EuCIA will highlight the progress of the European Circular Composites Alliance (ECCA) at JEC World 2026 in Paris on 10-12 March. Launched at JEC World 2025 with the support of founding partner JEC, ECCA has secured substantial industry support and now unites more than 200 organisations from across Europe to collaboratively advance circular solutions for composite materials.
A sectorial alliance of EuCIA, ECCA is providing a platform for stakeholders to collaborate and coordinate collective action. This voluntary initiative aims to accelerate scalable circular solutions by driving technology development, harmonisation and industrial scale-up. Members of ECCA’s five Working Group – Aerospace & Defence, Road Vehicles & Public Transportation, Industrial & Recreational, Construction, and Cross-over – will meet during JEC World to further refine their action plans.
The alliance welcomes new members and the EuCIA team will be available on booth 6M119 to offer further information. In addition, ECCA members will present the alliance’s objectives on booth 5D49-03 in the Circularity Village, a new exhibition zone dedicated to sustainable materials, processes, and business models. Visitors can also learn about the new Design for Circularity directory being compiled by the Industrial & Recreational Working Group.
Raphaël Pleynet, Managing Director, EuCIA: “The growing number of companies joining ECCA reflects the industry’s commitment to establishing a circular economy for composites. Our goal is to link all the actors in the value chain to build a functional circular ecosystem. We’re also engaging with policymakers to ensure the value of composites to the circular economy is fully recognised in future legislation. We invite more organisations to join us and help expand our reach and impact.”
New alliances
Industry-led alliances such as ECCA successfully leverage the power of collaboration to drive progress and during 2025 EuCIA launched two further sectorial alliances representing key sectors of the composites industry. The European Rebar Council advocates for composite rebar as a competitive, high performance and reliable alternative to steel in the building, construction and infrastructure Industries. Carbon Fiber Europe promotes the positive contributions and innovative power of European carbon fibre products to society and supports their safe and sustainable use. Both alliances will launch their websites soon.
Alise Novikova, Vice President of the European Rebar Council, joins the panel for Composites in Construction: Durability, Challenges, and Building the Impossible (10 March, 14:00-14:55, Agora 6). This session explores how composite materials extend service life, resist harsh environments, and unlock iconic structures once thought unattainable. The discussion will cover a range of applications, from composite rebar to structural profiles and architectural components.
EuCIA in action
This year at JEC World, sustainability and circularity are once again central topics and EuCIA will participate in the following meetings.
SMC BMC Composites: Design for Performance, Sustainability, and Industrial Value (10 March, 12:00-13:00, Agora 5): This panel discussion will explore how SMC and BMC composite technologies deliver value across industries by combining mechanical performance, design freedom, sustainability, and cost efficiency. Panelist Thomas Wegman represents the European Alliance for SMC BMC (a member of EuCIA).
The Sustainability Forum (10 March, 15:00-16:30): This invitation-only meeting of the Global Composites Sustainability Coalition is organised by ACMA and JEC. Speakers will highlight regional trends, developments and activities, and EuCIA’s Managing Director, Raphaël Pleynet, will present ECCA’s progress.
Closing the Loop with Circular Composite Materials (11 March, 12:00-13:00, Agora 5): EuCIA’s President, Professor Roberto Frassine, joins the panel for this discussion highlighting technological innovations, regulatory drivers, and the need for greater industry acceptance of recycled and second-life materials. The moderator is Malcolm Forsyth, Sustainability Manager at Composites UK (a member of EuCIA).
Gathering of Associations (11 March, 13:00-14:30): This invitation-only event organised by EuCIA and JEC offers industry associations a valuable opportunity to network at global level. This year, the meeting’s theme is “How to grow a national association to better serve the industry.”
SMC BMC Design Award Ceremony 2026 ‘Live Better, Live Green’ (11 March, 17:00-18:00, Agora 5): Organised by the European Alliance for SMC BMC, this award recognises and promotes design excellence in SMC and BMC composite materials. This year’s competition focuses on innovative concepts that contribute to sustainability, functionality, and consumer well-being.
Research and innovation
EuCIA will also be available to discuss the progress of the three EU-funded projects where it leads the communication and dissemination activities. REFRESH is demonstrating circular solutions for decommissioned wind turbine blades, EOLIAN is developing a new generation of blades based on vitrimer composites, while PLEIADES is focused on advanced composite aerostructures.
The REFRESH circular wind turbine blade demonstrator will be on display at Innovation Planet 5 (5E148). This blade section demonstrates that glass fibres recycled from end-of-service blades can be used in a non-structural application in a new blade.
The first General Assembly of ECCA brought together more than 100 alliance members in Brussels in December 2025. (Picture © S. d’Halloy / EuCIA.)
