Textile Compasse

Textilkompassen is a cross-border research and development project investigating how the knowledge base for assessing and comparing textile fibres can be developed. The project takes current methods for environmental and sustainability assessment as its starting point and examines, in particular, which perspectives and values risk having limited impact in existing models.

The project focuses on the early stages of textile value chains – from soil, raw materials and production systems to fibre. Among other things, it studies land use, soil health, biodiversity, ecosystems, resource flows, circularity and the potential of regenerative production systems. The work relates to established methods and frameworks for life-cycle-based environmental assessment. The aim is to develop an open, transparent and science-based knowledge and decision-support tool that can contribute to more nuanced assessments of textile fibre and material choices. The project combines research and knowledge development with regional case studies, dialogue with industry, the public sector and fibre producers, as well as the development and testing of indicators and a digital prototype.

The project is being carried out as a Swedish-Norwegian collaboration between Mid Sweden University, IUC Jämtland Härjedalen, Nord University and Fibershed Norway during the period 2026–2029, with co-funding from Interreg Sweden–Norway, Region Jämtland Härjedalen and Trøndelag County Council.