#Composites
Pilatus Aircraft jet built with Hexcel composite materials on display

In order to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, FLYING WHALES (FLWH) and HEXCEL are collaborating on an exciting project to develop the most adapted solutions for airship structures.

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) and HEXCEL Corporation (HEXCEL) have signed a long-term partnership agreement at the Paris Air Show for the supply of HexWeb® engineered honeycombs and HexPly® prepregs for KONGSBERG’s strategic production programs over a five-year period.
FIDAMC a leading research and technology centre in composite manufacturing, and Hexcel, a global leader in composite materials production, have announced a strategic partnership to drive innovation, research, and future development of advanced composite materials.

Hexcel will demonstrate its latest developments for the Aerospace and Automotive markets at JEC World 2025, the prestigious 60th Anniversary edition of the leading composites fair.

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.
Carbon Revolution has won the Engineering Team Excellence Award at the 2026 Composites Australia Annual Industry Awards.

Even more young design talent and creative ideas: at the upcoming Heimtextil, the New Talent Area returns for its second edition with stronger presence. From 12 to 15 January 2027, the curated area welcomes more than 30 participants, many of whom are presenting on the international stage for the first time. In Frankfurt, they showcase exciting textile designs, surprising materials and market-ready products.
Five start-ups from Switzerland, Brazil, the United States and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Start-up Award 2026. Their concepts range from new polymer chemistry and natural-fiber biocomposites to zero-waste design, 3D weaving and enzymatic PET recycling.
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.