At least half of the fibre used in Europe’s textiles should come from biobased and circular sources by 2050, with a large share of the supporting value chain rooted on the continent, under a fresh blueprint issued by the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP).
Unveiled during the ECOSYSTEX Conference in Antwerp, the plan addresses a sector of roughly 194,000 businesses, 1.2 million employees and €166 billion in yearly turnover.
Textile ETP calculates that around two-thirds of the fibre Europeans consume today originates from fossil sources.
Oil reliance turns into a strategic weakness
Worldwide fibre use per head has almost doubled, climbing from 8.3 kg in 1975 to 16.2 kg in 2024, with synthetics meeting the bulk of that extra appetite.
Meanwhile, Textile ETP points out that Asia hosts upwards of 90% of global polyester capacity, deepening European reliance on overseas suppliers.
Consequently, the strategy frames biobased textiles as an opportunity for industrial policy, rather than merely a green initiative or an environmental pledge.
The thinking chimes with the European Commission’s 2025 Bioeconomy Strategy, which names biobased fibres and fabrics among its five priority material markets.
Brussels is also assembling a Bio-based Europe Alliance, designed to secure €10 billion of corporate offtake pledges by the end of 2030.
Five technology pillars
Textile ETP sets out five foundations for the transition: biobased feedstocks and biorefineries; man-made cellulosic fibres; biosynthetic and novel biopolymer fibres; responsibly sourced natural fibres; and biobased chemistry and processing.
The proposed industrial set-up would connect farming and forestry with biotechnology, chemicals, fibre production, finishing and recycling, using a network of regional biomanufacturing hubs as the physical and commercial link between each stage.
Scale hinges on assured demand
The roadmap sets out 10 policy recommendations and five cross-sector actions, spanning R&D funding, biorefinery capacity, standards, traceability, skills, green public purchasing and long-term offtake contracts.
Textile ETP reckons the shift could unlock tens of billions of euros each year and generate tens of thousands of direct jobs.
Ultimately, scale will be the deciding factor. Europe already holds considerable know-how in textiles, chemicals and biotechnology; the next challenge is whether policy, finance and buyer commitments can make European biobased fibres cost-competitive with entrenched, fossil-based supply chains.
