January 13, 2026 15:04

While awaiting the opening of JEC World 2026, scheduled for 10 March in Paris, the organisers of the world’s leading trade show for composite materials have announced the winners of the JEC Innovation Awards.
The finalists were narrowed down to 33 projects (see article) selected from the 154 entries submitted for this year’s edition.

AND THE WINNERS IS...

Aerospace – Parts. In the category dedicated to aerospace components, France’s Daher took top honours with a thermoplastic composite wing rib featuring a high carbon-fibre reinforcement content. Developed within the Welded Rib research project in collaboration with partners including Victrex and LIST, the component—up to 10 mm thick—uses patented infrared welding processes to eliminate mechanical fasteners, delivering weight and cost savings compared with conventional aluminium solutions.

Aerospace – Process. Still within the aerospace sector, but focusing on processing technologies, the award went to Germany’s CTC (Airbus Group) for the Sauber 4.0 project, aimed at manufacturing the wings of future aircraft.
The project centres on resin transfer moulding (RTM) enhanced by digitalisation and innovative solutions such as TFP/DFP preforming and moulds produced by 3D printing. Inductive heating was also introduced to reduce energy consumption and enable high-volume production.

In the Automotive & Road Transportation category, BMW was recognised in the Parts segment for the use of flax-fibre-reinforced composites on series-production vehicles.
The solution is based on a new resin and prepreg system that overcomes the moisture sensitivity of natural fibres.
From a carbon footprint perspective, it reduces CO2 emissions by 40% compared with conventional composites, while meeting the aesthetic and mechanical requirements for visible interior and exterior components.

In the Automotive & Road Transportation – Process category, Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany was selected for the development of a thermoplastic, long- and continuous-glass-fibre-reinforced battery housing for electric vehicles, designed for large-scale production.
The automated organo-sheet compression moulding process achieves cycle times of under two minutes and reduces lifecycle emissions by 25% compared with aluminium die casting. Weight savings are estimated at 15%.

Toray Advanced Composites won the JEC Innovation Award in the Circularity & Recycling category for a project involving the reuse of end-of-life A380 secondary structures (pylon covers), made of carbon-fibre-reinforced PPS, into smaller components for the new A320 NEO. The project was carried out in collaboration with Airbus and Daher and could be extended to other PPS-based aerospace components.

In the Digital, AI & Data category, the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, was awarded for its “digital thread” project, developed to accelerate and improve the repair—and manufacturing—of composite structures.
The system connects inspection, data interpretation, CAD-based damage mapping, automated patch design, scarfing, patch manufacture, application and certification prior to return to service.

In the Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding category, the jury selected France’s Loiretech Ingénierie for CoPropel, a composite propeller with blades featuring a tunable mechanical response. By optimising fibre orientation, blade pitch adapts to hydrodynamic loads, unlike rigid metal propellers. Manufactured using “net-shape” RTM, the blades integrate structural health monitoring systems (optical fibres and strain gauges) for real-time condition monitoring, enabling planned maintenance. A special joining system allows underwater blade replacement.

In the Pipes, Tanks & Hydrogen category, Germany’s CTC—also awarded in Aerospace – Process—was recognised for the LeiWaCo project, a lightweight composite tank for liquid hydrogen storage. The combined use of thermoplastic laminates and an all-composite liner, which eliminates mismatches in thermal expansion coefficients, prevents cryogenic micro-cracking at extremely low temperatures (−253 °C). The project also includes a sub-scale demonstrator tested under cryogenic conditions and a logistics container concept for LH2, which will be exhibited at JEC World 2026.

In the Railway Vehicles & Infrastructure category, UK-based Composite Braiding won the award for a non-conductive thermoplastic composite twin-track cantilever made of polyamide 6 reinforced with glass fibre.
Designed to replace heavy steel structures in railway electrification, the solution reduces weight by more than 80% and cuts CO2 emissions by up to 90%.

In the Renewable Energy, Turkey’s Metyx was selected for the development of photovoltaic modules for vehicle integration. The traditional glass cover has been replaced with transparent GFRP sheets, delivering weight reductions of between 50% and 80%, as well as flexibility for curved surfaces, improved heat dissipation, and enhanced impact and hail resistance. The back sheet consists of a rigid carbon-composite sandwich, and the component is manufactured using a single-stage infusion process.

Finally, in the Sports, Leisure & Recreation category, Germany’s fenix composites received the award for a repairable and end-of-life recyclable road bike frame. The design combines thermoplastic composite tubes (PA6 with carbon fibre, including recycled material) and 3D-printed titanium lugs. Thanks to reversible induction joining, damaged components can be removed and replaced, extending product life. Assembly is carried out using the Thermal Direct Joining process: induction heating melts the polymer, allowing it to flow into the microstructure of the lug and form a high-strength joint (>50 MPa) without adhesives. Tubes and lugs can be separated and reassembled multiple times, enabling full recyclability and repairability.

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