In April European Parliament President Antonio Tajani stated that the Brexit process may be overturned if the June election brings in a new British government. Election day is drawing near and at the moment there are more debates about the pros and cons of Brexit.
All eyes are on the effects of leaving the single market, but not many people out there have highlighted the fact that, among the cons of Brexit, there is the potential loss of the collaborative projects between different Europe-based institutions and private partners to develop innovative technologies and products funded by the European Union.
In 2012 for example the EU issued a call for a research into collaborative interactive experiences that encouraged companies from different sectors to work together. 
The result was the CREATIF project that in 2013 featured three creative partners, Diffus Design (DK), Base Structures (UK) and Zaha Hadid Architects, and four technical and research based partners, Grafixoft (BG), a digital design software developer, the Institut für Textiltechnik Aachen (DE), specialised in fabric machine design, the University of Southampton (UK) where its department of Electronics and Computer Science has been researching printed electronics and sensors for 30 years (and focused its attention on printed smart fabrics in the last few years…), and Ardeje (FR), an SME specialised in advanced inkjet printers.
The project revolved around smart textiles and the possibility of creating digital software design tools coupled with digital dispenser printers to create interactive print on textile.
The final aim was creating a smart fabric printer that may allow users to print active electronic materials in the form of inks/pastes and design therefore prototype surfaces that could emit light, change colour or produce sounds (imagine being able to print touch sensors and interactive light directly on fabric and you get the idea…). The partners hoped to be able to produce interactive modular blinds and interactive exhibition spaces.
The project received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration.
Fans of the technology and design connection will be happy to know that the advanced smart fabric prototype is ready. It contains planar electronics alongside standard graphical designs. Coloured ink and smart ink are integrated within this 3 m wide poster that makes the prototype the world’s largest printed smart fabric at the moment. The large-format printer can print proximity sensors which control the intensity of sound and light emitted from an adjacent cube. The activation sensitivity of the printed sensors is adaptable using the software developed by the CREATIF team.
The smart fabric prototype poster with interactive light and sound control is on display at the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery (101 Goswell Road, London, EC1V 7EZ) throughout the London Festival of Architecture (until 30th June). But the question for those ones visiting it at the moment shouldn't be how did they manage to develop this prototype or which will be the final opportunities that it will offer to designers, but what will happen to major creative ventures reuniting several European partners and employing European Union funds if the Brexit process is not interrupted.
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