Desenvolvimento de um laboratório virtual para a otimização de produtos têxteis funcionais e sustentáveis em opensource

The important challenges addressed by the proposed research in a nutshell: the proposed digital platform undoubtedly contributes to the digital and green transition of the textile and clothing sector, it is a sustainable model of exploitation, and it is an interesting asset for the recovery of cork and agri-food industries waste which, aligns with circular economy concept. A comprehensive explanation follows. The primary objective of the project is to develop a web platform tailored for technicians and product researchers in the textile industry, in alignment with the European Digital Transition Strategy. The platform's design and functionalities will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the sector, with the active participation of key stakeholders. This collaborative approach will facilitate training sessions for the Portuguese textile sector, fostering capacity building initiatives. Moreover, the web platform will contribute to the twin priority, i.e., the Green Transition. By accelerating the development of advanced textile products and facilitating virtual prototyping and testing, the platform will significantly reduce material consumption and ecological footprint in the R&D process. Additionally, the platform will enable optimization of textile dyeing processes using natural dyes. In this project robust processes of bio-dyeing will be developed through eco-friendly extraction processes leveraging by-products from the cork and agri-food industries. This initiative promises a significant shift in the sector's operational paradigm towards sustainability. The proposed transfer of expertise from academia to industry is an ambitious task, but it will be successful due to the complementary background of the consortium. Other ambitious objectives are the development of new predictive models (i.e., considering different clothing fits and the bio-dyeing process) and the novel process of textiles bio-dyeing. Other relevant outputs of the project will be attained: 1) Upskilling of human resources of the Portuguese textile and clothing sector. The frontend of the VirtualTextiLab will be in Portuguese, and it is schedule to produce a User Guide and video tutorials to guide the end-user. Furthermore, the consortium will hold a series of workshops to instruct/coach the companies ́ end-users about the potential applications of the VirtualTextiLab tool. 2) Internationalization of VirtualTextiLab modules. To reach a wide range of end-users interested in either applied or fundamental research, the code will be made available in open-access databases and tutorial videos for each module will be put in online video platforms (e.g., YouTube). 3) Experimental data of textiles bio-dyed to validate numerical predictions. 4) A database of gears and protective clothing, as well as representative boundary conditions of human activities (e.g., laying down, running). Expected theses and funding schedule: 3 Master theses (1 thesis/year), 2 PhD theses (one concluded another starting at year 2, and 1 international project submitted.