A new program launched in the UK aims at improving speed, productivity and sustainability in the clothing supply chain. The program, called Future Fashion Factory, is exploring ways to introduce new technology into the design process, shorten lead times and reduce waste. It has been set up to drive the UK’s economic growth by developing new products and services, creating new jobs and developing skills.

Future Fashion Factory is set to run until 2023 and has industry-wide backing, from companies making British yarns and fabrics – such as cashmere manufacturer Joshua Ellis and woolen mill AW Hainsworth – to some big retailers and brands, including Burberry.

Future Fashion Factory is expected to transform the UK industry’s capacity for new product innovation and create circular fashion technologies that reduce lead times and waste within the design process. The aim is to create a platform through which new technologies and processes can be developed and implemented.

The program’s focus includes developing data analytics and AI tools, and to help designers with decision making. It will also look at where waste is created in the production cycle, and examine ways to close the loop, developing new product designs that minimise waste at the end of product life, and making recycling easier and more effective.