Embedding circularity in education and industry

Textile Hack connects classroom and garment factory. Students, educators and young entrepreneurs co-create circular innovations in the global textile chain; from Bangladesh to the Netherlands.
 

Centre of Expertise Mission Zero

circulariteit

Bridging Contexts: From producer to classroom

Circularity is often framed from a Western perspective, leaving the lived realities of producer countries, such as Bangladesh, a key player in the global Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector - underrepresented in educational materials. This project aims to bridge that gap by bringing the complexities, challenges, and innovations of the RMG sector into the classroom. By incorporating Global South perspectives into education curricula, it offers students a more comprehensive and grounded understanding of what circularity truly entails within global textile systems.

A Living Case Study for Circular Business Models

The RMG sector serves as a live case study to examine how circular principles can be applied in complex, global supply chains. The research focuses on identifying new, sustainable business models that acknowledge the structural realities of textile production while aiming for systemic change. These insights contribute to both practice and theory, informing industry actors and shaping educational content. 

Currently several initiatives are being established and excecuted:

Textile Hack

Funded by the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO), this initiative runs a hackathon in Bangladesh to engage students and educators in developing circular textile innovations that are market-ready and locally feasible. It also equips educators with circular didactics that are grounded in real-world practices. This project is currently run through the university of Groningen and will be taken over by The Hague University of Applied Sciences in 2025. 

Training for Young Factory Owners

This initiative targets 200 emerging factory owners in Bangladesh and focuses on co-developing a circularity training module tailored to their context. A needs assessment is currently underway to identify which circularity themes factory owners find most urgent and promising for integration into their business models. The training will not only build local capacity but also facilitate connections with Dutch entrepreneurs and trade partners, aiming to align innovations in Bangladesh with circular ambitions in the Netherlands

Titus Goes Circular

This YouTube channel explores the central question: Can the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector ever truly become circular, or is this a utopian dream? Researcher Titus engages in conversations with diverse stakeholders across the textile value chain—from innovators to factory managers—to uncover real-world challenges and possibilities. The channel creates accessible, educational content aimed at students and educators, serving as a valuable resource for circularity-related modules, assignments, and discussions in higher education.

Connecting Back to Dutch Education

The insights and materials from these initiatives are actively fed into Dutch higher education programs. By doing so, the project enriches circular economy education with real-world cases, ensuring it reflects global realities rather than focusing solely on Western perspectives. This content is integrated into graduate coursework, research projects, and thesis supervision.

Target group

The project targets students, educators, and young factory owners. It aims to integrate producer-country perspectives into European circularity education and support Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in embedding circular practices into their business models. Duration: 2024–2026.

Duration and research method

The Textile Hack will run from 2024 until 2026. The Factory Owner Training needs assessment will be conducted in June 2025 and if successful will lead to a 2-year pilot training program.

For the Textile Hack, the project follows a practice-based approach that combines entrepreneurship didactics, training-of-trainers, and co-creation. 

For the Factory Owners training, key methods include video modules and MOOCs, a gap analysis with mapping exercises for factory owners, and translating findings into education through case materials and student engagement.

Publications

Researchers involved 

Research group Circular Business:
Titus van der Spek, Kim Poldner en Agnes Evangelista.

Partners

  • Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE)
  • BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT)
  • Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO)
  • Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG)
  • Bangladesh Apparel Youth Leaders Alliance (BAYLA)
  • Nederlandse ambassade in Bangladesh

Funding

Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO

Contact

Titus van der Spek, 0616307002

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