Carbon Fiber Europe participated in the RECREATE Conference: Made in the EU – Creating Markets for Circular Composites in Brussels on 23rd April.
The event brought together researchers, industry leaders, policymakers and investors to explore solutions, policy and market pathways to scale circular composites in Europe.
Carbon Fiber Europe’s vice-chair Axel Leuchter joined the panel Composites Market and EU Policy to discuss policy recommendations to advance circularity of composites, together with Raphaël Pleynet, Managing Director of EuCIA, Volker Mathes, Business Development Manager, AVK, Luca Gentilini, Project / R&D Engineer, Haiki+ Cobat, and Jochem Cuppen, Founder, Compone.
He stated: “Bridging the gap between innovation and industrial reality requires strong cooperation across the ecosystem. Industry must be actively involved in shaping solutions that are both sustainable and economically viable.”
Carbon Fiber Europe’s vice-chair Axel Leuchter
Raphaël Pleynet noted: “Europe has a unique opportunity to lead in circular composites, but this requires strong alignment across the value chain. Initiatives such as the European Circular Composites Alliance [a sectorial alliance of EuCIA] are here to ensure that innovation, industry and policy move forward together.”
Volker Mathes of AVK underlined the urgency of action: “We have the knowledge and the technological base in Europe, which can become our competitive advantage if we act now. The challenge is to remove the barriers and create the right framework conditions so these solutions can scale.”
Jochem Cuppen, co-founder of Compone, which creates new products using recycled composites, emphasised: “If a circular solution makes financial sense, it will be adopted – by investors, by industry, and by the market. At that point, regulation no longer holds it back, it follows it.”
Carbon Fiber Europe is a sectorial alliance of EuCIA.
