Overview
The Alps are full of natural fibers: wool, hemp, flax, silk, and more — yet much of it never gets used. A fleece can be worth more as waste than as yarn, because the chain that once turned one into the other has broken apart. Mills have closed and skills have faded, so what fills the gap is imported material with a far heavier footprint, while the fiber the region already produces sits idle and rural economies keep thinning.
The WISER project sets out to put the pieces back together. Bringing together 11 partners from six Alpine countries, the project will map where fiber is produced and where the chain breaks, then reconnect the people who can close it: producers, artisans, designers, researchers, and small firms. Together, they will pilot products made from fiber that is regionally sourced, locally processed, and built to be repaired and recycled rather than thrown away. In three pilot regions, mobile transformation units will bring processing to where the fibre is, showing how circularity cuts waste and keeps value in the valley.
WISER treats skills as seriously as materials. Through workshops, exchanges, and storytelling, it will draw in young people from vocational schools, creative industries and mountain communities, linking traditional craft to new ideas so knowledge that nearly disappeared becomes the basis for future jobs. The project will also deliver toolkits, territorial maps, and practical resources that steer consumers and small firms towards circular choices — and will keep them open and usable well beyond the funding period.
Shared across borders, WISER aims to turn scattered local efforts into a working Alpine model, one that keeps the region’s own fibers, skills, and value where they belong.
Factsheet
- 2021 – 2027
- Carbon neutral and resource sensitive Alpine region
- SO 2.2 - Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy
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- 2.809.650 EUR
- 1.872.617 EUR
Partners
- Lead partner
- Switzerland
- Ostschweiz (CH05)
- Poschiavo
- Cassiano Luminati
- cassiano.luminati@polo-poschiavo.ch
- Germany
- Mittelfranken (DE25)
- Erlangen
- Tobias Chilla
- tobias.chilla@fau.de
- Italy
- Piemonte (ITC1)
- Torino
- Alessandro Bevilacqua
- bevilacqua@bellissimo.it
- Austria
- Vorarlberg (AT34)
- Feldkirch
- Hanna Öllös
- Hanna.ollos@cipra.org
- Switzerland
- Zentralschweiz (CH06)
- Luzern - Emmenbrücke
- Brigitt Egloff
- brigitt.egloff@hslu.ch
- Italy
- Liguria (ITC3)
- Genova
- Annalisa Cevasco
- esperti@anciliguria.eu
- Italy
- Veneto (ITH3)
- Belluno
- Edoardo Ebone
- edoardo.ebone@centroconsorzi.it
- Germany
- Oberfranken (DE24)
- Thurnau
- Mark Töpfer
- mark.toepfer@natuvalis.de
- France
- Rhône-Alpes (FRK2)
- Autrans-Méaudre en Vercors
- Martine Chaligné
- martine.chaligne@afrat.com
- Slovenia
- Vzhodna Slovenija (SI03)
- Šentilj v Slov.goricah
- Daniela Zavec
- daniela@titera.tech
- Slovenia
- Zahodna Slovenija (SI04)
- Bled
- Darko Ferčej
- isdslovenia@gmail.com
Outcomes
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Alpine natural-fibre ecosystem mapping for innovation paths and economic potentials
O1.1 synthesises the identified innovation paths, economic potentials & market needs to provide a shared analytical basis that co-designs WP2 pilots & informs WP3 capitalisation and uptake actions. It gives a transnational perspective on the Alpine natural-fibre ecosystems, covering actors, networks, cross-border linkages, markets & gaps across all value-chain stages. It supports evidence-based decision-making for circular product development and transferability of results across Alpine regions. -
Natural Fibres Pathways: Transnational pilot action implementing circular natural fibre product-development pathways
One transnational pilot action tested in 3 pilots jointly implemented by SMEs, research institutions, artisans and designers, fostering rural–urban collaboration and stimulating value-chain innovation through a shared circular product-development logic applied to Alpine fibre ecosystems (silk, wool, hemp, linen/flax & by-products). The pilots function as testbeds generating empirical evidence on sourcing, co-design, processing & circular valorisation, and provide the consolidated basis for O2.2. -
Natural Fibres Scheme: Assessed and consolidated circular natural fibre-based product development scheme for Alpine SMEs and territorial actors
A jointly developed transnational solution providing a replicable circular fibre-based product development scheme for Alpine SMEs and territorial actors. The scheme is participatory assessed and consolidated through target group involvement. Integrating design thinking, eco-design models and biodiversity data, it bridges knowledge gaps, aligns supply and demand, and supports sustainable innovation across fibre value chains, enhancing cooperation, consumer relevance and territorial impact. -
InfluenceWise: Capitalisation, communication and engagement tools supporting uptake of circular natural fibre practices
WP3 delivers capitalisation, communication and engagement tools translating WP1 findings and WP2 pilot evidence into uptake-oriented materials and heritage-based storytelling. It includes jointly developed communication guidelines and a practical toolbox for SMEs, supported by events and influencer actions aligned with EUSALP. The output strengthens awareness and replication of circular natural fibre practices and supports uptake of the WP2 solution.
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