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Introducing the SoftIE project

SoftIE or Materials for Sustainable Soft Technologies of Interconnected E-Textiles is a Horizon Europe funded project under the call for Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for comfortable, flexible or stretchable electronics.

SoftIE aims to address the lack of standardisation in connectivity which constraints the future of wearable technology by developing a garment interconnection ecosystem which allows developers and manufacturers to have a common standard with which to amalgamate their technologies with other manufacturers and enable a unified approach to future e-textile applications.

Imagine a world where your smart clothing charges as easily as your phone, transfers data seamlessly, and connects to any device without fuss. Right now, e-textiles—the future of wearable technology—are held back not by innovation, but by a lack of standardization in connectivity.

Just as the USB revolution enabled the explosive growth of consumer electronics and reuse of devices by providing a universal interface, a unified textile connector (USB compatible) could be the tipping point that moves e-textiles from niche prototypes to everyday products. Without it, manufacturers face fragmentation, consumers face incompatibility, and the industry stalls before it even reaches mainstream adoption.

SoftIE provides a ubiquitous connector solution to e-textiles via a USB compatible standard using novel soft and flexible materials and adhesives that allow interchangeable interposer layers tailored to specific textile/e-textile substrates.

Novel printed copper interconnects, encapsulation materials and adhesives designed for sustainability mean that the system can be removed and recycled or re-used at end of life and help tackle the unanswered question of where do all these e-textiles go?

To ensure this long-term vision, SoftIE will develop a novel 2D flexible connector which overcomes the current problems of comfort and interoperability within the nascent e-textiles industry. There have been numerous attempts to launch e-textiles with differing levels of success but mostly restricted to niche areas of particular businesses such as sportswear or fashion, but primary limiting factors are typically mechanical weakness and discomfort caused by the transition from hard electronics to soft fabric and the lack of standardisation in the manufacturing leading to higher costs and siloing of products.

In addition, a key focus of the work is to ensure that the connector and associated interconnects infrastructure is sustainable by design; specifically focusing on the materials used, the manufacturing processes and the subsequent end-of-life requirements. This holistic approach to the system development will allow for a novel e-textile interconnection system that will finally unlock the potential of e-textiles in a sustainable manor.