After a triumphant hosting of the UK Pavilion at JEC World Paris, Composites UK is already planning for the 2023 event and is looking to work with more regions and member companies to increase the UK’s presence further.
The beginning of May saw Composites UK host the UK Pavilion at the first face-to-face JEC World exhibition in Paris since the start of the pandemic. The 154m2 stand housed 23 companies including its supporting partners, UK Government, Welsh Government, the National Composites Centre and Invest Bristol and Bath.
Exhibiting on the pavilion were a breadth of companies from the UK composites supply chain, including manufacturers, consultants, material suppliers, designers and more. The stand was specifically organised to help UK SMEs have a presence at this leading composite show where they may not have been able to otherwise.
We attended the Gathering of Global Associations at JEC where international associations came together to share best practice and discuss common issues, sustainability and circularity being top of the agenda. Sustainability, for obvious reasons, was a key focus at JEC this year and our Sustainability Manager, Malcolm Forsyth chaired one of the focused forum sessions on the subject.
We were excited to see the growth and potential of the UK composites industry being recognised by Government representatives. Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, Chris Barton, visited the UK Pavilion to learn more about the companies involved and the support their business may need.
There was also a special reception at the British Embassy in Paris celebrating UK composites, hosted by Theo Rycroft, Deputy Head of Mission, which focused on inward investment to the UK. The National Composites Centre, Composites Leadership Forum, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Composites UK all provided speakers for the evening with over 100 guests in attendance.
We are now working on plans for the 2023 UK Pavilion and we’re looking to work with more regions and member companies to increase the UK’s presence further. Please get in touch with us should you wish to learn more.
Over the next few months, plans for the International Composites Summit (ICS) - our co-organised exhibition with Fluency – will take precedence. From 21–22 September in London, ICS has secured the support of our association counterparts from the UK and abroad, and with travel restrictions easing we are encouraging participation from companies around the world.
Even after expanding the available stand space for 2022 most of this has now been booked. Many companies re-booked on site before the inaugural ICS closed its doors last year and some companies are exhibiting for the first time having visited in 2021. The free-to-attend forum speakers have already been announced on the ICS website covering cross-sectoral opportunities and challenges from key industry speakers.
As we continue to promote the UK’s capabilities, we are also having a revamp of our Industry Awards for 2022, where we will introduce some new categories. Supplier of the Year will give companies a chance to enter those they work with who have provided outstanding customer service. The new Social Impact Award will celebrate companies excelling in areas such as diversity, mental health and wellbeing, sustainable work practices and charity work.
The Sustainability Award has now become two awards – one to recognise exceptional net-zero initiatives and one to celebrate novel circularity processes. These join the previous standing awards for innovation in composites design, manufacturing and materials; employer of the year; apprentice of the year and the outstanding contribution to the composites industry award.
Early bird rates for the Awards Dinner, where the winners will be announced, are now available through to the 31st June. The event takes place on 2nd November at the National Motorcycle Museum, coinciding with the Advanced Engineering Show. Please check the Composites UK website for the entry forms on the events page.
