The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) is now working with IBM, Tech Data, and the Future Fashion Factory to design, prototype and pilot a new technology platform, with the aim to drive sustainability and profitability through increased transparency within the fashion supply chain. Retailers Next, H&M's COS brand, N Brown, New Look and yarn manufacturer Laxtons have confirmed participation in the initial pilot. 

A consortium will develop a data-driven technology platform to enable real-time decision making, effective track-and-trace and more sustainable choices in the UK fashion supply chain. The platform will help to meet the Government’s commitment to the development of new innovations of digital technology within UK manufacturing.

The Sustainable Supply Chain Optimisation project has been awarded £1.4m funding by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, on behalf of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge. The new technology platform will combine a number of emerging technologies like blockchain, AI and sensors to digitise the key processes in the supply chain creating a shared system of data that the different parties can trust and easily act upon.