Alcoy (or Alcoi) is a city with 60.000 inhabitants in the Comunitat Valenciana (Spain). It is located between Valencia and Alicante, with good communications, especially by a central highway in Spain. The city has a more than 750 years of history, always being an industrial hub, in which textiles have been the main activity during the centuries. The industrial activity in Alcoy started in the 15th century, a long trajectory that peaked in the industrial revolution. It was one of the first cities in Spain where it started, thanks to the nearby rivers. The textile industry has always been important, employing today about a 27% of the workforce. Textiles are also the main exports of Alcoy.
The head office of the textile technological centre AITEX, also a long-time member of ACTE , is also located in Alcoy. The Polytechnic University of Valencia has a campus in Alcoy that offers Masters and PhD in Textile Engineering. There is also a vocational training centre that offers textile studies as well and the School of Arts and Design of Alcoy, which offers fashion studies.