Re:Create Q&A with Jan Tepe
We spoke with Jan Tepe, Senior Lecturer and Program Coordinator for Fashion Design at the Swedish School of Textiles, Department of Design, University of Borås, to discuss his newly funded research project. Tepe shares insights into TexAI, an ambitious initiative that unites textile science, AI, and industry expertise to revolutionize the fashion and textile sectors.
Congratulations on your research funding – what is it about? And what do you hope to achieve with it?
The research project TexAI has been recently funded by KK Stiftelsen, as part of the Forskningsprofiler call. TexAI aims to address pressing challenges in the textile and fashion industries, including resource waste, inefficient recycling, and unsustainable production, by developing and applying artificial intelligence-driven strategies and systems across the value chain.
Bringing together the Swedish School of Textiles and the Department of Information Technology at the University of Borås, the project integrates material science, AI, digital business, design, and data-driven innovation toward a more sustainable and resource-efficient textile future. Through close collaboration with 19 industrial partners, TexAI combines interdisciplinary research with industry expertise to accelerate the transition toward circular textile and fashion systems.
Moreover, the vision is that TexAI will generate new knowledge, methods, and tools that strengthen Sweden’s position at the forefront of sustainable textile innovation. By closely combining research with industrial practice on the topic of AI, the project aims to establish a foundation for long-term environmental, economic, and educational impact across the textile value chain.
What are the next steps in the project?
A start-up meeting was scheduled with our company partners to present and discuss the strategic direction and development of the project. The next step is for the research areas within the project to follow up with our industry partners and to jointly work on the set objectives.
We intend continuous and close collaboration with our partners to ensure that research in this field aligns with the actual challenges the industry is facing in this respect.
Furthermore, we will recruit doctoral and post-doctoral candidates in the coming months to deepen and connect research activities across all research areas for the coming years.
How are the discussions developing regarding the use of AI in both education and industry?
Discussions within the team and our industry partner around the use of AI have been very fruitful. There is a strong consensus about the relevance and need for research in AI developments for a more circular Swedish Textile and Fashion landscape, spanning academia and industry. The dialogue is shifting from whether to use AI to how to use it responsibly, collaboratively, and effectively, as all agree that its integration across the textile-value chain is inevitable and essential for driving both sustainability and innovation.
About Re:Create
The creative sector is facing a major technological transformation that requires new skills and ways of working. Re:Create is a key initiative that supports this transformation by systematically connecting established and emerging players, new technologies and future skills needs. The project focuses on creative industries such as fashion, architecture, film and design to create innovation between today's skills and tomorrow's opportunities.
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