According to JEC's latest industry study, the composites industry today generates €60 billion in sales. Given an annual global growth of 5%, this could climb to €80 billion by 2015.
According to JEC Group President and CEO Frédérique Mutel: “2010 marks the beginning of a new era for composites. The industry has structured itself all along the value chain. The base of pioneer companies has gradually become more concentrated. In the raw materials segment, we’ve seen groups form that are able to put large R&D budgets into new materials (thermoplastic resins, new-generation carbon and glass fibres, plant-based reinforcements). Mergers and acquisitions among converters and processors are continuing. Some companies have ceased to exist, and new players are changing the stakes."
"Production methods are also changing radically," she says. "Companies are using increasingly automated technologies to industrialise the manufacture of composite parts. As much as 84% of production in Europe and the United States is automated, compared to 69% in Asia. There is a lot of room for progress, and many opportunities are out there.”
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