Forces of nature in composites
Luonnonvoimat lujitemuoveissa-seminaari 6.11-7.11, Pietarsaari
In early November, some 70 representatives from industry, research units and industry organisations from both Finland and the rest of Europe gathered for a two-day seminar in Pietarsaari. The ‘Forces of Nature in Composites’ seminar was organised by the Composites Section of Muoviteollisuus ry.
The two-day seminar highlighted bio-based resins and fibres and their environmental impact. The programme included talks on the KiMuRa composite recycling initiative, new practical applications and business cases using biocomposites and the upcoming European Eurocode standard for composites. The industry is also affected by upcoming regulations governing occupational safety, such as the mandatory training for staff working with polyurethane.
Lorenzo Garcia from the Italian Polynt Group spoke about their sustainability strategy. The Polynt Group, which manufactures polymers, composite resins and other surface treatment products, has 37 factories worldwide with a workforce of over 3000 people. The group aims to increase the use of bio-based raw materials in its production and reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2030. In addition to the environmental aspect, Polynt Group is also committed to gender equality and aims to increase the share of women in management positions by 20% by 2030 and reduce the gender pay gap by 20% by 2027. Another ambitious goal is to conduct a full ESG mapping of global supply chains by 2028.
Among our regional stakeholders, NCE and Baltic Yachts as well as the regional development company Concordia participated with their projects ACEP and SOF. On the second day of the seminar, participants were able to visit both NCE and Nautor Swan.
In addition to getting an overview of the state of the composites industry in Finland and Europe, the participants were able to speculate on new uses for side streams from composite manufacturing and business models.
Mika Härkönen from VTT highlighted the Comporec project and the upcoming co-research effort under the Borealis SPIRIT locomotive project funded by Business Finland. Comporec actors have the opportunity to join the network and benefit from the research. Contact Mika Härkönen (link: mika.harkonen@vtt.fi) for more information about Comporec.
Composites are a complex but versatile material
According to the EuCIA database, there are 44 composites recycling facilities in Europe, two of which are in Finland (Kuusakoski and Finnsementti). There is thus room for more actors in this field. Plastics and composites continue to play an important role with product solutions that are lightweight, durable and long-lasting. The industry organisation challenges member companies to be part of the solution in the green transition, even acting as a carbon sink in the future.
Source: https://eucia.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Why-composites-are-genuinely-circular.pdf
Links:
Muoviteollisuus ry – https://www.plastics.fi/fin/
KiMuRa – https://www.plastics.fi/kimura/
EuCIA – https://eucia.eu/