A shared innovation program that connects aligned brands, manufacturers, and innovators to co-develop, test, and validate next-generation textile materials, chemistries, and processes. Projects focus on practical application and aim to close the gap between lab-scale innovation and market-ready implementation.

• Brands of any size committed to responsible material use

• Textile producers and finishers open to testing and scaling alternatives

• Innovators seeking collaboration, testing environments, or pilot access

• NGOs and research institutions focused on industry transformation

• Actors across the value chain working to build circular systems, including logistics, collection, sorting, and recycling partners who enable post-consumer material flows and contribute to system-level traceability

• Access to vetted innovations and solution providers

• Facilitation of shared pilots and implementation roadmaps

• Expert-led testing protocols and substantiation frameworks

• Cost-sharing opportunities and reduced barriers to innovation

• Technical reporting and case study outputs

1. Scoping: We define a shared challenge or material focus based on aligned needs.

2. Partner Matching: Materia connects relevant innovators, suppliers, and brand teams.

3. Pilot Design: Collaborative roadmaps outline timelines, testing plans, and deliverables.

4. Implementation: Material development, processing trials, and performance testing take place.

5. Documentation & Insights: Learnings are consolidated into reports, guidelines, or white papers.

Too many promising solutions never reach implementation. The Pilot Collective helps SMEs reduce the cost, complexity, and risk of innovation by offering a collaborative path forward—grounded in transparency, traceability, and technical validation.

As part of Materia’s broader ecosystem—which includes the Innovators Pool, sustainable sourcing guidance, and substantiation tools—the Pilot Collective serves as the applied innovation engine, turning ambition into tested outcomes that contribute to measurable impact and align with emerging policy frameworks such as the EU Green Deal and PEFCR. The Pilot Collective helps SMEs reduce the cost, complexity, and risk of innovation by offering a collaborative path forward—grounded in transparency, traceability, and technical validation.

As part of Materia’s broader ecosystem—which includes the Innovators Pool, sustainable sourcing guidance, and substantiation tools—the Pilot Collective serves as the applied innovation engine, turning ambition into tested outcomes. The Pilot Collective helps SMEs reduce the cost, complexity, and risk of innovation by offering a collaborative path forward—grounded in transparency, traceability, and technical validation.