Athens moving towards Circular Urban Manufacturing through co-creation

Momentum is building as Athens works towards becoming a hub of circular urban manufacturing, with tangible progress being made in preparation for a dynamic series of community activities this autumn. It all began with a vibrant and productive kick-off co-creation meeting held in the heart of Athens, bringing together the selected Facilitators and key stakeholders. The gathering was orchestrated by project partners SOFFA – Social Fashion Factory and the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), with valuable contributions from Fashion Revolution Greece, and hosted by Impact Hub Athens.

This collaborative working group combined energy, vision, and practical expertise to reinforce local manufacturing in Athens. Guided by the values of the New European Bauhaus (NEB)—sustainability, inclusivity, and aesthetic innovation—the participants came together to lay the groundwork for an urban manufacturing model that is socially driven and environmentally conscious, aligned with Athens's unique identity and place-based and relational challenges.

Facilitators were introduced to the achievements of the FABRIX project to date, including an exclusive preview of the soon-to-launch collaborative platform designed to support circular production networks. The meeting also featured five thematic “Coffee Roundtables” focusing on grand challenges in the textile and clothing (T&C) sector derived from previous research analysis of the Athenian ecosystem: Materials & Flow, Space & Machines, Data & Traceability, Skills & Inclusion, and Governance & Trust. These discussions brought together voices from education, fashion design and production, academia, commerce, and policy-making arenas, including representatives from the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce & Entrepreneurship.

Working within a unified methodology, participants engaged with key statements, followed thematic journeys, mapped interconnections across the urban manufacturing landscape, and explored hypothetical future scenarios. Through this co-creative process, they shared pain points and envisioned pathways for innovation and collaboration.

The event marked a beginning and a catalytic moment, where co-creation turned ideas into potential strategies. As the project moves forward, the insights and bonds formed during this session will fuel ideal features and tools of the digital platform, as well as the local initiatives, nurture capacity building, and empower communities to co-design the future of sustainable urban production in Athens.

Stay tuned as we move from dialogue to action, and prepare for our upcoming call for SMEs and organisations which will be an opportunity to expand the community and explore future possibilities within T&C and the Fabrix Project.