From left to right: EuCIA’s managing director, Raphaël Pleynet, and president, Roberto Frassine, with Nicole Kambeck, head of sustainability, Mitsubishi Chemical Europe; Hinrich Hampe, head of governmental affairs, Teijin Carbon Europe; Raf Bussels, senior director EMEA R&D • R&D, Mitsubishi Chemical Group; Claude Despierres, VP sustainability and business development, Hexcel; Kristian Seidel, managing director, Teijin Automotive Technologies Wuppertal GmbH; Axel Leuchter, head of EU sustainability group, Teijin Ltd; Ota Kenjiro, CEO EACC; and Eisuke Wadahara, president of EACC, Toray Industries. Source | Carbon Fiber Europe.

The European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA, Brussel, Belgium) has launched Carbon Fiber Europe, a new alliance dedicated to supporting the sustainable growth of Europe’s carbon fiber industry. The founding members of the alliance include Hexcel Composites SASU (Dagneux, France), Mitsubishi Chemical Europe (Moritzburg, Germany), Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) and Toray Industries (Tokyo, Japan).

Carbon Fiber Europe’s mission is to promote the positive contributions and innovative power of European carbon fiber products to society and to foster their safe and sustainable use within Europe. The alliance will pursue these goals through activities based around four strategic pillars:

• Advocacy and Representation
• Sustainability and Circularity
• Innovation and Standards
• Health and Safety.

At a recent meeting in Brussels, Belgium, alliance members elected Raf Bussels, senior director EMEA R&D • R&D at Mitsubishi Chemical Group as the chair of Carbon Fiber Europe, and Axel Leuchter, head of EU sustainability group, Teijin Ltd., as vice chair.

“Carbon fiber is an integral part of Europe’s composites industry and it is essential for realizing the EU Clean Industrial Deal’s objectives for decarbonization, innovation and industrial resilience,” says Roberto Frassine, president of EuCIA. “We are committed to assisting Carbon Fiber Europe members in their efforts to reinforce carbon fiber’s role in Europe’s sustainable industrial development.”

Carbon Fiber Europe will also advance environmentally and socially responsible production practices, promote circular economy models and support the reduction of carbon footprint across the carbon fiber value chain, including end-of-life management. It will promote best practices and science-based safety guidelines to ensure the protection of workers, users and the environment.

The alliance is currently defining its priority actions and Working Group structure. A Carbon Fiber Europe website will be launched soon.