Promoting innovation in the fashion industry to support active ageing: can independent European centres take the leadership?

Purpose of the paper: Aim of the paper is to identify, at a European level, how many and which are the independent innovation centres working in the field of fashion, their contribution to the sector’s innovation and how they consider the needs of the elderly. Methodology: The empirical analysis uses a mixed method that combines a desk analysis on the websites of European independent innovation centres with a qualitative survey with open-ended questions and in-depth interviews with experts. Findings: The analysis highlights on the one side that independent centres active in the field of fashion and textile are involved in multiple activities towards innovation for social inclusion but on the other how only a few consider over65 population as a specific target. The findings highlight the potential of applying to this segment skills and innovations already tested in other social areas and for other creative industries. Research limits: The research only investigates independent innovation centres. Future research developments could usefully examine and integrate the perspective of large fashion companies and that of business operating in market segments whose products have technical features that could be easily transferred to the silver market. Practical implications: The study highlights the potential of the silver market for fashion and suggests practical implications for independent innovation centres to encourage greater attention and the development of activities and products specifically dedicated to this target. Originality of the paper: Despite the relevance for the fashion industry of the European over65 market, so far there has been little interest from the literature towards the fashion silver economy in relation to the analysis of both demand needs and product innovation processes aimed at to satisfy these needs, with reference to the places where such innovation processes can more easily take place.