There is fierce competition in the textile industry, not least from Asian manufacturers. To make East German companies fit for the future, more than 170 companies, research institutions, and associations have bundled their know-how in the project futureTEX. They develop new concepts and ideas together. How can the transformation to Factory 4.0 be brought about? How can fabrics be manufactured sustainably? And which products can attract customers in the future? The textile industry has long offered much more than just fashion, making everything from lightweight materials for car bodies to intelligent plasters that send health data to doctors.