Enterprise Europe Network helps Greek textiles firm push the boundaries of innovation

Growing a business abroad is exciting, but potentially risky. But one EU-funded network is bringing together international expertise with local contacts to help businesses innovate and make the step up to the next level.

In the suburb of Acharnes near Athens, Aliki Goritsa and Spyros Fragos are two engineers who are passionate about fabric and clothes.

They founded Pepper Vally in 2011. This Greek textile company uses traditional natural materials along with cutting-edge technology to create smart clothing.

Aliki and Spyros’ vision is to design and manufacture high-quality sustainable garments, and they are constantly innovating to make their ideas a reality, like swimwear that uses cotton instead of lycra or nylon. 

"We try to make innovations which are useful for the wearers in terms of skin safety and for the environment because every time you go in the sea or wash your clothes you have microplastics," said Aliki Goritsa. 

"And the innovation here is that we have a knit pattern that has holes and it is a 3D structure where the air can circulate and this makes the clothes dry easier."

Aliki and Spyros are ambitious and teamed up with the EU-funded Enterprise Europe Network, the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized businesses with international ambitions, to produce smart clothing prototypes that monitor biometric measurements using conductive, metallic yarn.

The garment resembles a sports top that monitors biometric measurements including cardio and respiration rate, and even your posture.

They worked with the Enterprise Europe Network to develop the Feel More Knitwear collection and pinpoint the right international partners.

"They helped us to navigate in this new field and also find the right