AW Hainsworth awarded funding for new wool traceability system

AW Hainsworth has been awarded a four-month-long Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Programme by Innovate UK, to fund a circular fashion project we are working on in partnership with Dr Jennifer Davies of the University of Liverpool. 

The project aims to develop a new traceability system for wool textile manufacturing, which will help prove product authenticity and allow the consumer to track a product’s supply chain from start to finish. This system is being developed to comply with Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passport requirements being implemented by the European Union.

Technical and Innovation Manager Angela Augusto said the project would “investigate the connection of a physical traceable element on each piece of fabric to its digital twin, enabling precise tracking from production to consumer.”

Dr Davies said, “It is an absolute honour to collaborate with AW Hainsworth on this important area of research. Their commitment to research and innovation is exactly why they have remained a world-renowned woollen mill for nearly a quarter of a century.”

Amanda McLaren, Managing Director at AW Hainsworth, said, “Tackling the complexities of forthcoming EU regulations and applying them to our vertically integrated woollen mill’s processes will be no mean feat. However, by collaborating with the University of Liverpool and our chosen software partners Laava, we aim to be a knowledge transfer partner to others in the UK textiles sector.”

The Accelerated Knowledge Transfer programme creates short term collaborations between businesses and UK Higher and Further Education institutions, opening up funding and helping businesses gain and implement innovative solutions. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships have generated over £2 billion for the UK economy since 1975.