JEC World 2023 preview

It’s spring, which means it’s time for JEC World 2023, the global composites industry’s largest trade show, scheduled for April 25-27 at the Parc d’Expositions Nord Villepinte in Paris, France.

JEC World is a robust and vibrant event, bringing together the composites industry’s entire supply chain, from raw materials and software suppliers to intermediates producers and finished parts and structures fabricators. The 2023 iteration of the show features more than 1,200 exhibitors from more than 110 countries, spread out over 72,000 square meters (775,000 square feet) of exhibit space.

There are also 26 regional and international pavilions featured at JEC World, representing all or parts of Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S.

Although JEC World is best known as a trade show, it does have a substantial conference and presentation component, offered on the show floor in designated meeting spaces. Featured topics for the 2023 show include natural fibers and bio-polymers, composites in building and construction, composites in architecture, sustainability, next-gen commercial aircraft, women in the composites industry, recycling and more. 

The Composites Exchange program at the show features product and technology information presented by exhibitors. These presentations, each 25 minutes long, span a range of material, equipment and software suppliers, including, but not limited to, Coriolis, Solvay, OCSiAl, Arkema, Westlake Epoxy, Henkel, Faurecia, Toray, CMS, Saertex, Huntsman, Dieffenbacher, SGL Carbon, Hexagon and many more. 

A very popular program at JEC World since 2017 is the Startup Booster, a competition designed to shed light on new and emerging companies and technologies. Finalists in the Startup Booster competition will make their pitch at JEC World in front of a jury of industry experts, will be featured in the Startup Booster exhibit area and receive other promotional benefits. Past Startup Booster winners include Arevo, Continuous Composites, Vartega, CompAir, Fortify and several others.

JEC World’s Planets — specialty pavilions designed to highlight composites innovations in specific end markets — tend to attract large crowds. The Mobility Planet exhibits parts and structures from the automotive, rail, aerospace, unmanned aircraft, advanced air mobility (AAM) markets and more. The Industry Planet feature parts and structures from the building and construction, sports, lifestyle, energy and marine end markets.

Probably the most popular exhibit area at JEC World is the Innovation Awards, which recognize creative, insightful application of composite materials, composites processes and design in a variety of structures for a variety of end markets. The 2023 Innovation Awards winners, announced in March, will be on display on the show floor and always provide an interesting look at the materials and process innovations driving the composites industry. 

The 2023 winners include Alpex Technologies, Audi, Toyota, the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), Chantiers De L’Atlantique, Huntsman Advanced Materials and Swancor Holding Co. Ltd.

JEC World is held at Parc d’Expositions Nord Villepinte, which is closer to the Charles de Gaulle Airport than it is to the city center of Paris, but there are lodging options relatively close by. Most attendees, however, find lodging in the city and commute to JEC World via regional train service, which can take 45 minutes to one hour each way. For more information about JEC World 2023, including registration and lodging, visit jec-world.events/welcome.