SmartX Innovation Hub at Industry Space Days 2026
On 16-17 September 2026, our Senior Manager Smart & Technical Textiles Judith Bosch represented SmartX Innovation Hub at ESA Industry Space Days, at ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk.
Day one focused on listening: the role of composites and advanced textile solutions in space applications, and what the sector actually needs. The B2B networking area made those exchanges concrete, connecting textile expertise with companies working on spacecraft, subsystems and mission requirements. The programme also covered international cooperation, including the challenges and opportunities of working with Canada.
On day two, textiles moved to the centre of the discussion at "From Space to Textile and Back: Opportunities for Technology Transfer", organised by STAM, ESA Technology Broker Italy. Judith presented insights from the ETP Advanced Technical Textiles Roadmap, covering aerospace opportunities, industrial challenges and the need for coordinated action across the value chain. She also joined the panel on barriers, enablers and project opportunities.
A recurring point across both days: in space applications, as in medical devices or robotics, the textile structure sits inside a larger engineering system and is rarely the visible part. Its value depends on qualification requirements, consistent production and integration by partners who do not think in textile terms. Technology transfer here is less about proving that a material works and more about translating between two industries with different standards and timescales.
The event was also a chance to reconnect with SmartX members and test textile expertise against concrete space-sector needs.
