From the Sector

The global buildings and infrastructure (B&I) market for composite materials accelerates toward a projected value of more than $21 billion in 2025. To identify further business potentials for the composite industry, AZL Aachen GmbH has announced a new inte rnational Joint Market and Technology Study: “Next Generation Composites in Buildings & Infrastructure – A 2026 Global Outlook on Growth, Sustainability, and Digitalization.”

Building on the success of AZL’s landmark Buildings & Infrastructure study – conducted in 2017 with 32 global companies – this new initiative will reassess established applications and quantify emerging opportunities across markets, materials, and manufact uring technologies. The addressed market segments comprise following, among others: residential/ non -residential buildings and city furniture, infrastructure for energy supply/ water supply/electricity and heat supply and storage as well as special constr uctions like airports, ports or train stations.

Based on this preliminary work in which 438 attractive products/ applications/ technologies have been identified and analyzed, this new study will re -evaluate previously identified core applications using fresh 2025 market data, updated growth forecasts, and new competitive benchmarking. Furthermore, AZL will identify and quantify new growth potentials driven by sustainability (circular economy, LCA -driven mat erial choice, bio -composites), by digitalization (e.g., integration with BIM, sensor -equipped "smart" components) and by new applications (e.g., hydrogen infrastructure, modular data centers, etc.).

The 9 -month project will deliver a structured market segmentation, technology and value -chain mapping, application screenings, technology trees, fact sheets, comparative KPI matrices, and expert workshops – providing participants with a practical foundatio n for business development, investment strategy, and innovation planning. Results will be delivered in a comprehensive final report and presentation package. Additionally, the results from the former 2017 B&I study will also be made available in the new st udy together with the final report and will be used as a basis for discussion and reflection on the results in the course of the new market and technology study. 

Participation is open to material suppliers, processors, equipment manufacturers, engineering service providers, system integrators and construction companies across the entire value chain. The project kick -off meeting is on February 26th 2026 (online).

Call for Participants: Companies aiming to shape the future of composite solutions in buildings and infrastructure are invited to join the consortium.
For further information or to secure participation: Philipp Fröhlig, Head of Industrial Services Email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de