Canada named “Country of Honor” at JEC Americas 2013

The Canadian composites industry will take centre stage at the JEC Americas Composites Show & Conferences as the event’s “ Country of Honor.”

The second edition of the event, which runs from Oct. 2 to 4 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, is designed to be a venue for composites designers, manufacturers and suppliers to showcase their technologies, expand their expertise, network with a wide array of industry professionals and gain a competitive edge in this important market.

Canada is one of two regions being highlighted at the event because of its influence on the global composites industry. Canada is home to an estimated 300 composites companies that employ around 50,000 people and serve the country’s internationally competitive aeronautics, automotive, wind, construction and industrial sectors.

Canada will share the spotlight with California, JEC America’s featured state. California is a key supplier of raw materials and innovation for composites technology, as well as a manufacturing powerhouse for top global composites sectors, such as aeronautics, marine and automation.

“The Americas are a critical strategic market for anyone hoping to compete in the global composites industry. The region represents 34 percent of the global composites industry in value and 32 percent in volume, and is a leading innovator in key composites end-markets, including transportation, aeronautics, automation and wind energy,” says Frédérique Mutel, JEC’s president and chief executive officer.

In addition to honouring Canada and California, JEC Americas will highlight four key composites sectors:

• Automotive:  Part of transportation, which is by far the largest composites end-user sector in the Americas, Automotive is projected to see continued growth fueled by demand for lightweight materials.
• Automation:  A small but rapidly growing sector, automation is both an end-market and key enabler for composites technology. One-third of JEC’s portfolio is now composed of industrialists proposing new equipment, machines or software for accelerated composites production.
• Aeronautics:  Representing 6 per cent of the overall composites market, aeronautics is a key end-market and support for composites innovation due to the drive for lightweight, high-strength materials.
• Building & Construction:  Representing 15 percent of the overall composites market, building and construction continues to fuel growth and development of composites materials thanks to ongoing rehabilitation of existing structures in the Americas.

JEC Americas 2013 will also share leading-edge innovations within the composites community. Namely, it will provide a stage for the Ninth Innovative Composites Summit (I.C.S.), a program of strategic and technical conferences and forums with a proven record of delivering high-value industry intelligence. The preliminary program features sessions on Composites Design & Processing; Composites’ contribution to Civil Engineering, Automotive, Aeronautics and Security applications; and Advances in Materials Technologies, such as carbon and plastics. JEC Group will issue a finalized program this summer.

In view of North America’s educational and scientific landscape, the conference will also include a large Education & Skills Village that will host around 30 universities, composites and advanced materials organizations, academic groups, market associations and scientific centers.

For more information on making booth reservations, submitting conference papers or nominating a product for the JEC Innovation Awards, please visit www.jeccomposites.com, and click on the link for Events.