As there are many small and medium sized companies in the German textile industry, they all cooperate together to carry out research projects for the enhancement of their business competitiveness, using the Textile Research Council of Germany as a core. The Textile Research Council consists of 21 member organizations which are the Central Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, the regional and trade associations as well as research institutes, with more than 1,500 member companies which are mostly counted as small and medium sized enterprises.

Each year, this council promotes 50 to 60 research projects with a total value of 12 million euros, with research support provided by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology of Germany. Each project is implemented in cooperation with 17 domestic affiliated textile research institutes (public and private research institutes and universities) and organizations from other textile-related fields such as chemical fiber, dyeing finishing and textile machinery, and new technologies as research findings contribute to maintaining the textile industry in Germany. It is mainly engaged in domestic joint research, but collaboration with other European countries is possible, depending on research themes.

The council has chosen five themes, "health," "mobility," "safety," "communication" and "feeling" as higher needs in the future, and has been promoting the following researchs as part of related research and development.

(1) Development of textile absorbed into the body

• Development of textile which can be absorbed into the body (applications for regenerative medicine), which contributes to regeneration of nerve tissues (self-assembly).

(2)Development of textile with lightweight structure and pursuit of comfort

• Development of light-weight fiber-reinforced material for automobiles to contribute to improved fuel economy. By using carbon fibers, reducing the weight by about 30% and manufacturing cost by about 40% is the goal.
• Improvement of comfort and functionality of car seats. Use of spacer fabric and integration of electronics systems for textile materials (heating function, noise-reduction and enhanced safety).

(3)Examination of landscape preservation using textile

• Greening and prevention of degradation by using geotextile (grid, net and drainage). Textiles for vegetation used in urban areas and for prevention of levee erosion.

(4)Development of home textiles with protective and signal functions

• Improvement of textile product functionality through integration of textiles and electronics. Development of high-function carpets with sensors and light-emitting diodes (function control and measurement).

(5)Examination of functional cyclodextrin added textile

• Development of surface-processed textile with cyclodextrin with new functions (application for medical, nursing care and health areas).