European UPWEARS Project Develops Bio-Based Smart Textiles for Environmental Monitoring
The European UPWEARS project, funded by the Horizon Europe program, is developing a new generation of technical textiles using bio-based resources such as flax, hemp, and cork. This four-year project, running from September 2024 to August 2028 with a budget of 7.8 million euros, involves 14 academic and industrial partners from seven countries. The initiative aims to create high-performance, smart, and environmentally friendly textiles by integrating plant-based fibers with microelectronics and artificial intelligence. Researchers at FEMTO-ST, a partner in the project, are contributing to understanding the mechanical behavior of plant fibers and developing microelectronic functions for textiles. This includes studying how plant fibers respond to their hygrothermal environment using X-ray microtomography and integrating gas microsensors directly into textiles to monitor exposure to pollutants. These sensors, made from bio-based materials like lignin, are designed to be compact, energy-efficient, and capable...
