Industry–Academia Collaboration to Nurture
Next‑Generation Creative Talent

Toray's industry–academia collaboration gives students of fashion and product design the opportunity to directly see, touch, and create with our advanced materials.

Launched in 2017, the initiative has run for nearly a decade and stands as one of Toray's signature social contribution programs. Through special lectures and the free provision of textiles, we support the development of young designers at institutions across a wide range of disciplines.

Ultrasuede® — our high-performance, suede-like artificial leather — has been at the heart of many of these collaborations, spanning institutions not only in Japan but in China, Europe, and the United States, supporting creativity and learning on a global scale.

Sustainability is built into the program from the ground up. Many of the textiles provided are repurposed from in-house test fabrics, samples, and surplus materials — contributing to resource efficiency and the broader goal of a circular society.

The result is a meaningful cycle of value: students gain hands-on experience with advanced, high-performance materials, while those materials find new expressions through the creativity of the next generation.