Organized by the Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association (UTİB) under the coordination of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) and with the support of the Ministry of Trade, applications are now open for the 7th TechXtile Challenge Design Competition. This year’s competition, held under the main theme of “efficiency,” is calling for innovative projects in critical areas such as added value in textiles, digitalization, university–industry collaboration, advanced materials, process and production technologies, environment and sustainability, technical textiles, localization and national production, post-pandemic solutions, and technologies for earthquake resilience. Participants can apply through TechXtile’s official website until October 3, 2025.
Candidates who pass the pre-selection stage will benefit from training and mentorship opportunities and will have the chance to present their projects to a jury of industry leaders, investors, and academics. The final and award ceremony will take place on March 26, 2026. In addition to the awards for the top three projects in each category, the Bahar Korçan Sustainability Special Award and the Women Entrepreneur Special Award will also be presented.
The competition consists of two categories: Level-Up and Scale-Up. The Level-Up category supports initiatives at the idea stage in their productization journey, while the Scale-Up category helps ventures that have already developed a product or service to strengthen their position in the market.
The competition is open to a wide audience, from professionals in the textile industry to academics, R&D staff, designers, entrepreneurs, and students. Any citizen of the Republic of Türkiye aged 18 and above can apply individually or as a team. Participants are expected to present original and innovative projects for the textile sector, and selected projects will have the opportunity to be further developed with the support of training and mentorship programs.
“More than a competition, a vision platform shaping the future of the industry”
Commenting on the competition, UTİB President Pınar Taşdelen Engin underlined that the TechXtile Challenge is more than just a competition—it is a vision platform shaping the future of the Turkish textile industry. Engin stated: “As UTİB, we lead the way in bringing innovative ideas to life, in connecting young designers and entrepreneurs with the sector, and in strengthening the culture of R&D and design.” She emphasized that the textile industry plays a driving role in Türkiye’s exports, adding: “The awareness and added value created by design give us a competitive edge globally. In the coming period, we wholeheartedly believe that through this competition more entrepreneurs will develop projects in areas ranging from sustainability to digitalization, and that they will position Türkiye as one of the leading countries in global textiles.”