From the Sector

At each edition, Maison&Objet names a Designer of the Year, celebrating the work of the most outstanding talents on the international design and decoration scene. Having been unable to present his installation on receiving the accolade in September 2020, Franklin Azzi will now take centre stage at the March 2022 edition with RETRO FUTUR, an immersive exploration of his creative process. Working out of his Parisian agency created in 2006, Azzi develops a cross-disciplinary approach that draws on a potpourri of perspectives and disciplines. By relentlessly
sparking a dialogue between architecture, interior design, design and modern art with the backing of his dedicated endowment fund, he hones a talent for design and creation that embraces all scales and all spaces.

From the kind of urban microarchitecture embodied by the Eiffel Kiosque and its prefabricated structure to towers in Dubai and Paris, not forgetting the refurbishment of existing structures
such as the Alstom warehouses in Nantes, his work is underpinned by a quest for sustainability tailored to meet users’ needs. Turning his back on formal style, Azzi develops architecture that is both minimalist in its aesthetic and maximalist in its multi-faceted functionality and environmental quality, resolutely advocating a return to ‘common sense’. He walks firmly in the footsteps of philosopher and urban planner Paul Virilio, the exploratory thinker and creator of whom he was once a student.

For over 80 years Riri Group has established itself as a leading point of reference for the creation of details of style providing high-end fashion brands with top quality accessories – which now include zippers, buttons, metal components and fashion jewels.

All things style and sustainability: This year Première Vision Paris (08 – 10 February) will be once more the stage to show off the results. The new Spring/Summer 2023 line is inspired by three distinct eras and paths, but at the same time it conveys a total synergy and integration between the various divisions of the Group, coordinated and harmonised as well as united by their common interest in nature and sustainability.

SOUL COMFORT
Off-the-grid essentials between relaxation and style
Sparked from the contemporary need to balance happiness and security, while enriched by an aesthetic and provocative approach, this line embodies all the value and potential of a sustainabilityoriented communication for each and every product, as pieces feature the relevant information on the zip tape and on the button application support. This line presents softer colours that encompass a wide range of styles, including floral, summer satin and semi-transparency, accompanied by innovative yarns and sustainable materials, such as hemp, linen, silk, certified organic cotton, recycled nylon and bio-based polyester. The line also features stainless steel products, including mono-material buttons and zipper chains or the use of aluminium chains that stand out for their particular lightness.

OUTDOOR EXPRESSION
To always stand out
Inspired by nature and outdoor activities, in this section the focus is on attire codes that become the means through which everyone can express and enhance their look in every context, even when immersed in the surrounding environment. Coloured stripes and rubberized soft touch materials are the two essential concepts, combined with bright and flashy colours. The Storm Evo zip, reversed coated nylon zips (among which the one with the reflector catches the eye), and the recycled nylon buttons are back.

WISE EXCLUSIVITY
Smart and sustainable luxury
Each creation in this line is studied down to the smallest detail, to achieve luxury products that increase their value over time thanks to their sustainable process and long life cycle, achieved through multiple possibilities for use in different ways and areas. We find here the use of diamond, recreated in the laboratory with more sustainable techniques, but also zips with elegant and refined lines, the use of stainless steel and PVD and finally, the use of precious galvanic finishes on buttons, but also on chains and pullers. This path shows the important role collaboration plays between the divisions of the Riri Group, making it possible to create something unique and valuable.

• Assessment of current business situation positive
• Future expectations subdued
• Investment climate friendly
• Varied expectations for application industries
• GRP is still a growth driver
• Composites Index is now positive

This is the 18th time that Composites Germany has identified the latest performance indicators for the fibre-reinforced plastics market. The survey covered all the member companies of the three major umbrella organisations of Composites Germany: AVK, Leichtbau Baden-Württemberg and the VDMA Working Group on Hybrid Lightweight Construction Technologies.
As before, to ensure a smooth comparison with the previous surveys, the questions in this half-yearly survey have been left unchanged. Once again, the data obtained in the survey is largely qualitative and relates to current and future market developments.

You can read more about it in the attached document.

After thorough consultation with the exhibitors and partners of the event, JEC Group has decided to postpone the 2022 edition of JEC World. The world’s leading composites event will now take place from May 3rd to 5th, 2022, at the same venue Paris Nord Villepinte, as well as online via the JEC World Connect digital platform.

JEC World gathers the whole value chain of the composite materials industry in Paris, France every year and is “the place to be” for composites professionals from all over the world. The event brings together not only all major global companies, but also innovative startups in the field of composites and advanced materials, experts, academics, scientists, and R&D leaders. JEC World is also the “festival of composites”, offering a unique showcase of what composites can offer to various application sectors, from aerospace to marine, from construction to automotive, and an unlimited source of inspiration for participants from these industries.

“We are fully dedicated to supporting the composites industry and to fostering its development via our events and media activities. Exhibitors and partners are strongly supporting JEC World, their leading event and want to meet in person in 2022 to activate business, share knowledge and highlight innovations. Postponing from March to May is a way to offer improved conditions to satisfy the industry requirements for such a trade fair as JEC World”, says Eric Pierrejean, CEO of JEC Group.

The JEC World team has decided to postpone the event after conducting a survey of its exhibitors and partners, confirming that a large majority is in favour of the new dates in May. As already planned, for three days, the event will offer for the first time a digital platform, JEC World Connect, in parallel to the in-person event in Paris for an augmented digital experience. Even after the show, via the JEC Web TV, unique content will be available to extend the reach of the event.

“Our main concern is to create the best possible conditions for our participants for successful networking, inspiration and business success. With a postponement of eight weeks we can enable this and offer to the industry the event it deserves. Taking the decision now, after consultation of all exhibitors, was necessary to give them planning and preparation visibility,” adds Thomas Lepretre, VP Events, Sales and Operations.

• Smart Workflows for Digital Cutting & Kitting

At JEC World 2022 in Paris, Zünd presents the latest developments in modular cutting solutions for composites. Known for its expertise in digital cutting and workflow integration.
As specialist in digital cutting for composites applications, Zünd demonstrates how data management, digital cutting, and downstream processes such as picking, sorting, and kitting, can be automated intelligently and based on specific needs.

In Industry 4.0 in general and processing composites in particular, an unencumbered flow of data is key to workflow efficiency. With Zünd PreCut Center, the user is well equipped to handle the challenges of demanding manufacturing processes. The software automatically optimizes contours and adjusts cut paths depending on the material and choice of tools. With the integrated nesting function, parts are laid out automatically for optimal material utilization. Considering the high cost of materials, maximum yield is essential for economical digital cutting.

With Pick&Place, Zünd presents a cost-effective solution for fully automated picking and kitting of cut parts. The Pick&Place interface enables direct communication with the robot via Zünd Cut Center – ZCC, the Zünd operating software and user interface. Pick&Place makes it possible to completely automate parts removal, kitting and placing. The necessary parameters are derived from the metadata supplied with the job order.

At Pitti Uomo, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei celebrates the new year exploring the company’s 90 years anniversary and journey. In Florence, Bemberg™ past and present are linked by style: on display are key historic garments worn by icons such as J.F. Kennedy belonging to historic Roman Sartoria Litrico together with Bemberg ™ new visionary claim “Crafted Elegance“.

On January 11^th, Bemberg™ will be at Pitti Uomo 101 featuring an exclusive collaboration with Luca Litrico, head of the Roman historic Sartoria Litrico, founded by his uncle Angelo Litrico in 1951. He became famous for crafting the highest-quality suits for all the most important men of Dolce Vita era, from Richard Burton to Marcello Mastroianni. Its historic relevance has even been recognized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, thanks to its archive composed of hundreds of photos and sketches signed by Angelo Litrico himself. For this occasion, Bemberg™ will showcase four historic suits wore by true style arbiters a such as: former US president John F. Kennedy, dolce vita poster-boy Rossano Brazzi, American astronaut James B. Irwin and iconic fashion designer Angelo Litrico. All garments feature stylish linings woven with Bemberg™ fiber disclosing its ductility always in vogue through time. Over the decades, Bemberg™ established heritage in formal lining has expanded into new territories and able to represent also contemporary outerwear styles.
 
“We are so excited to be back in Florence. Pitti Uomo and Italy are the perfect starting point of our journey through style.” says Mr. Koji Hamada, CEO of Asahikasei Fibers Italia, “At our booth visitors can glimpse the link between past and present, our values and chromosomes for the fashion to come.”

Bemberg™ vision is centred around contemporary beauty, and uniqueness – the fibre manufacturing is exclusively taking place in Nobeoka, where its closed-loop circular economy production approach together its transparent and traceable processes are able to guarantee the responsible certified values.
 
Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei will unveil the second chapter of its journey at Première Vision in Paris with an exhibition where visitors will be able to explore the fashion world, from India to Japan, through fabrics and style of today and tomorrow.

• JEC Group announces theme for JEC World 2022 and reaffirms global leadership in composites innovation, business and networking

JEC World, the leading global trade show dedicated to composite materials, their manufacturing technologies and application markets, will take place in Paris from March 8-10, 2022, under the theme Composites for a Sustainable World. JEC World 2022 will be the industry’s most awaited international face to face event after the long pandemic period. Exhibition space is already 98% booked, a clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment to meet and resume business. Those unable to join in person will be able to experience the show via the JEC World Connect digital platform.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our exhibitors, partners and visitors back to Paris to resume business and promote innovation,” comments Thomas Lepretre, VP Events, Sales and Operations of JEC Group. “JEC World will bring the composites industry together to showcase the sustainability benefits of composite materials to a global audience, and to provide a stimulating meeting-place for the industry to pursue its sustainability ambitions by exchanging knowledge, forging collaborations, and imagining new concepts to protect our environment.”

• JEC World a unique get-together on sustainability throughout the product lifecycle
• JEC World a real composites “think tank”
• JEC World 2022 will demonstrate how sustainable thinking is at the heart of the innovative designs, technologies and business models driving the development of the next generation of composites applications.

Four conferences will be held over the three days, focusing on:

• Sustainability of Raw Materials for Composites: Fueling the Circular Revolution
• Rethinking Composite Materials Production: The Path to Sustainable Manufacturing
• Design for Circular Composite Products: Turning Waste, Recycling & Reuse into Opportunities
• Applications of Composite Materials for Circularity: Towards a Net-Zero World

Innovation is in JEC World’s DNA
One of JEC World’s objective’s is to promote the composites sector’s most innovative projects. More than 600 product launches are expected to be announced over the three days of the show, which will also feature JEC’s high-regarded innovation challenges and awards ceremonies :

• The JEC Composites Innovation Awards celebrate innovative global composite projects, as well as fruitful collaborations between different players in the value chain. Over more than 15 years, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards have highlighted collaborations between some 1,900 companies and recognized 203 creative projects. The winners will be announced on March 7th during a dedicated ceremony and their successful technologies will be on display throughout the show.

• The JEC Composites Startup Booster is the leading startup competition in the world of composites. In 2022, this competition will celebrate its fifth anniversary, with a special event to be organized onsite and the launch of a new “sustainability” award. And, with 20 finalists for 2022, it will recognize innovations with the greatest potential market impact and promote them to an influential audience of decision-makers. The finalists’ innovations will be displayed at JEC World’s “Startup Village.”

• For the first time, JEC World will host the 3rd edition of the SMC BMC Design Award organized by the European Alliance for SMC BMC. This international competition recognizes and promotes design excellence in the use of SMC and BMC materials. The theme of this edition is Sustainable Living, and the award is opento design students and young design professionals (less than 3 years of experience) living in Europe.

Stahl, an active proponent of responsible chemistry, today announces that – by the end of Q2 2022 – it will extend its GHG reduction targets to cover Scope 3 emissions. This step underlines Stahl’s commitment to aligning its strategy with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement goals, updated at the recent COP26 in Glasgow.

Between 2015 and 2020 Stahl reduced its Scope 1 and 2 (direct) GHG emissions by 37%, and has committed to a further 2% reduction each year to 2030. Scope 3 emissions cover all the indirect emissions that can occur in a company’s value chain, including raw material acquisition, transportation, and the end-of-life impact of its products. By focusing on Scope 3 emissions, Stahl is committing to de-fossilizing its supply chain and ensuring further accountability for its total environmental impact.

Michael Costello, Stahl Group ESG Director: “Only by focusing on reducing Scope 3 emissions can we accurately align our de-fossilization strategy with the global goal of limiting global average temperature increase to 1.5°C, as agreed at the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and the COP26 in Glasgow. We look forward to working with partners across our industry and value chain to make this happen.”

After its launch on 20 September 2020, the RCI is proud to celebrate its first anniversary this fall. The balance sheet of the first year is impressive: starting from 11 founding members, that number increased to 30 member companies within 12 months. Numerous webinars, press releases, background information, a glossary and a comic allowed to convey the “Renewable Carbon” concept to the public. The RCI is actively working on labelling and policy analysis, and more activities will follow in the next year.

Key for this success: the topic of renewable carbon in chemicals and materials is increasingly becoming a focus of politics and industry. Larger companies will have to report their GHG emissions and also the footprint of their products as part of legislative changes surrounding the European Green Deal. In this context, indirect emissions and the carbon sources of materials will play a much more crucial role. The RCI is actively working on solutions for companies to shift from fossil to renewable carbon, which consists of the use of bio-based feedstock, CO2-based resources and recycling. In the future, reporting on GHG emissions will also include Scope 3 emissions, which are all indirect emissions that occur along the company’s value and supply chain and where the used raw materials account for a large proportion of the footprint. Here is where the carbon source of chemicals and plastics comes into play as an important contributor to the carbon footprint. Without a shift from fossil to renewable carbon feedstocks (combining bio-based, CO2-based and recycled), a sustainable future and the Paris climate targets will be almost impossible to master.

To discuss, promote and realise the shift, 30 innovative companies have already joined forces to support the transition to renewable carbon, considering both technological and economical approaches – and helping to shape the political framework accordingly.

For the second year, RCI plans to focus on a comprehensive understanding of the expected political framework conditions in Europe and across the globe, since they will determine the future of chemistry and materials more than ever. Building on this knowledge, the topic of renewable carbon could then to be systematically integrated into new political directives, which has so far not been effectively managed.

In reality, the political focus lies on the strategy of decarbonising the energy sector, a very central and Herculean task. However, it cannot be applied to the chemical and material world because carbon is usually the central building block that cannot be dispensed with. On the contrary, the demand for carbon in the chemical and materials sectors is expected to more than double by 2050. In order to meet this demand in a sustainable manner, we must move towards quitting fossil carbon. For the first time in industrial history, it is possible to decouple chemistry and materials from petrochemicals and completely cover the demand through the utilisation of biomass, CO2 and recycling.

Recycling is the key factor in achieving the EU climate targets. This is shown by the results of the "resources SAVED by recycling" study published today, which Fraunhofer UMSICHT prepared on behalf of the ALBA Group, one of the ten leading recycling companies worldwide. According to the study, 3.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and 28.8 million tons of primary resources could be saved in 2020 alone. Further potential could be raised, for example, through minimum quotas for the use of recycled raw materials.

“Fit for 55” thanks to the circular economy: the recycling of raw materials leads to a systematic reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions of our civilisation – and can therefore make a key contribution to achieving the EU climate goals. This is the outcome of the “resources SAVED by recycling” study presented today, which the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT prepared on behalf of the ALBA Group. Thanks to the closed-loop circulation of 4.8 million tonnes of recyclable materials, the ALBA Group succeeded in preventing some 3.5 million tonnes of climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2020 alone. This amount is equivalent to the emissions from some five million return flights between Frankfurt am Main and Mallorca. At the same time, recycling also secures valuable raw materials for the industry: in 2020, in comparison with primary production, recycling saved 28.8 million tonnes of resources, such as crude oil and iron ore.

“The circular economy is one of the strongest pace-setters on the journey to achieving climate neutrality,” highlights Dr. Axel Schweitzer, CEO of the ALBA Group. “We will only achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent throughout Europe by 2030 if we make consistent use of recycled raw materials.” This includes the area of plastics, for example: compared with primary plastics made from crude oil, the use of high-quality recycled plastics achieves a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of more than 50 per cent. “It is now necessary to lever this potential,” explains Schweitzer. “We are expecting the new Federal Government in Germany to act decisively and push ahead directly with the transition to a circular economy. The environmental benefits of recycling due to its clearly superior CO2 balance should also find reflection in prices. As immediate climate protection measures, clear industry standards for recyclates combined with minimum quotas on the use of recycled raw materials in products and packaging are also urgently necessary. Last but not least, the state sector is also called upon to prioritise resource protection in the area of procurement. Sustainable procurement can ultimately provide a significant boost to the circular economy”.

Plastics, metals, waste electrical (and electronic) equipment, wood, paper, cardboard, cartons or glass: the Fraunhofer UMSICHT has now been researching the specific benefits of recycling for 14 years. Detailed comparisons have also been made of the primary processes and recycling processes for the various material flows. “This means we can precisely quantify the extent to which the recycling activities of the ALBA Group can contribute to reducing the burden on the environment,” explains Dr.-Ing. Markus Hiebel, Director of the Department for Sustainability and Participation at Fraunhofer UMSICHT. Hiebel believes that the greatest savings can be achieved if the entire value chain is aligned consistently with the circular principle: “The transformation towards a genuine circular economy requires completely new thinking. Products should be designed and managed to ensure that they contain recycled raw materials right from the start – which enables them to be recycled appropriately.”