Sustainability top agenda in apparel and textile sectors. The Aegean Apparel and Apparel Exporters’ Association (EHKİB) pushed the button to implement the International Competitiveness Development (URGE) Project entitled ‘Improving Sustainable Competition in the Garment Sector’. The move aims to enable apparel companies in the Aegean Region to shift from the current production focusing method to a design and organization oriented structure.
EHKIB President Burak Sertbaş said in a statement that they have successfully continued the URGE Project for the Development of Ready-to-Wear Exports for 2 years. Sertbaş reminded that the ready-made clothing sector had achieved a serious development and transformation in the Aegean Region after 1980. The industry started to prepare its own collections in 2000s and export them and EHKİB members took action to adapt to the global change afterwards.
Sustainability top agenda
Sertbaş believes in the need to confront fast and cheap production that changes consumption patterns and said that personalized design and production gained importance. Sertbaş added, “Sustainability is the way to be competitive in this whole cycle of change. In this process; we will apply to the Ministry of Trade to initiate the Sustainable Competition Development in Ready-to-Wear Garment Sector Project; to support our companies. In addition, we will focus on digitalization with this project in order not to miss the Industry 4.0 train.”
With the Development of Sustainable Competition in the Ready-to-Wear Sector Project; a needs analysis of Aegean apparel and textile companies will be carried out. It will be determined whether the production processes of these companies are at an optimum level. It will be revealed where they are at the last point in efficiency. While reviewing the managerial performance of the companies; measurable targets and measurement mechanisms of the corporate performance related to the processes will also be determined. Alternative markets will be identified to increase marketing efficiency and a road map will be determined to increase their shares in the existing markets.