Data Privacy Policy

General Information

RETRAKT is a research project on “Resilient Transformation Management for a Circular Economy in the Textile Industry”, led by FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management (non-profit limited company).
This website is operated by the project partner ITA – Institut für Textiltechnik at RWTH Aachen University, as stated in the imprint.

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously.
We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations as well as this privacy policy.

When you use this website, various personal data is collected.
Personal data refers to any data that can be used to personally identify you.

This privacy policy explains explains how we collect data, which kind of data is collected and for which purpose.

Please note that data transmission over the Internet (e.g. communication by e-mail) may be subject to security vulnerabilities.
Complete protection of data from access by third parties is not possible.

Legal Basis for the Processing of Personal Data

This website is part of RETRAKT, a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). The legal basis for the processing of personal data in this context is Art. 6(1)(e) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in conjunction with § 3 of the Data Protection Act of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (DSG NRW).

1. Responsibility according to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

1.1 Name and address of the person responsible for data processing

The person responsible within the meaning of the EU General Data Protection Regulation and other national data protection laws of the member states as well as other data protection regulations is:

Rector of RWTH Aachen University
Templergraben 55
52062 Aachen (physical address)
52056 Aachen (mailling address)
Germany
Telephone: +49 241 80-1

Email: rektorat@rwth-aachen.de
Website: www.rwth-aachen.de/rectorate

 

1.2 Data Processing Entity

ITA – Institut für Textiltechnik, RWTH Aachen University
Nicole Espey, M.A.
Otto-Blumenthal-Str. 1
52074 Aachen
Germany

Telephone: +49 241 80-23418
Mobile: +49 176 268 180 64
Email: Nicole.Espey@ita.rwth-aachen.de


1.3 Data Protection Officer

Data Protection Office of RWTH Aachen University
Templergraben 83
52062 Aachen (physical address)
52056 Aachen (mailing address)
Germany

Telephone: +49 241 80-94114
Email: dsb@rwth-aachen.de
Website: www.rwth-aachen.de/rectorate

 

2. General Information on Data Collection on Our Website

2.1 Type of Data Collection

Your data is collected, on the one hand, by you providing it to us.  This can be, for example, data that you enter into a contact form.
Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website. These are mainly technical data (e.g., internet browser, operating system, or time of page access). The collection of this data occurs automatically as soon as you access our website.

2.2 Purpose of Data Collection

Part of the data is collected to ensure the error-free provision of the website.
The temporary storage of the IP address by the system is necessary to enable delivery of the website to the user's computer. For this purpose, the user’s IP address must remain stored for the duration of the session.

The data is also used to optimize the website and to ensure the security of our IT systems.
The data is not evaluated for marketing purposes.

2.3 Duration of Storage

The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected.
For personal data entered into a contact form or sent by e-mail, this is the case once the respective communication with the user has ended, the user requests deletion, or withdraws consent to storage.

2.4 Your Rights

You have the right at any time to obtain information, free of charge, about the origin, recipient, and purpose of your stored personal data.
You also have the right to request correction, blocking, or deletion of this data.
Users may revoke their consent to the processing of personal data at any time.
You also have the right, under certain circumstances, to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
Furthermore, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

For this purpose, as well as for further questions on the subject of data protection, you may contact us at any time using the address provided in the imprint.

Further information on your rights can be found in Section 7 “Rights of the Data Subject.”



3. Website-Hosting

3.1 Web Hosting by External Providers

This website is hosted by the external service provider STRATO GmbH (Hosting).
Address: STRATO GmbH, Otto-Ostrowski-Str. 7, 10249 Berlin, Germany.

The personal data collected on this website are stored on the servers of STRATO GmbH (hosting provider). This may include, among other things, IP addresses, contact requests, metadata and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website access logs, and other data generated via a website.

The use of this hosting provider is based on the purpose of fulfilling contractual obligations towards our potential and existing users (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
Our hosting provider processes your data only to the extent necessary to fulfill its performance obligations and in accordance with our instructions regarding this data.

 

3.2 Data Processing Agreement

To ensure data processing in compliance with data protection regulations, we have concluded an order processing contract with STRATO GmbH.

3.3 SSL and TLS Encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content — for example, inquiries you send to us as the site operator — this site uses SSL or TLS encryption.
You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser’s address line changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol displayed in your browser bar.
When SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

 

4. Additional Data Collection on Our Website

4.1 Server Logfiles

The provider of the website automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. These include:

  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system used
  • Referrer URL
  • Hostname of the accessing computer
  • Time of the server request
  • IP address

These data are not merged with other data sources.
The collection of this data is based on Art. 6 (1) (e) GDPR in conjunction with § 58 DSG NRW (Data Protection Act of the North Rhine-Westphalia).

4.2 Cookies

This website uses cookies. Cookies are text files that are stored on the user’s computer system by the internet browser or transmitted from it.
When a user visits a website, a cookie may be stored on the user’s operating system.
This cookie contains a unique string of characters that allows the browser to be uniquely identified when the website is accessed again.

The following data are stored and transmitted in cookies:

  • Anonymous IDs to identify logged-in editors of the website
  • Consent to the use of external services

The legal basis for processing personal data using cookies is Art. 6 (1) (e) GDPR.
Where consent is obtained for the storage of cookies, the processing is based on Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

Cookies are stored on the user’s computer and transmitted from it to our site.
Therefore, as a user, you have full control over the use of cookies.
You can disable or restrict the transmission of cookies by changing the settings in your internet browser.
Cookies that have already been stored can be deleted at any time, including automatically.
If cookies are deactivated for this website, it may no longer be possible to use all functions of the website in full.

4.3 Contact Form

If you send us inquiries via a contact form, the information you provide in the inquiry form, including the contact details you supply, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing your inquiry and for potential follow-up questions. We do not share these data without your consent. The processing of this data is therefore based exclusively on your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
The data you provide in the contact form will remain with us until you request deletion, withdraw your consent to storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g., after your inquiry has been fully processed).
Mandatory legal provisions — in particular statutory retention periods — remain unaffected.

4.4 Inquiries by Email or Telephone

If you contact us by email or telephone, your inquiry, including all personal data resulting from it (e.g., name, inquiry content), will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not share these data without your consent. The processing of these data is therefore based exclusively on your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). The data you transmit in the context of contacting us will remain with us until you request deletion, withdraw your consent to storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g., after your request has been fully processed).
Mandatory legal provisions — in particular statutory retention obligations — remain unaffected.



5. Newsletter

5.1 Newsletter Data

If you wish to receive the newsletter offered on our website, we require an email address from you, as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the provided email address and that you agree to receive the newsletter. No further data are collected, or only on a voluntary basis. We use these data exclusively for sending the requested information and do not share them with third parties.
The processing of the data entered into the newsletter subscription form is based exclusively on your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). You may revoke your consent to the storage of your data, your email address, and its use for sending the newsletter at any time — for example, via the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter.
The lawfulness of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the withdrawal. The data you provide for the purpose of receiving the newsletter will be stored by us or the newsletter service provider until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and deleted after cancellation. Data stored by us for other purposes remain unaffected.

 5.2 Newsletter Service Provider

We regularly send newsletters on topics also featured on our website and linked within the newsletter. For the purpose of sending newsletters, we have concluded a data processing agreement with CleverReach GmbH & Co. KG:

CleverReach GmbH & Co. KG
Schafjückenweg 2
26180 Rastede, Germany
https://www.cleverreach.com/de-de/

 

6. Plugins und Tools

We integrate videos from the YouTube platform on our website. The provider is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
(YouTube is a service of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.)

When you visit one of our pages featuring a YouTube video, a connection to YouTube’s servers is established. The YouTube server is informed which of our pages you have visited.
If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouToube can directly associate your browsing behavior with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account before visiting our website. YouTube may also store cookies on your device or use similar technologies (e.g., device fingerprinting) to collect information about visitors. These data are used, among other purposes, to compile video statistics, improve user experience, and prevent fraud attempts.

We use YouTube in “extended data protection mode”, meaning that, according to YouTube, no information about visitors to this website is stored unless the video is played. Data transfer to YouTube only occurs once you actively start a video. We have no influence over this data transmission.

The use of YouTube is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in the appealing presentation of our online content. If consent has been requested (e.g., via a consent management tool), processing is based solely on Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR; consent can be withdrawn at any time.

It cannot be excluded that data may be transferred to servers of Google LLC in the United States. For the USA, an adequacy decision by the European Commission (“EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework”) is in place. Google LLC is certified under this framework.

For further information on data protection at YouTube, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

 

7. Rights of Data Subjects

If your personal data are processed, you are considered a data subject within the meaning of the GDPR, and you have the following rights vis-à-vis the controller:

7.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request confirmation from the controller as to whether personal data concerning you are being processed by RWTH Aachen University.

If such processing is taking place, you may request information on the following:

  1. the purposes for which the personal data are processed;
  2. the categories of personal data concerned;
  3. the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed;
  4. the planned duration of storage, or, if specific information is not available, the criteria used to determine the storage period;
  5. the existence of the right to rectification or erasure of your personal data, the right to restriction of processing by the controller, or the right to object to such processing;
  6. the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
  7. where the personal data were not collected from you, any available information on the origin oft he data;
  8. the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, pursuant to Art. 22 (1) and (4) GDPR, and — at least in those cases — meaningful information about the logic involved as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject.

You also have the right to be informed whether your personal data are transferred to a third country or to an international organization. In this context, you may request to be informed of the appropriate safeguards pursuant to Art. 46 GDPR relating to the transfer.

This right of access may be limited to the extent that it is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of research or statistical purposes and such limitation is necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.

7.2 Right to Rectification

You have the right to obtain from the controller without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data concerning you.
This right may be restricted if it is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of research or statistical purposes and such restriction is necessary for these purposes.

7.3 Right to Restriction of Processing

You may request restriction of the processing of your personal data under the following conditions:

  1. if you contest the accuracy of your personal data for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the data;
  2. the processing is unlawful, and you oppose the erasure of the personal data and request restriction of their use instead;
  3. the controller no longer needs the personal data for processing purposes, but you require them for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims; or
  4. you have objected to processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR and it has not yet been determined whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override yours.

Where processing has been restricted, such data may — apart from storage — only be processed with your consent, for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims, for the protection of another natural or legal person’s rights, or for reasons of important public interest of the Union or a Member State.

If the restriction of processing has been restricted in accordance with the above conditions, you will be informed by the controller before the restriction is lifted.
will be informed by the controller before the restriction is lifted.

Your right to restrict processing may also be restricted if it would make the fulfillment of research or statistical purposes impossible or seriously impair them.

7.4 Right to Erasure

7.4.1 Obligation to Erase

You have the right to request the immediate erasure of personal data concerning you, and the controller is obliged to erase such data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies:

  1. The personal data are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
  2. You withdraw your consent on which the processing is based pursuant to Art. 6 (1) a or Art. 9 (2) a GDPR, and there is no other legal ground for the processing.
  3. You object to processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR, and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or you object to processing pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.
  4. The personal data have been unlawfully processed.
  5. Erasure is required to fulfill a legal obligation under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject.
  6. The personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services pursuant to Art. 8 (1) GDPR.

7.4.2 Notification of Third Parties

If the controller has made personal data concerning you public and is obliged to erase it pursuant to Art. 17 (1) GDPR, the controller shall, taking account of available technology and implementation costs, take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform controllers processing the personal data that you have requested the deletion of all links, copies, or replications of such personal data.

7.4.3 Exceptions

The right to erasure does not apply to the extent that processing is necessary:

  1. for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information;
  2. for compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority;
  3. for reasons of public interest in the area of public health in accordance with Art. 9(2)(h) and (i) and Art. 9(3) GDPR;
  4. for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes, insofar as the right to erasure is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such purposes; or
  5. for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

7.5 Right to Notification

If you have exercised your right to rectification, erasure, or restriction of processing, the controller is obliged to communicate such rectification or erasure of data or restriction of processing to all recipients to whom the personal data have been disclosed, unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort.
You have the right to be informed about these recipients by the data controller.

7.6 Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you, which you have provided to the controller, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit this data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to whom the personal data was provided, where:

  1. the processing is based on consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR or Art. 9 (2) (a) GDPR or on a contract pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR and
  2. the processing is carried out by automated means.
    In exercising this right, you also have the right to have the personal data concerning you transmitted directly from one controller to another, where technically feasible.

This right shall not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

The right to data portability does not apply to processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

7.7 Right to Object

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your personal data based on Art. 6 (1) (e) or (f) GDPR, including profiling based on those provisions.

The controller shall no longer process the personal data unless compelling legitimate grounds for the processing are demonstrated which override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

If your personal data are processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to such processing, including profiling related to direct marketing.

If you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, your data will no longer be used for such purposes.
You may exercise your right to object through automated means using technical specifications in connection with the use of information society services, notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC.

You also have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing of your personal data for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes pursuant to Art. 89 (1) GDPR.

Your right to object may be limited to the extent that it is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the realization of the research or statistical purposes and the limitation is necessary for the fulfillment of the research or statistical purposes.

7.8 Right to Withdraw Consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent to data processing at any time.

The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

7.9 Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority

Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority — in particular in the Member State of your residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement — if you consider that the processing of your personal data infringes the GDPR.

The supervisory authority with which the complaint has been lodged shall inform you of the progress and outcome of the complaint, including the possibility of a judicial remedy under Art. 78 GDPR.

The competent supervisory authority for RWTH Aachen University is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information North Rhine-Westphalia (LDI NRW).
https://www.ldi.nrw.de/

8. RETRAKT Conference on 25 February 2026 in Aachen – Data Protection

The RETRAKT Conference will take place on 25 February 2026 at forum M in Aachen, Buchkremerstraße 1–7, 52062 Aachen, Germany.

To manage participant registration for the event, the ITA – Institute of Textile Technology of RWTH Aachen University has created a digital registration form. For the registration process, we use pretix, pretix GmbH, Berthold-Mogel-Straße 1, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany (Website: https://pretix.eu/).

Further information on data protection at pretix can be found at: https://pretix.eu/about/de/privacy.
During the online registration process, the following data will be collected:

  • Personal data for registration: name, first name, telephone number, organization, address, and e-mail address
  • Declaration of consent to subscribe to the newsletter and to receive further information about the RETRAKT project

By registering for the event, you also agree that general photo and audio recordings of you may be taken on site for documentation purposes. Photographs of public figures may be taken freely; all other individuals will be asked for their consent in the case of individual recordings.

To ensure data protection–compliant and secure processing of personal data, the ITA – Institute of Textile Technology of RWTH Aachen University has concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with pretix GmbH pursuant to Art. 28 (3) GDPR.

8.1 Recipients of the Data

  • ITA – Institute of Textile Technology of RWTH Aachen University, Otto-Blumenthal-Straße 1, 52074 Aachen
  • pretix GmbH, Berthold-Mogel-Straße 1, 69126 Heidelberg

8.2 Duration of Storage

Data will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were collected. Accordingly, user data will be stored only as long as the mailing lists remain active.

8.3 Rights of the Data Subject

By registering for the above-mentioned event, you consent to the processing of your personal data in accordance with this privacy policy. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) (a) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In accordance with Art. 15 et seq. GDPR, you have the following rights vis-à-vis the ITA – Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, Otto-Blumenthal-Straße 1, 52074 Aachen:

  • Right of access to the stored personal data
  • Right to rectification of personal data
  • Right to erasure or restriction of processing of personal data
  • Right to object to the processing of personal data
  • Right to data portability

In addition, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of North Rhine-Westphalia in accordance with Art. 77 GDPR if you believe that the processing of your personal data violates the General Data Protection Regulation.
Website: https://www.ldi.nrw.de/

Furthermore, under Art. 6 (1) (a) and Art. 9 (2) (a) GDPR, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. The lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal remains unaffected.

To exercise these rights, please contact:

ITA – Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University
Otto-Blumenthal-Str. 1
52074 Aachen
Tel.: +49 241 80 23400
E-mail: ita@ita.rwth-aachen.de

In the event of a withdrawal, all personal data stored in the course of the contact process will be deleted.