The European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA) is pleased to announce the launch of Carbon Fiber Europe, a new alliance dedicated to supporting the sustainable growth of Europe’s carbon fiber industry. The founding members of the alliance are Hexcel Composites SASU, Mitsubishi Chemical Europe, Teijin Ltd, and Toray Industries.
Carbon Fiber Europe’s mission is to promote the positive contributions and innovative power of European carbon fiber products to society and to foster their safe and sustainable use within Europe.
Carbon Fiber Europe will pursue these goals through activities based around four strategic pillars:
- Advocacy & Representation;
- Sustainability & Circularity;
- Innovation & Standards;
- Health & Safety.
At a recent meeting in Brussels, alliance members elected Raf Bussels, Senior Director EMEA R&D • Research & Development at Mitsubishi Chemical Group as the Chair of Carbon Fiber Europe, and Axel Leuchter, Head of EU Sustainability Group, Teijin Ltd, as Vice Chair.
Roberto Frassine, President of EuCIA: “We are delighted to welcome Carbon Fiber Europe as a new sectorial alliance of EuCIA. Carbon fiber is an integral part of Europe’s composites industry and it is essential for realizing the EU Clean Industrial Deal’s objectives for decarbonization, innovation and industrial resilience. We are committed to assisting Carbon Fiber Europe members in their efforts to reinforce carbon fiber’s role in Europe’s sustainable industrial development.”
Raf Bussels, Chair, Carbon Fiber Europe: “Carbon fiber enables the manufacture of high-performance, lightweight, and durable composite materials that play a key role in markets such as transportation, energy, aerospace and defense. Collaborating with EuCIA, the voice of the European composites industry, we will champion the role of carbon fiber in enabling Europe’s green and digital transitions and support actions that enhance Europe’s leadership in carbon fiber materials and applications.”
Carbon Fiber Europe will also advance environmentally and socially responsible production practices, promote circular economy models, and support the reduction of carbon footprint across the carbon fiber value chain, including end-of-life management. It will promote best practices and science-based safety guidelines to ensure the protection of workers, users, and the environment.
The alliance is currently defining its priority actions and Working Group structure. A Carbon Fiber Europe website will be launched soon.
Further information about carbon fiber and its applications is available in the position paper The strategic value of carbon fiber composites in a circular, low-emission Europe.
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From left to right: EuCIA’s Managing Director, Raphaël Pleynet, and President, Roberto Frassine, with Nicole Kambeck, Head of Sustainability, Mitsubishi Chemical Europe; Hinrich Hampe, Head of Governmental Affairs, Teijin Carbon Europe; Raf Bussels, Senior Director EMEA R&D • Research & Development, Mitsubishi Chemical Group; Claude Despierres, Vice President Sustainability and Business Development, Hexcel; Kristian Seidel, Managing Director, Teijin Automotive Technologies Wuppertal GmbH; Axel Leuchter, Head of EU Sustainability Group, Teijin Ltd; Ota Kenjiro, CEO EACC, and Eisuke Wadahara, President of EACC, Toray Industries. (Picture © Carbon Fiber Europe.)
