The textile and clothing industry has a long history in Switzerland. In order to remain competitive in the international market, the industry relies on innovations. The “SUBITEX – Sustainable Biomedicine Textiles” research initiative was set up by Empa and Swiss Textiles, the Swiss textile industry association, for this very purpose. Through innovative approaches and knowledge transfer, researchers and players in the industry are working tirelessly together to promote innovations in the field of biomedical textiles, and to bring them to the market more rapidly.