SHUTTLE sees itself as a reaction to an altered framework concerning both social and business issues. The textile branch has undergone enormous changes in the last decades, and the classical textile educational program has hardly been able to keep up with these changes. The classic training still splits itself into clearly defined disciplines. Artistic-design orientated training programs and textile technical and industrial training programs hardly interact, even though in reality, the continuing existence of the shrinking European textile world can only occur when a strong networking of these different textile disciplines takes place. The main goal of SHUTTLE is to give insights into these different fields of textiles. In bringing together people with diverse educations, SHUTTLE aims to develop contacts and networks, encourage flexibility as well as addressing the questions of relevant social issues. The course participants will be given insights into various specialised areas of textiles, allowing them to independently gather expertise as well as discovering their own strengths and interests. Through a constantly changing pool of tutors, SHUTTLE should establish itself as a platform concerned with current developments and future-orientated issues related to textiles and the textile industry. It should be a state of the art discussion forum for both visionary concepts and work strategies within the textile branch.