jury. The selected participants will undertake to team together for joint research and development over a period of nine months (part face to face, part online) where they apply the Re-FREAM “Art/Tech Collaboration” methodology. The aim is for artists and designers to rethink their work scientifically and for scientists to approach their research from a more artistic perspective. The research will focus on the future of urban fashion production through additive manufacturing (3D printing), electronics, textile and ecological innovation refinement and social and ecological values to create a new value chain. The three areas of research – “From analog to connected”, “From 2D to 3D” and “From linear to sustainable circular systems” – will be conducted at three different academic hubs in Linz, Valencia and Berlin.
