Added: Jul 20, 2021
Last edited: Oct 04, 2022
Established in 2016 in the Netherlands, Makers Unite is a creative platform and social enterprise that works with skilled newcomers arriving in the Netherlands who have a refugee background. They create sustainable products by upcycling secondary materials, such as life-vests discarded on Greek shores. Through these products, they aim to provide a powerful positive message and facilitate dialogue about how migration can be an asset to society. In doing so, Makers Unite also strives to encourage circular design and business models, and for the circular transition to be more inclusive.
Makers Unite employs thirteen people today in the Netherlands, of which seven are part of their office team, including a CEO and founder, an impact strategist, and roles in accounting, business development, communication strategy, social media and partnerships management. Production is led by their in-house team of six, including a product development manager together with a product developer and a designer, an atelier manager, a tailor and a supply chain planner; who collaborate with international brands, like Ben and Jerry’s and Filling Pieces among others, on the co-creation of product collections. In parallel to their in-house production, the social enterprise runs a Creative Lab: a six-week programme offered for free to skilled newcomers in textile crafts, to support the development of skills to ease their transition into further employment or training opportunities in the Netherlands. To date, 153 people have participated in the Creative Lab with a 66% match rate going onto their next professional or educational steps.
When looking into the future of the circular clothing sector in the Netherlands by 2050, Makers Unite aims to transition its current model into a concept design and repair model, based in the Netherlands but with an international perspective—ensuring the model is replicable in other geographies. This concept is built on three main pillars:
1. Fostering social inclusion
2. Innovating in education
3. Improving technological capacity
Nevertheless, implementing such a concept creates certain challenges that require new skills and additional roles to be developed within their operations. Some of these challenges are:
- Becoming a self-sustaining organisation by moving away from a sole dependence on grant funding and developing formalised commercial income.
- Establishing long-lasting partnerships and relationships with government and academic institutions to support up- and re-skilling of the workforce to meet future skills needs.
- Improving operational and logistics activities by preparing the organisations to be fit for a future where skilled trades are deeply interconnected to new technologies and software development.
- Incentivising repair business models by moving away from today's throwaway culture and consumption behaviour.
ADDITIONAL ROLES AND SKILLS
Data scientists and analysts will play a key role across every stage of the business model, being able to monitor and utilise data collected from users or repair activities to understand and improve decision making for design and processes. Through research, several ICT roles have been identified as key missing occupations throughout apparel and footwear businesses. These could be, for example, related to data monitoring of use and repair activities, data analysis of business/operational information, virtual design, programming operations and the automation of assembly and manufacturing tasks.
Sustainability and innovation managers, although present today, are both roles that will require relevant changes in terms of the skills needs. Firstly, it is expected that these roles will become much more data-driven—therefore, analytical skills become key. Additionally, the recognition that technological, environmental and social innovation are intrinsically related, calls for skills in communication and collaboration, as well as attitudes that encourage openness to feedback and an ability to guide and give colleagues and partners ownership of the innovation processes.
Logistics and customer communications expect shifts in their operations in future business models. Decentralised and on-demand digitised logistics and further customisation, along with new online service offers in customer relationships will require the development of collaboration and listening skills, as well as flexible attitudes that can handle uncertainty.
The transition of design, product development and tailoring roles away from new manufacturing towards repair and remanufacturing activities may require the development of an understanding of aesthetic trends in this field. This may also entail the additional role of fashion stylist within repair facilities. Digital skills in 3D garment construction, digital design, pattern cutting and prototyping will also be required across these activities.
Reusable, recyclable materials and inputs
Product maintenance, repair
Self-repair, spare part service
Refurbishment, remanufacturing, renovation
Own brand second-hand sale
Closed loop collection
Leasing, rental, pay per use
Sale of durable, long-lasting goods
Design for recycling
Design for repair