Industrialisation and Scale-Up in Focus at the Composites Innovation Event 2026

On 20 and 21 May, the third edition of the Composites Innovation Event took place at Royal NLR – Netherlands Aerospace Centre in Marknesse, organised by CompositesNL and Composites United. The event focused on Composites for Challenging Environments and brought together experts from aerospace, space, hydrogen and industrial applications

The composites sector is rapidly moving beyond purely high-performance applications towards solutions that also require manufacturability, repeatability and scalable production

Automation, manufacturing technologies and scalable composite production were recurring topics throughout the programme. Bernd Thoma (MT Aerospace), for example, discussed the transition towards “reliable, repeatable and rate-capable systems” within the space sector. Presentations by Marcus Kremers (Airborne) and Ruairi O’Kane (Toray Advanced Composites) further highlighted the growing importance of automation and thermoplastic manufacturing technologies in scaling composite production.

Another major topic was the development of cryogenic composite tanks for liquid hydrogen storage. These applications showcase one of the key strengths of composites: combining low weight with high mechanical performance. At the same time, the extremely low operating temperatures create significant challenges in terms of material behaviour, testing and thermal loads. Contributions from Adli Dimassi (Faserinstitut Bremen), Markus Quadt (Ariane Group) and Henri de Vries (NLR) explored these challenges in detail

Thermoplastic composites and welding technologies also featured prominently throughout the event. Arnt Offringa (GKN Fokker) demonstrated how welding technologies can contribute to lighter structures and more efficient production processes. At the same time, presentations by Javad Fatemi (Airbus Defence and Space) and Valerie Dosch (Walter E.C. Pritzkow Spezialkeramik) highlighted highly specialised applications for extreme aerospace and space environments. In contrast, Coen Meerbach (Solico Engineering) and Hermen de Jong (Rondal) demonstrated how composite technologies are being applied in large-scale industrial and maritime structures operating under demanding conditions.

The tour at NLR and the visit to Rondal highlighted how these developments are translated into practice — from aerospace and hydrogen technologies to large-scale maritime composite structures. Participants also gained insight into the development and production of one-piece composite masts of up to 90 metres in length, an impressive example of what can be achieved with composite technology at scale.

For CompositesNL, the event reinforced the importance of collaboration across the entire composites value chain. Innovation in composites increasingly depends on close interaction between material development, design, manufacturing and testing. Connecting companies, research institutes and international partners remains essential to bringing new technologies towards industrial application.

In spring 2027, CompositesNL and Composites United will continue the collaboration with a fourth edition of the Composites Innovation Event, which will take place in Germany around a new central topic.