IDEAM (Irish Digital Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing) Cluster is an innovative national industry cluster located in the heart of the Mid-West region of Ireland supporting businesses to collaborate, innovate and grow. IDEAM is hosted at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) and assists manufacturing SMEs in digital transformation and our core aim is to unlock new opportunities for industry by working collectively. TUS has vast expertise in collaborating with industry on specific supports to the growth of advanced manufacturing in the region and nationally.

IDEAM is currently funded under the RTCF cluster programme and provides a platform for engagement between enterprise and regionally-based academic institutions to drive productivity and competitiveness across the regions and is overseen by Enterprise Ireland. The cluster brings together industry, academia and government to represent the needs of the digital engineering and advanced manufacturing ecosystem in Ireland.

IDEAM act as a one-stop-shop for Manufacturing SMEs in all aspects of digital transformation with a regional lens, but a national/international focus. Furthermore, IDEAM engages with over 100 SMEs on: up-skilling and innovation initiatives, R&D collaborations, internationalisation and funding and community of practice activities to prepare those organisations for opportunities in Digitalisation and Green transition of Manufacturing.

Slovene Textile Association is a nonprofit organization with a long history, reaching back to 1953 established as the Association of Slovene Textile Engineers and Technicians. Association’s goal was to network and strengthen links between textile companies, academia, stakeholders and other governmental communities. In the past, STA was hosting congresses, and organizing events, meetings, and excursions. Since 2009, it was renamed to Slovene Textile Association, has changed the business activities, but stayed focused on its primerly goal- networking.

Today STA is focused on networking and connecting professionals and experts, active in Slovenian clothing, textile and leather companies but also bringing together people from universities and research organizations. The organization is in contact with different small and medium-sized textile companies and is always trying to recognize what are the current needs of the textile industry. Through thematic events, workshops, and meetings, STA is trying to take care of the textile supply chain in the region, keeping links with the Chamber of commerce of Slovenia strong.

STA is a co-founder of the national textile journal Tekstilec (www.tekstilec.si), the journal for professional and scientific papers. 

Recently, STA has organized few events, like »Day of Slovene Textile People« and textile workshop for textile companies. Today, STA is involved into 2 different Erasmus projects, Di4TEX – Fostering digital transformation in the textile industry and TEXAS – Textile Game of Sustainability, with goal of creating a digital interactive educational tool, adressing sustainability issuses, carbon emission and resource conservation in textile industry.