From the Sector

“The consequences of the ongoing pandemic spread of the coronavirus continue to govern our personal and professional lives. It is with a heavy heart that we must cancel the physical events in July, since these are not allowed to take place given the current legal constraints. Due to the lack of certainty for planning and new monthly evaluation we need to fulfil our obligations as event organiser and avoid unforeseeable risks for partners and clients.” Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the PREMIUM GROUP

A lack of permissions, adjustments to official measures at short notice, travel restrictions within Europe and overseas, potential quarantine obligations, short-term work in many companies – overall, a volatile situation makes it impossible to press ahead with the necessary planning in a responsible, risk-free way, especially for the exhibitors and partners.

Because of this, the organizers are now forced to cancel SEEK, PREMIUM and FASHIONTECH events in July 2021 and move them to January 2022 instead. Safeguarding the health and safety of exhibitors, guests, partners and employees always takes top priority.

SEEK and PREMIUM are live events and therefore spaces for engaging with others face-to-face. They are a vital meeting point for the whole industry that can only be augmented by our digital offerings. Under the current unpredictable conditions the usual levels of service cannot be guaranteed for clients and visitors.

July will see the start of Frankfurt Fashion Week (FFW) digital. Frankfurt Fashion Week Studio is the core element of the FFW opening season and encompasses the whole FFW ecosystem – with its key themes of Fashion Business, sustainability and digitisation – in the form of a digital portal.

FFW Studio is a progressively curated and staged platform that brings together all German fashion trade shows, conferences, fashion experiences and events under one roof for the first time. First as a digital venue, then as a hybrid one. For pioneers, brands, experiences, entertainment and networking.

“Over the past year we have felt a great sense of solidarity. The industry has given us enormous encouragement and the assurance that we are not only missed but needed. So we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We can't wait to get together in a few short months’ time to present concepts and projects, meet up face-to-face, and shape the future together. Now more than ever!” Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the PREMIUM GROUP   

Marking the return of in person sourcing in New York City, the summer edition of Texworld + Apparel Sourcing New York City will be held at a location in the heart of Hudson Yards, The Starrett-Lehigh Building. Taking place July 20 - 22, 2021, this edition offers an alternative way to source. The Pop Up Sourcing Showroom combines with the improved virtual platform for an immersive sourcing experience. Unlike the typical tradeshow setting, no exhibitors will be physically present on site. Instead, thousands of fabric and apparel samples will be displayed representing suppliers from around the globe.

Introducing a brand new hybrid concept Summer 2021 at Texworld Sourcing New York City, the Sourcing Showroom is an innovative exhibition concept created to meet the needs of the current world situation. Buyers can visit the showroom to view samples in person and communicate with participating exhibitors virtually.

More information here.

On June 1-2, 2021, JEC Composites Connect, the first round-the-clock digital event of the composites industry, will host significant industry players, enabling participants to discover their latest innovations. Three competitions the JEC Composites Challenge, the JEC Composites Startup Booster, and the famous JEC Composites Innovation Award, will also put the spotlights on the most innovative solutions and products this year

Key Figures

More than 1,000 companies from all the composites value chain spanning 46 countries will participate, network, and present their latest products on their digital booths.

Exhibitor’s breakdown by industrial sector :

• Raw materials
• Intermediate products
• Equipment, tools, and ancillary products
• Distribution, agents, and representation
• Third parties, services, engineering, and R&D
• Composite’s part producers and processors
• Composite’s end-users and integrators

Highlighting excellence and innovation

JEC Composites connect will also be the place to promote the composites sector’s biggest innovative projects. Many product launches are expected to be announced over the two days of the show, evidences a solidly dynamic sector led by high-performance and environmentally friendly innovations.

Among which 65 product launches are listed in the 2021 Innovation Report: from Raw materials, Intermediates and Ancillary, R&D to Production and Equipment, including Simulation and Measurement and Services.

Competitions and awards ceremonies

The JEC Composites Challenge will give the floor to ten young researchers from around the world on June 2nd at 12pm CEST. They will have five minutes to convince a panel of judges composed of leading industrial players in the composites sector. The competition builds bridges between research and industry and is a highlight of the event.

The 2021 JEC Composites Startup Booster has a line-up of 20 finalists who will pitch during two live sessions on June 1st from 10:30 am to 11:30 am and from 5 pm to 6 pm CEST. The 2021 JEC Composites Innovation Awards will celebrate the most innovative composites projects and fruitful collaborations between different value chain players in 2021.

For the first time ever, INDEX™20 will not only take place in its usual live version in Geneva this October, but also in a virtual format at the same time.

This digital tool will enable the over 14,000 exhibitors and visitors to interact directly if they so wish, extend the event’s reach both in terms of geography and applications, and provide live and on-demand product content and information. A data-driven matchmaking facility will assist participants in contacting and networking with like-minded attendees in their particular sector.

From leaders to entrepreneurs, JEC COMPOSITES CONNECT is welcoming a lineup of special guests. As part of conferences, they will share their expertise, vision, and perspective in front of all the players in the composites industry.

AEROSPACE – Towards a More Sustainable Strategy, Tuesday, June 1st –  9am to 10:15am (CEST)
The aerospace industry is a major source of innovation and technological advancements that often originates inspiration across a wide variety of other industries. Nowadays, in a context where environmental constraints are becoming increasingly stringent especially when it comes to air mobility, OEMs are constantly in search of innovative answers and solutions that will allow them to create a ‘greener’ future. The need for light-weighting, reduced maintenance and waste, and repurposing aerospace-grade CFRP towards other applications are expected to drive demand and adoption of composites in aerospace applications.

Yannick Willemin, Head of Marketing & Business Development, 9TLabs, will chair this conference with Clémentine Gallet, CEO, Coriolis, Hervé Gilibert,CTO, ArianeGroup, Jean Botti, CEO, Voltaero and Scott Finn, Chief Consulting Engineer for Composites, GE Aviation.

AUTOMOTIVE – The Right Material at the Right Place, Tuesday, June 1st –  3 pm to 5:05 pm (CEST)
Among the many challenges facing the automotive industry, reducing vehicle mass and therefore emissions all while maintaining safety and cost-efficiency remain key. Lighter materials implying higher costs, they limit mass production. Therefore, a combination of materials, albeit hybrid solutions, would help solve this issue and are becoming increasingly attractive for manufacturers. This conference consists of industry presentations and a panel discussion involving major OEMs & Tier1s from all over the world. It covers the challenges & opportunities of using composites materials in the Automotive field.

Dale Brosius CFO, IACMI, will chair this conference with Alice Swallow, Senior Innovation Engineer, FORD MOTOR GROUP, Christophe Kühn, Senior Project Manager – Composites & Hybrid Components, VOLKSWAGEN, Dominik Klaiber, Doctoral Candidate Body Advanced Engineering, PORSCHE and Gerard LIRAUT, Expert Leader Polymers, GROUPE RENAULT – ALLIANCE RENAULT NISSAN MITSUBISHI.

• The new platform created for b2b / b2c online sales entirely dedicated to the business of denim.

The year 2020 witnessed an acceleration in the importance of online sales. It is now clear to anyone involved the business of sales that e-commerce represents the future.

That’s when the creative idea by Laura Pianazza, founder of DENIMAZING (combination of DENIM and AMAZING), was launched on the platform powered by VELVET.  Its prime objective is to help small and medium sized companies to increase their online sales, focusing on the development of marketing strategies in an omnichannel environment thanks to an intelligent balance between technology and professional experience.

Laura Pianazza derives her professional experience from the editorial sector, where she was active for many years on a European level for a trade magazine specialized in the denim business. Thanks to this background, she was able to develop a strong network of contacts with entrepreneurs, top management and marketing agencies. Her constant interaction with customers shed light on the digital challenges present in most Italian companies: firstly, the fragmentation of services offered online and, secondly, the lack of integration between technology and marketing strategies. The latter is the one most often neglected by firms and Laura recognized many risked not being well prepared for this transformational shift in business by investing little time and at a slow pace.

The DENIMAZING project works side by side with denim fabric manufacturing companies (b2b), finished product brands and distribution companies (b2c), all with the same common denominator: denim. A unique service assisting raw materials manufacturers in finding market niches in companies that create product, who in their own right would like their brand to be seen and sold to a growing customer base. In the b2b landscape, companies can sell their own fabrics by the meter thanks to their own 3D presentation and customers can virtually visit their showrooms. Similarly, brands will have the same possibility to sell their creations as on a real e-commerce site, thanks to virtual tours in their showroom and specific areas for sales and/or chatting/videocalls with end-customers. Instead, for companies providing supply chain services (coloring, washing, etc.), individual virtual rooms will be made available inside the marketplace, in order to speak directly with sales managers from brands and the fabric companies.

The business side is just one aspect of this project. Thanks to its partnership with the marketing and online sales agency VELVET, DENIMAZING grows based upon a series of key tasks during different phases, namely: platform construction, marketing and advertising, both traditional and via web and social medias.

Not only has Laura has added a series of high-level technology/web master courses to her experience, but DENIMAZING also brings together a team of qualified professionals having a longtime experience in different fields of the denim business: sales, entrepreneurs, web design and marketing, while the end-customer will be in direct contact with the headquarters for assistance, customer care and updates.

We aRe SpinDye ( WRSD ) signed a collaboration agreement with Superdry plc. Superdry is a fashion brand with global distribution and highly ambitious sustainability goals - where WRSD hopes to play a significant role in achieving said goals.

"We have been in conversation with each other for a significant time and now finally things have fallen into place and we are able to move forward on more concrete terms", says Andreas Andrén and continues: "Naturally it is extremely positive for us that Superdry has so ambitiously set and clear sustainability goals. With our unique expertise in sustainable dyeing of recycled polyester, we feel that we have a very clear position as a partner to Superdry."

Superdry's goals for 2030 are set high and include major initiatives in new sustainable solutions. On their website, they put this in words: "Our ambition is to become the most sustainable listed global fashion brand on the planet in 2030. Our goal continues to focus on producing the most durable product, while protecting our planet and support j s our people in everything we do. We will do the right thing and leave a positive environmental legacy. Accelerating our goals means that our commitments are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030."

The dates are set: IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living is welcoming exhibitor registration for its 2021 edition, to be held from 18 – 20 October 2021 in the South Halls of Tokyo Big Sight. The dedicated fair for interior design is once again set to attract not only retail buyers but also visitors from design and architecture offices, commercial facilities, and other contract businesses. The 2019 edition welcomed 352 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions as well as 16,016 visitors from 34 countries and regions, receiving much positive feedback for its increased focus on contract business.
 
IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living 2019
Returning after a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living will once again create opportunities for exhibitors to meet new clients and expand their businesses. Messe Frankfurt Japan Ltd is working to put all of the appropriate safety and hygiene measures in place to protect participants during the fair period, and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
 
New ETHICAL zone added to satisfy consumer demand
A newly introduced ETHICAL zone will help industry players explore the themes of sustainability and ecology, which are continuing to gain traction in the interior design market. The zone focuses on environmental protection, up-cycling, fair trade, products that support people with disabilities, organic products, local production for local consumption, and more. Furniture production from recycled forest materials will also be a focus of the zone, which will be promoted in the run up to the fair through sector-specific media channels. This will include dedicated promotional activities targeting ethically driven retailers and restaurants.
 
A variety of booth sizes to accommodate exhibitors’ needs
In response to requests from exhibitors who showcase smaller items, a new booth size has been added for 2021. Measuring 6.3 sqm (width 3m x depth 2.1m), the new booth option is one size smaller than the existing 9 sqm booth, adding more choice for exhibitors
 
Dedicated lifestyle themed zones
Proving popular amongst trade buyers during previous editions, ‘CREATIVE RESOURCE’ is a zone devoted to innovative interior materials, as well as parts and services for interior design and home remodelling. Products featured at the zone include wallpaper, floor coverings, paints and related materials. First introduced in 2012, the zone has grown in stature as the destination for the likes of manufacturers, architects, designers and developers to find inspiration.
 
The fair’s zoning encompasses a variety of different product categories and themes. This not only simplifies the sourcing process for trade buyers, but it also maximises business exposure for exhibitors. Day-to-day lifestyle products – both stylish and functional – will be displayed in the ‘HOME’, ‘ACCENT’ and ‘EVERYDAY’ zones with a focus on living spaces, accessories and household items respectively.
 
Moreover, catering to the world of convenience and home cuisine, an array of pragmatically-designed packaged food will be presented at 'FOODIST', while innovative dining items will be gathered at the ‘KITCHEN LIFE’ zone.
 
Highlighting high quality local craftsmanship, designs from Japanese artisanal artists with a modern touch will be located in the ‘JAPAN STYLE’ zone. The latest designs from highly acclaimed international brands will be displayed too, in the ‘MOVEMENT’ area, while work from up-and-coming young designers will appear at the ‘TALENTS’ and ‘NEXT’ zones.
 
About IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living
IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living is held annually in fall and is the sister fair of Interior Lifestyle Tokyo held in spring, which is based on Ambiente, Messe Frankfurt’s largest and most important international consumer goods fair, and Heimtextil, the biggest international home and contract textiles fair. With the synergetic effects of these leading global trade fairs in the high-end interior market, and with Messe Frankfurt’s global network, IFFT/Interior Lifestyle Living is a key platform for professionals, buyers, architects and those engaged in domestic and international contract business.

JEC Group, dedicated to promoting composite materials, introduces all-new digital event series for the composites community: JEC Composites CONNECT. On June 1-2, 2021, this first round-the-clock event will be one of the industry’s most significant events, hosting major industry players, enabling participants to discover the latest trends thanks to business conferences and get networking opportunities. This live-streamed event will also be the place to highlight innovation through competitions, awards ceremonies and keynote speeches.

JEC Composites CONNECT: a digital event to bring the composites community together
Participants can access the free non-stop digital floor from 8:30 am on June 1 to 6 pm CEST on June 2. This first JEC Composites CONNECT will work as an online trade show, with digital stands for companies showcasing their latest products, from raw materials to composites parts manufacturers with various networking rooms, a meeting requests platform, and with a conference area to access live streaming content.

Composites innovation at the core
JEC Composites CONNECT will host outstanding keynote speakers and all the major JEC Composites competitions and awards promoting innovation, research teamwork, and entrepreneurship in the composites industry.

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate the most innovative composites projects and fruitful collaborations between different value chain players in 2021.
• The 2021 JEC Composites Startup Booster competition, with live pitches and winners ceremony.
• The JEC Composites Challenge, where Ph.Ds will present their research projects in front of the jury.

The Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 2, with an opening keynote speech from inventor and genius entrepreneur Franky Zapata, a.k.a. ‘the Flying Man.’ As the CEO and founder of the company that bears his name, he became well-known for his famed crossing of the English Channel in August 2019 on his Flyboard® Air.

• SGL Carbon receives €42.9 million funding under IPCEI for graphite anode materials (GAM) in lithium-ion batteries
• Funding in the amount of €42.9 million to 2028 for SGL Carbon GmbH from the German Federal Government and the Free State of Bavaria
• SGL Carbon project aims at European production of innovative anode materials as a key value-added step in electromobility

SGL Carbon, a leading supplier of graphite and carbon products, today received a funding notification for the development and industrialization of innovative anode materials made of synthetic graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries. The funding program is part of the second European IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) / EUBatIn (European Battery Innovation) program, which aims at a competitive European value chain for lithium-ion batteries based on innovative and sustainable technologies.

SGL Carbon is one of a few manufacturers of synthetic graphite for anode materials in Europe. The company’s contribution to the IPCEI project ranges from the development of anode materials with increased performance, energy-efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes to novel recycling concepts. It also includes scaling them up to pilot scale and finally mass production. Over the project lifetime until 2028, the goal is to also establish a closed cycle for this cell component. SGL Carbon has already created a solid foundation for the project through previous investments such as the battery application laboratory at its Meitingen site. The German federal government and the Free State of Bavaria provide funding for the SGL Carbon project totaling €42.9 million, which can be drawn down over the duration of the project.

"With our development and industrialization project for new innovative anode materials and processes, we make an essential contribution to establishing a sustainable and competitive European value chain and circular economy for lithium-ion batteries. In turn, this enables us to support our customers with tailored materials and services in their innovation and industrialization process. We are very pleased about the support from the federal and state governments in this important task and would like to express our sincere thanks," explains Burkhard Straube, President Business Unit Graphite Solutions at SGL Carbon.

"In order to produce competitive, high-performance and particularly environmentally friendly batteries in the future, we need innovations. The companies participating in the IPCEIs base their battery materials, cells and systems pursued in the projects on their own research - in cooperation with their partners. This way, we ensure that the battery ecosystem being created in Germany and Europe will also place us among the world leaders in terms of technology," says Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

"The funding ensures value creation in a central high-tech segment with great future potential, which is ideally suited to Bavaria as a business location. In the course of the project, 25 jobs will be secured or newly created in Meitingen. SGL Carbon is an important company for the entire region and a major employer," says Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Bavarian Deputy Minister-President.
 
Synthetic graphite is utilized as anode material for lithium-ion batteries in many fast-growing applications such as electric vehicles, stationary energy storage systems and mobile consumer devices. Compared to natural graphite, synthetic graphite has a better performance, higher quality consistency and easier production scalability, as well as a better profile in terms of environmental footprint and safety in manufacturing. In the project described, SGL Carbon builds on its core competencies in the development and mass production of synthetic graphite.