AITEX (Textile Industry Research Association) was set up in 1985 as an initiative of the Valencian Regional Government, through the Valencian Institute for Small and Medium Industry (IMPIVA). It is currently the leading centre for research, innovation and advanced technical services available to the textile, manufacturing and technical textile sectors. (Number of employees: 141). AITEX is a non-profit making private association formed by textile companies, whose main objective is to improve the textile companies' competitiveness, promoting modernization activities, new technologies and improvement of the company and products quality. AITEX has a strong industrial representation (more than 900 textile member enterprises). Among the many different tasks that the Institute fosters, we can point out the standardization and quality, RTD projects, training and lab services for enterprises. Our RTD personnel is structured in 5 research groups; Nanotechnologies, Intelligent Textiles, ICT, finishing on technical textiles. AITEX has been participating in many EC, national and region al initiatives, supporting the Spanish textile companies in the development of a growing number of funded projects and is involved in the European Technology Platform on the future of textiles and clothing leading the TG6- "Smart Textiles and Garments".
