The Dutch composites industry presents itself at the JEC World 2019 in Paris

Special: Launch of the National Composites Collaboration Agenda

Delft, 7 March 2018 – Next week, from 12 to 14 March, the Dutch composites industry will present itself at the JEC World 2019 in Paris, the biggest composites trade fair in the world. Dutch companies and research institutions will present materials, process technology and innovative applications in many market sectors and in the area of automation and digitisation. Thanks to our cutting-edge technology, a wide variety of applications, and a successful triple-helix model for collaboration, the Netherlands is one of the most advanced European countries in the composites industry.

At the JEC World 2019, the sector will present the National Composites Collaboration Agenda, in close cooperation between the private sector, the public sector, research institutions, and the top sectors HTSM and Chemistry. For the first time, the innovation activities in the Netherlands have been combined in a single agenda at a national level, creating more unity and improved mutual alignment, putting the Dutch composites sector internationally in a stronger position.

Additionally, the National Composites Collaboration Agenda aims to achieve even better collaboration. Composites involve many industries, with applications in many market sectors, from aerospace to deep-sea offshore, from maritime to automotive, and from bridges to consumer products. All these applications require the use of different materials, designs and production technologies, of course, but the various parties also face similar challenges. We can also learn a lot by collaborating across industry borders.

The ambition of this agenda is to make a material contribution to a more sustainable society, and to set an example internationally. The low weight of composite materials enables reduction of energy consumption. Prof. Dr. Engr. Rinze Benedictus, head of the Aerospace Structures & Materials department at the Delft University of Technology, explains: “If we reduce the weight of the structure of aeroplanes by 10% using materials developed in the Netherlands, such as fibre-metal laminates or thermoplastics, and use this in single-aisle aircraft, we can achieve a worldwide CO2 reduction equal to 50% of the emission in the Netherlands in 2016. We have demonstrated that a 10% weight reduction is a realistic expectation.”

Composites have a longer lifespan than conventional materials, thus lowering the ecological impact of the products. The Netherlands can play a leading role in this; we have all the required knowledge and skills. In addition to helping the Netherlands, it also creates a great product for the export market. We will be showcasing this at the JEC World 2019 in Paris.

The Netherlands is the ‘Country on Stage’ at JEC World 2019
During the JEC World 2019 the Netherlands is the ‘Country on Stage’. A unique opportunity to place our specific qualities, knowledge and skills in the area of composites in the spotlight. There will be a special 1.5-hour programme on Wednesday, 13 March. At the end of this programme, Maarten Camps, Director-General of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, and Marc Hendrikse, standard bearer of the top sector HTSM, will receive the National Composites Collaboration Agenda.

During the programme, the Dutch composites ecosystem will be presented on the basis of the key aspects of the National Composites Collaboration Agenda:

• Radical cost reduction
• Sustainability
• Acceleration of the adoption and acceptance of composites technology

The Dutch composites industry focuses on these key aspects for the realisation of the technological development and the related ambition: growing faster than the international average and doubling the present turnover (2018: € 1.0 billion) by 2030.

About CompositesNL
CompositesNL represents the interests of all parties in the Netherlands involved in the development, manufacturing, maintenance and re-use of products in which composite technology is used. CompositesNL aims to stimulate and increase the use of composite products and to improve acceptance. Composite products provide an added value for society, both for the business world and for the government and consumers.

For questions and more information:
CompositesNL
Mrs. Nienke Collée
M: collee@compositesnl.nl
T: +31 6 11 23 29 59