The first International Textile and Colour Conference conference focused on innovation to support the systemic and sustainable development of the industry, will take place from from 25 – 26 June 2025 at Nexus, University of Leeds.

It will be hosted by the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) and the School of Design at the University of Leeds, building on the area’s rich heritage of textile processing, woollen manufacturing and flax spinning.

ITCC2025 will discuss new approaches, strategies, technologies and innovation targeted at sustainable development of textile and colour industries, as well as their associated supply chains. The conference will be truly multidisciplinary in scope, covering product design, fibre and material science, yarn, fabric and garment manufacturing, robotics, as well as digitalisation and machine learning, colour science and technology, cultures and behaviours, environmental emissions, waste management and the creation of viable circular economies.

ITCC2025 will bring together an international audience of academic researchers, industry leaders, policy-makers and NGOs to explore new ideas through open discussion to find creative solutions to the challenges of sustainable development across global textile and colour industries. This is an opportunity to explore the most recent progress and thinking, as well as to network and establish new contacts.

Professor Stephen Russell, Chair of ITCC2025 and Director of LITAC, said:

“Environmental targets, shifting regulation and the practical implementation of viable circular economies are just some of the many challenges faced by industry tackling the green transition. This inaugural international conference will bring together experts from different disciplines, to share new data and the latest results of research and innovation, as well as to provide perspectives on progress.

LITAC is delighted to host ITCC2025 and to provide delegates with the collective opportunity to help inform the future of our textile and colour industries.”

Call for Papers

Researchers are invited to submit abstracts between 1000-1500 words, by 31 December 2024 on any topic relating to at least one of the areas listed below. It is important that the relevance to the sustainable development of industry is clearly addressed:

• Textile materials (including biobased fibres, or with fibre-to-fibre recycled content)
• Product design (in relation to the circular economy / sustainability)
• Innovative fibre, yarn, fabric and garment manufacturing (including use of robotics)
• Fibre characterisation, measurement and detection
• Intelligent and smart textiles
• Digital technology, data science, and AI technologies
• Track & trace technologies (e.g. relating to the transparency of supply chains)
• Innovative sustainable textile supply chains
• Circularity and Net Zero compliance strategies
• Environmental impacts (of textile/fashion or colour industries)
• Eco-metrics and standards
• Influencing behaviour and culture in relation to sustainability & circular economies
• Advanced waste management: collection, automatic sorting, recycling, reuse, waste valorisation, and circular economy development
• Colour science and technology
• Innovative colour communication for fashion
• Total colour appearance measurement and perception for fabrics and garments
• Colour forecasting technologies

Register for the conference here