JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #145 - April/May 2022 - 59

INTERVIEW
Highlighting a country's composites expertise
COMPOSITES ECOSYSTEM
IN THE NETHERLANDS:
BOOSTING THE VALUE CHAIN AND
SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE
The composites industry trade association of the Netherlands, CompositesNL, welcomes you
to our Country on Stage session. In full support of the JEC 2022 theme, we will showcase
the intertwined progress of composites technology and sustainability in our country. Three
sectors will be in the spotlight, Automotive, Marine and Aerospace, providing a broad overview
of innovation within these industries. Finally, the book " Designing Lightness, " a look back at the
innovations and developments of the last 25 years, will be presented.
What is the current status of
the composites industry in the
Netherlands?
Joost van den Berg: The Chemistry
and High Tech Systems and Materials
industries in the Netherlands are world
class and lead innovation and circularity
throughout the whole composites value
chain, supported by the successful
partnership of industry, science and
government. Composite materials are
recognized by the Dutch government as
one of the main key enabling technologies.
This collaboration of companies, research
institutes and government is well
established and flourishing to jointly create
and realize great composite innovations
with lasting sustainable relevance.
Key players in the Dutch composites
ecosystem are specialists with high-level
expertise in cutting-edge applications,
innovative materials, process automation
and new products, such as thermoplastic
composites, additive manufacturing, 3D
printing, sustainable composites, endto-end
automation and digitalization.
Additionally, major fields of composites
application developed by Dutch
stakeholders are infrastructure, the
maritime industry, automotive industry and
sustainable composites. These innovations
have been developed from fundamental
research, through industrial development
programs, up to commercial production
and maintenance. Around 200 Dutch
companies, a large proportion SMEs, work
directly on composite products.
What are the particular strengths of
the Dutch composites industry?
J.v.d.B.: R&D is the most important engine
of growth for the composites sector in the
Netherlands. Technological developments
are taking place at a rapid pace where
innovation is essential. Dutch companies
and institutes stand out on the international
market because of their high level of
WE ARE PROUD THAT
WE ARE AGAIN A 'COUNTRY ON
STAGE,' WHICH GIVES US THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE
THE STRENGTHS OF THE
COMPOSITES SECTOR IN THE
NETHERLANDS.
knowledge and entrepreneurial culture.
Dutch parties are skilled in the complete
value chain, from R&D to high-end
production, and they operate as a single,
cohesive composites ecosystem.
Thanks to its culture of multi-stakeholder
collaboration at national level and its
long-standing international orientation, the
Netherlands has gradually become a key
player in strengthening global industrial
value chains in composites. Step by
JOOST VAN DEN BERG, MANAGING
DIRECTOR, COMPOSITESNL
step this specialism also advances the
development of a robust international value
chain, from raw materials to end users.
What are your objectives for the
Country on Stage program?
J.v.d.B.: We are proud that we are again
a 'Country on Stage,' which gives us the
opportunity to showcase the strengths of
the composites sector in the Netherlands.
We will show great innovation examples,
talk about sustainability with regard to
recycling and bio-based composites, and
explain the triple-helix collaboration we
have. And the real icing on the cake is
the launch of the third and final volume of
" Designing Lightness, " the famous book
series written by Prof. Adriaan Beukers
and Ed van Hinte. This book is a true musthave
for every lightweighting engineer and
a rich source of inspiration.
The strategic and long-term relationship
that we have built, and continue to
strengthen, with the JEC organization is
very valuable to us both and is reflected in
a Memorandum of Understanding between
JEC and CompositesNL to investigate the
possibility of hosting a new JEC event in
the Netherlands.
So, if you want to get to know the innovation
and circularity-driven composites
ecosystem in the Netherlands and its
international significance through representative
businesses and organizations,
join us at our Country on Stage
session on Wednesday, May 4th
at
10am.
For more information, contact:
vandenberg@compositesnl.nl
No145 April - May 2022 / jec composites magazine
59
COUNTRY ON STAGE
PREVIEW

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #145 - April/May 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #145 - April/May 2022