Fibre-reinforced plastics (composites) are considered to be materials with enormous potential, including considerable potential for development in a wide variety of applications. They can be used, for instance, in the automotive industry, construction, aviation and electronics. Many sectors of industry and areas of application are developing ever new uses for these versatile, young materials.

Since 2013 the trade association Composites Germany has been gathering indicators on current and future developments in composites, based on six-monthly member surveys conducted by AVK, CFK Valley, CCeV and VDMA. The results of the fifth survey (first half of 2015) are now available.

The positive trend in ratings of the current business situation in composites is continuing. The assessment of the business situation in all the regions under review (worldwide, Europe and Germany) is even more favourable than in the last survey. Whereas in the last survey about two thirds of all respondents viewed the business situation as “quite positive” or “very positive”, this share has now increased to 90 percent.

For Europe as an economic region this latest trend finally shows a sustained positive tendency again. Over 80% of companies in the survey said they took an optimistic view of the business situation.

Their assessment of the future business situation underlines this trend. The majority of respondents believe that the coming six months will see a favourable development or the same development of the business situation.

[ www.composites-germany.de]