SINGAPORE, 10 November 2010 – The composites industry in Asia has been experiencing strong growth over the past few years, and the current Asian market is estimated at more than US$26 billion. Propelled by this fast pace of growth in the region, the JEC Show Asia 2010 exhibition and conference took place from October 12 to 14 in Singapore.

The JEC Show Asia 2010 was also the occasion for JEC Composites Group to launch the first ever Innovative International Composites Summit (IICS) and the JEC Global Scientific Network.

HIGHLIGHTS OF JEC SHOW ASIA 2010

With a total of 346 exhibitors displaying a wide range of composites innovations, JEC Show Asia 2010 has grown markedly in scale with a 10 percent increase in exhibition space. The annual event continues to garner the support of various globally renowned academic institutions and industry associations from across the Asia Pacific region and also featured an extended geographical scope as compared with previous editions, with new participating countries such as UAE making their debut at the event.

The full lineup of JEC Show Asia 2010 exhibition, conference and business networking programs attracted 7,010 trade visitors, which include a high proportion of key decision makers in the global composites arena.

 “We have fulfilled our ultimate aim for JEC Show Asia 2010 of promoting composites developments in Asia. The environmental benefits of natural fibers and other new developments in composites recycling are key areas of interest that have sparked a lot of debate within the composites community. JEC Show Asia 2010 provided a platform for key players to have these important discussions which will have an important impact on how the composites industry develops in the future” says Frédérique Mutel, President and CEO of JEC Composites Group.

INTRODUCING THE LATEST COMPOSITES INNOVATIONS

A highlight at the JEC Show Asia 2010 was the launch of the first ever Innovative International Composites Summit (IICS) in Singapore, held concurrently with the main exhibition. As key milestone for JEC, the IICS took place over three days and comprised 100 papers presented that explored the latest breakthroughs in different applications sectors in the composites industry.

“The quality of the inaugural IICS program will boost our efforts to unveil new composite applications and trends in Asia, as well as encourage dialogue between the industry and key end users during JEC Show Asia,” Mutel says. “This process of information sharing is essential for the Asian composites market, where there is a strong and growing demand for a broad spectrum of leading-edge composites applications.”

The second IICS conference and forum is scheduled to take place at the JEC Show Paris in March 2011, with the third planned for next year’s JEC Show Asia in October 2011.

INCREASED DEMAND FOR AUTOMATED PROCESSES

With the large number of international exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, machines and software solutions for advanced process automation, JEC Show Asia replies to the increased demand for automation to improve manufacturing processes, especially for high value-added applications in aeronautics and wind energy. “As the manufacturing base in Asia continues to grow, Asian companies can be expected to increasingly leverage automated processes to achieve cost reduction, improved productivity and higher product quality. In 2001, only 30 percent of manufacturing in Asia was automated. In 2010, this number has grown to 64 percent and is expected to hit 84 percent in the short to medium term.” Frédérique Mutel explains.

GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC NETWORK TO CONNECT COMPOSITES INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

At the Show’s opening ceremony, JEC announced the launch of the JEC Global Scientific Network (GSN). The JEC GSN is an integral step in connecting key composites industry players with relevant research and educational institutions from around the world. Its global launch in Singapore is a reflection of the growing importance of the Asian composites market and the increasing concentration of research and development activities in key innovation hubs based in the Asia Pacific region.

The National University of Singapore is among the founding members of the GSN which includes other educational institutions such as the Technical University of Munich, Stanford University in the US, and Hanyang University of South Korea. It will also include current JEC board members Advanced Composites Group, Umeco, AGY, Chomarat, Cray Valley, CPC, DSM, Duqueine Group, Hexcel, Huntsman, IDI Composites International, OCV, Porcher Industries and Sora.

“With the strong market growth the region is currently experiencing, the launch of the GSN in Asia aims to provide more immediate access to technical information related to composites, facilitate greater information exchange and keep industry players updated on the latest technological breakthroughs that are relevant to the market” says Mutel on the GSN launch. “The GSN also further solidifies our commitment to develop JEC Show Asia as the region’s leading composites platform to optimize production, boost knowledge and create business opportunities.”

JEC Show Asia 2011 will be held next year from October 18 to 20 in Singapore.