Determinants affecting the current state and perspectives of development of textile and clothing industry clusters within the European Union

Abstract

The textile and clothing industry is one of the oldest industries ever, as the need for clothing is as old as human existence itself. Of course, the challenges and problems it faces are connected with this, currently primarily the environmental burden, the need for digitization, low wages for workers as well as the protection of brands and the development of the grey economy. With its positions, the European Union declares its interest in solving these issues. Many traditional companies are undergoing changes and there is a natural need for innovation, thus the textile and clothing industry is interfering with the creative industry. The barriers to innovation in this area are frequently small and medium-sized enterprises, which cannot solve many things and be competitive compared to large enterprises, but their flexibility and quick response to the changing needs of customers and the market give them advantages compared to the big ones. The possibilities of how smaller businesses can succeed and compete even in the long term are through clusters, which will provide them with the necessary scope, strength, and research, but at the same time keep them independent. In our contribution, we tried to find out the perspective of the development of textile and clothing industry clusters in Europe given the existing market situation and consumer expectations.