Weaving the Gap: Giving a Place to Textile Design in Portuguese Higher Education

This preliminary research is part of a design investigation and seeks to examine the Portuguese higher education landscape in textile design and the challenges faced by the sector. The world is undergoing transformation, with an increase in problem complexity. Emerging challenges in sustainability, circular economy, decarbonization, and digital economy are impacting the textile industry. Textile designers must adapt their thinking and approach to address these challenges, making it crucial for higher education in textile design to keep pace with these changes. To determine the key competencies required by textile designers in their profession, a literature review and data collection were conducted, linking various research topics to stimulate reflection and open new perspectives in the field of research. The research concludes that there are essential skills for textile designers to effectively respond to these challenges. However, the availability of Portuguese higher education programs in textile design is limited. Bringing together textile design-focused education in a close partnership between academia and industry is imperative to prepare textile designers who will actively contribute to a circular economy and shape a promising future for the textile industry.