In addition, there is growing public awareness now of the need to protect the environment and this has led to a search for processes which generate less waste and which have the minimum environmental impact. The textile and leather market is becoming more demanding and competitive as well as going through a tough period because of international competition, and one way in which industry can defend itself is through specialisation in niche products.

This is the context for CREAMATEX, covering the research and development of new textile materials which can be used in the manufacture of sustainable technological solutions in the hyper-sector of creative industries. If creativity can be activated, extracted and converted into a value then a continuous and inexhaustible source of improvements, developments and competitiveness results which can be tapped to supply both traditional and cutting-edge industrial activities with new ideas and products.

Over the last two years of development, the project has worked on developing articles with outstanding functionality and aesthetics for the following markets:

• Architecture, decoration and interior design
• Footwear and leather goods
• Accessories (bags, belts, luggage, etc.)

In order to achieve the goals of the project, the technologies involved in functionalising  thermoplastic and heat-stable matrices have been studied along with textile and leather substrates which have been additivated with compounds which confer special properties on them.

In addition, environmentally-friendly articles were developed from ecological raw materials.

The CREAMATEX project has introduced sustainable functional products with the following properties to the manufacturing processes involved in a range of sectors including footwear, accessories and decoration:

• Functional anti-stain and chromoactive products
• Attractive sustainable laminates and coatings
• Luminescent product