Collaborating with a Scottish heritage brand towards enhancing and preserving sustainable artisan hand-weaving practices through a knowledge transfer partnership.

Steed, Josie; Cross, Karen; Wilson, Beth

Abstract

This paper discusses a Knowledge Transfer Project (KTP) with a global Scottish heritage brand, which aimed to develop a year-round sustainable business model through a design-led approach to new product innovation that improves the brand's sustainability credentials. Sustainability in textile production is under increasing scrutiny from the media, governments, regulators and consumers, all demanding transparency in the supply chain. The company has an excellent track record of sustainable employment in rural communities, and through this project sought to improve their production processes and waste output. Sustainability is a vast topic, in which collaboration can help to address these key challenges. The company manages an artisan hand-weaving manufacturing system, where yarn production and fabric finishing are regulated by the 1993 Harris Tweed Act of Parliament that protects and restricts production to the Outer Hebrides. The success or failure of the Harris Tweed industry directly impacts the wider economy of the Outer Hebrides, which is considered "remote, rural [and] fragile" by UK and Scottish governments, and by their economic development agencies. The paper describes how academic/business collaboration can positively encourage innovation, and help reposition businesses within a changing economic and sustainable landscape that explores these new opportunities. The paper reflects on how KTPs are a mechanism with mutual benefits, where pooling individual knowledge and resources can develop strong, sustainable and authentic relationships, which can in turn provide tangible impacts of new knowledge generation and application within a scholarly and research context. These can be clearly aligned to notions of bringing value to the sector, users and the curriculum.

Citation

STEED, J., CROSS, K. and WILSON, B. 2023. Collaborating with a Scottish heritage brand towards enhancing and preserving sustainable artisan hand-weaving practices through a knowledge transfer partnership. Journal of textile design research and practice [online], 11(1-2): revised papers from the 5th Futurescan conference (Futurescan 5): conscious communities, 7-8 September 2022, Leeds, UK, pages 127-147. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/20511787.2023.2234650

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 5th Futurescan conference (Futurescan 5): conscious communities
• Acceptance Date: Jul 5, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jul 24, 2023
• Publication Date: Aug 31, 2023
• Deposit Date: Nov 9, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 9, 2023
• Journal: Journal of textile design research and practice
• Print ISSN: 2051-1787
• Electronic ISSN: 2051-1795
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 127-147
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/20511787.2023.2234650
• Keywords: Sustainable fashion; Sustainable industries; Textiles industry; Tweed; Knowledge transfer partnerships; Scotland
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2002472