Q&A with Aneta Kartali 

Following the session, we caught up with Aneta to discuss the specific advancements STREP is bringing to the table and how these “trailblazing” European projects are beginning to connect.

1. How would you describe the overall energy and atmosphere of the Digital Transformation Summit 2026 in Madeira?
This year’s Digital Transformation Summit organizing committee did an amazing job. The event was very well coordinated, with highly relevant and well-structured sessions that sparked a lot of fruitful discussions. The Summit addressed the EU’s digital strategy, along with current progress and future plans for reaching digitalization goals. It brought together representatives from the European Commission, governments, academia, and industry, creating an environment where different perspectives could connect. This is crucial for bridging the gap between policy, research, and real-world implementation. Furthermore, the talks and workshops covered a wide range of topics, from technology to skills and inclusion. Overall, the atmosphere was collaborative, forward-looking, and focused on practical impact.

2. Your workshop focused on “weaving interoperability”. How do AI, Digital Twins, and Digital Product Passports work together to solve the industry’s waste problem?
AI, Digital Twins, and Digital Product Passports each play a different role, but together they create a more connected system. AI helps identify materials, detect defects, and support automated sorting of textile waste. Digital Twins allow simulation of processes and better planning of production and recycling steps. Digital Product Passports store key information about a product, such as material origin and lifecycle events, making it easier to track and manage. When these tools are connected, data can flow across the entire value chain. This makes it easier to reuse materials, reduce waste, and improve decision-making. In simple terms, they help turn fragmented processes into a more coordinated and efficient system.

3. Given your work with the STREP project, how do technologies like RFID and distributed ledgers help build the transparency needed for a truly circular value chain?
Technologies like RFID and distributed ledger help reliable tracking of products throughout their lifecycle, which STREP actively puts into practice. RFID tags allow quick identification and access to product information at different stages, from production to reuse and recycling. More importantly, they are suitable for industrial environments, making traceability more realistic and easier to implement in the end-of-life stages of a product’s lifecycle. Additionally, distributed ledger technology ensures that this information is stored securely and cannot be easily changed. This builds trust between different actors in the value chain, as everyone can rely on the same data. It also helps verify claims about materials, origin, and recycling processes. With better transparency, it becomes easier to sort, reuse, and recycle products correctly. This is essential for making circular systems work in practice.

4. You shared the stage with several other European initiatives; what was the most important synergy or lesson learned from collaborating with projects like I4AITEX or TEXP@CT?
One of the main lessons was that no single solution is enough on its own. The I4AITEX project focuses on advanced sorting and detection, while TEXP@CT works on smart manufacturing and data-driven production. When combined, these approaches cover different parts of the value chain. STREP brings another important aspect by focusing on traceability at the end of life, where information is often lost as products are transformed and recycled. This is where traceability becomes most fragile, and where systems need to ensure that key information is preserved even when product identity changes. The key synergy comes from connecting these solutions through shared data and standards. This enables interoperability, allowing systems to work together instead of in isolation. Another important takeaway is the role of collaboration in speeding up adoption. Working together helps move from research to real-world use more effectively.

5. As someone bridging the gap between PhD research and real-world engineering, what is the biggest shift we will see in “smart sorting” and garment recovery over the next few years?
The biggest shift will be moving from manual and semi-automated sorting to fully data-driven and automated systems. AI-based vision systems will become more accurate in identifying materials and product conditions. At the same time, more products will carry digital information through physical tags and digital passports, making them easier to track and process. Projects like STREP show exactly how combining academic research with industrial experience can make this possible. By integrating advanced recycling technologies with strong digital infrastructure developed by Zentrix Lab, these systems can work reliably in real environments. This will lead to better integration between sorting, disassembly, and recycling processes. Overall, this shift will help retain material value, improve recovery rates, and make the overall system more efficient and scalable.

Missed the workshop? What’s Next?

We have a full calendar of events coming up very soon where we will continue to showcase our advancements in human-centric digital systems and textile circularity.

Stay tuned to our channels for updates on where you can find us next!