STAND Project Launches: Smart Textiles for Better Diabetic Foot Care
The STAND project has officially begun. Over the next 44 months, partners from across Europe will work together to develop innovative smart textile technologies that could help people living with diabetes to better monitor their foot health and reduce the risk of serious complications.
Why is STAND needed?
Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and is increasing across Europe. One of the most common complications is diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a condition that reduces sensation in the feet. When people can no longer easily feel pain, pressure, heat, or injury, small problems can go unnoticed and may develop into diabetic foot ulcers. These ulcers can lead to lengthy treatment, reduced mobility, hospitalisation, and in severe cases, amputation.
Early identification of potential problems is therefore critical. However, current monitoring approaches often rely on periodic clinical appointments or visual self-inspection, meaning warning signs may be missed before visible damage occurs.
What is STAND?
STAND (Sensing Textiles Enabled with Advanced Novel Materials for Diabetic Foot Care) aims to develop a new generation of wearable smart textile technology that can continuously monitor factors associated with diabetic foot complications.
At the heart of the project is the vision of creating a Smart Sock that combines:
- Advanced functional materials
- Textile-integrated sensors
- Flexible electronics
- Artificial intelligence
- Human-centred design principles
The system will be designed to monitor parameters such as pressure, and other clinically relevant parameters across different areas of the foot, providing valuable information that could support earlier identification of potential risks.
Importantly, STAND is not only focused on technology performance. The project is also committed to creating solutions that are comfortable, practical, sustainable, and acceptable to the people who will ultimately use them. Patients, clinicians, researchers, and industry partners will work together throughout the project to help ensure the technology meets real-world needs.
A Successful Start
The project officially started on 1 June 2026 and has already completed its initial mobilisation phase.
During the first weeks of the project:
- The consortium held its General Assembly meeting at Coventry University’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME).
- Governance and management procedures were established.
- Detailed work plans were created for all technical activities.
- Risk management processes were implemented.
- Ethics and compliance activities were initiated.
- The contractual framework for collaboration was finalised.
These activities provide the foundation for the scientific and technical work that will begin in the coming months.
Looking Ahead
The next phase of the project will focus on developing the advanced materials, smart textile components, sensing technologies, artificial intelligence methods, and prototype systems that underpin the STAND vision. Researchers will also begin engaging with patients and healthcare professionals to ensure the technology is shaped by user needs from the earliest stages of development.
Through innovation in advanced materials, wearable electronics, digital health, and sustainable design, STAND aims to contribute to improved diabetic foot care and strengthen Europe's leadership in smart textile technologies.
Follow the STAND website and social media channels for updates as the project progresses.