CONTEXT, the international network of experts in advanced textile materials, gathered more than 40 experts from 15 countries in Guimaraes (Portugal) on October 19th and 20th to participate at the annual Management Committee meeting and the working groups meetings. The network is led AEI Tèxtils.
The meetings were hosted by the University of Minho. The dean of the School of Engineering welcomed the group, which visited the textile related university facilities in the Guimaraes Campus on the 19th morning.
In the afternoon, after a joint lunch, the six working groups that integrate the network had their meeting. Those are: WG1: Healthcare & Medicine, WG2: Automotive and Aeronautics, WG3: Personal Protection Equipment, WG4: Building and Living, WG5: Sports and Wearables, and WG6: Dissemination and Communication.
Each of the working groups brought together representatives from academia, research, industry and users. The main goal of these meetings was to set specific collaborative activities among the WG members, such as writing articles, prepare joint project proposals, etc.
After the meetings, the participants went to Guimaraes city town for a joint dinner.
On the morning of October 20th, the Management Committee of CONTEXT met to debate about the major work lines of the network, to review the activities organized during the last year and to define main activities for the next period.
Major activities conducted by the network over the last 3 years included: the organization of an international conference in Barcelona, organization of a training school, launch of 9 calls for STSMs (Short-term scientific missions) with 31 grants awarded, launch of 5 calls for the participation at international conferences with 7 grants awarded, organization of 3 thematic workshops, publication of 5 state-of-the-art reports, co-organization of conferences, publication of scientific articles and presentation of the network in several international events.
The next event of CONTEXT is foreseen to take place in Paris, in February 2022.
