Scots and Chinese students in cashmere project

One of Scotland's pioneering cashmere firms, Johnstons of Elgin, has teamed up with Heriot-Watt University to take the talents of Scottish textile students to China

Students from Heriot Watt University's School of Textiles and Design have worked with counterparts from Beijing's Tsinghua University on a collaborative design project, sharing their extensive experience of working with the fabric with their Chinese peers.

Scotland's growing cashmere industry is worth an estimated 200 million a year to the Scottish economy, while China is fast emerging as a key market and producer of cashmere.

Yesterday education secretary Michael Russell toured an exhibition of the students' work in Beijing as part of his week-long trip to China. Mr Russell said: "The purpose of my visit is to promote educational and economical links between Scotland and China. This project captures this sentiment perfectly. (It] has showcased Scotland's talent, experience and expertise to one of the world's fastest growing economies."

Professor Alison Harley, Head of Heriot Watt's School of Textiles and Design, said: "We are delighted and honoured to be working in collaboration with Tsinghua University, which excels in art and design.

"The student design project provides an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange and for students from both countries to work together. We look forward to building future links through collaborations in teaching and research."

James Dracup, group managing director of Johnstons, said:

"We firmly believe that working in partnership with academic institutions brings real benefits to both sides. At Johnstons we have ongoing projects with several universities in a range of areas including design and creativity, supply chain and logistics, as well as energy usage and carbon footprint.

"Collaborative work presents an opportunity to improve our performance. This project offers the chance to work with the talented graduates who represent the future of our industry."