The Prato Textile District is today one of the most important textile and apparel production hubs in Europe and the world. With over 7,000 active companies and nearly 43,000 employees, it represents a deeply rooted, dynamic, and highly integrated industrial ecosystem within the economic and social fabric of the region.

With 198,000 residents, 125 nationalities, and the highest proportion of foreign citizens in Italy, Prato is an open, multicultural city where manufacturing tradition and innovation have coexisted for centuries.

In the textile sector:

• 7,119 active companies
• 2,548 textile businesses
• 4,571 apparel businesses
• €2.3 billion in annual exports
• 3% of total European textile production.

From Rag Recycling to Circular Economy 

Born in the Middle Ages and fully developed in the post-war period, the Prato textile district has reinvented itself many times, making material regeneration one of its core values. Since the mid-19th century, with the reuse of rags, Prato laid the foundations for a system that is now at the forefront of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

This production model is built on small specialized enterprises, supply chain collaboration, and flexible organization. It's a system that has weathered crises and continuously evolved by investing in quality, innovation, circular economy, and social responsibility.

Today, Prato is at the heart of the ecological and digital transition, an active member of the European NetZero Cities program, and a leading laboratory for experimenting with the circular economy in the textile sector. Here, ethical fashion is created, processes are innovated, fibers are recovered, and future skills are developed. Now more than ever, the District stands as a European benchmark for sustainable production and industrial regeneration.

Prato Textile District Board

 The Prato Textile District Board is a strategic initiative established to support the ecological and digital transition, as well as the innovation of businesses in Prato’s textile sector.

Established by a Memorandum of Understanding signed on September 16, 2022, the board brings together the City of Prato, key business associations (Confindustria Toscana Nord, CNA Toscana Centro, Confartigianato Prato), and trade unions (CGIL, CISL, UIL).

Initially, the board was created to ensure the transparent, efficient, and effective management and allocation of the una tantum €10 million fund allocated by the Italian government in 2023. Over time, it has evolved into a permanent platform for dialogue and coordination, embracing a broad and shared vision of the challenges facing the textile sector and the wider Tuscan fashion system. The board now addresses strategic issues for the future of the region.