A large majority of German companies consider the current climate in the global composites market as positive or very positive, Composites Germany (Berlin; www.composites-germany.org) reports. The trade association’s latest half-yearly poll found that the “Composite Development Index” currently stands at a very high level. Founded last year when the country’s composites federations AVK, Carbon Composites, CFK Valley Stade and VDMA Forum Composite Technology decided to join hands, the umbrella organisation’s latest survey provides a number of key variables on the ongoing market development.

The survey results echo those of the poll just carried out by Plasteurope.com sister publication Kunststoff Information (KI, Bad Homburg / Germany; www.kiweb.de) – see Plasteurope.com of 25.07.2014. While most of the companies told Composites Germany they do not expect a significant improvement in the current situation, only a small proportion of respondents anticipate a worsening in the overall business sentiment in Germany and Europe’s other German-speaking countries in H2. The vast majority of companies polled also evaluated their own position within the market as rather positive, the association reports, pointing to supporting indicators like workforce increases and investment plans.

Composites Europe says half the firms that responded to its poll said they aim to raise their activities in the composites field, adding that Germany is considered to be the regional market with most impulses for growth. On the material side, respondents identified carbon fibre-reinforced plastics as having the highest potential, in the automotive and aviation sectors especially.