Barış Pakiş, TCMA: “Under the new “MEET4COMPOSITE” brand, we have ambitious plans”

First of all, can you tell us how the Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association evolved since it was created in 2005?

The Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association (TCMA) is a 19-year-old association. Originally founded under the name “Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic Industrialists Association” (CTP-SANDER) by Şişecam, a leading glass-fibre company in Türkiye, it started its activities with 25 founding members consisting of industrialists and academic institutions such as Bosphorus University and Marmara University.

Since its creation in 2005, the Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association has grown to encompass the entire sector. It has become the indispensable umbrella organisation for the Turkish composites industry, engaging in various activities and platforms. The association now has 138 members, coming from 116 institutions and organisations, including 13 universities, one centre of excellence, and one association. Our members notably include companies with a significant market share in the Turkish composites industry. As the Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association, we work hard with our members to become one of the world’s design and production bases for high-quality composites.

What are the main specialties of your members and what are the most significant sectors of application within the association?

Our members are academic institutions and companies that provide services on a wide scale. TCMA covers raw material producers – glass fibre and carbon fibre, polyester resin and gelcoat – fabric and multiaxial producers, compounders and composite parts producers. We unite all stakeholders that lead the composites sector in Türkiye under the same roof, from raw material-producing companies to semi-finished product-manufacturing companies, from final product manufacturers to distributors. Our members also include machine constructors. However, more than a third of our 138 members are companies manufacturing final products.

In Türkiye, approximately 75% of composite products are used in the transportation-automotive, pipe-tank-infrastructure and construction-building industries. With high-tech products manufacturing accelerating in our country, we expect composite materials to be used in greater quantities and proportions, especially in the wind energy, space, aviation, electricity and electronics sectors.

The composites industry finds its largest market in the construction sector, which stands as one of the most prominent industries in Türkiye. Another significant market for the Turkish composites industry lies within the Turkish automotive sector. With its advantageous geographical position, relatively low costs and a wealth of skilled labour, Türkiye boasts around 700 companies producing a diverse range of automotive parts, including those for European bus manufacturers. Furthermore, considering Türkiye’s geopolitical position, ship and boat-building businesses thrive in İstanbul, İzmir and Antalya. Moreover, Türkiye’s wind energy market, witnessing a growth in energy demand, exhibits strong potential. Anticipated developments include an acceleration in the production of advanced technology products such as wind energy and aviation, along with an increase in the use of composite materials in the electrical-electronics industry.

Is the economic dynamism that Türkiye has demonstrated for several years also reflected in the scope of composites?

Considering global economic developments and the country’s dynamics, the composites field in Türkiye is experiencing rapid and long-term developments, similar to that of other industries. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected various sectors, leading to a declining demand in composites, the composites industry grows in the country by gaining a share from replacement materials, as it does in the rest of the world. Thereby, the composites industry grows in Türkiye at higher rates than in Europe and the world in a long-term trend, in line with global economic developments and leveraging the effects of the dynamics in the country.

The Turkish composites market’s value has reached $3 billion (€2.7 millions), and the product volume has increased to 340.000 tons.

These figures indicate a growing trend as much as a shift from substitute materials to composite ones, and this growth aligns with the higher growth rates observed in the composites market in Europe and worldwide. In recent years, under the prevailing economic conditions, the Turkish composites sector has indeed grown from 8% to 12%, whereas the growth rate was around 6% in 2017. However, in 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkish trade association reported a 10% decline in production compared to the previous year.

What relationship (economic, industrial, academic…) does Türkiye have with other composites markets, particularly in Europe?

TCMA represents the Turkish composites sector through the European and American associations EuCIA (since 2012) and ACMA. We are not only members, we also serve on the Board of Directors. 

In addition, we take part in the Global Composites Sustainability Coalition. This forum allows international collaboration in various areas, such as cost-effective collection and reprocessing of waste to enable circularity, new chemistries for more sustainable materials, developing standards for composites’ environmental footprint or creating toolsets and data to design composites. Through the coalition, along with the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Composites UK and the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), we share knowledge and make progress in common areas.

You changed the name of your event from “Turk Kompozit summit” to “Meet4Composite”. Can you tell us what led to this decision?

As the Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association, armed with over 19 years of expertise in composites and a track record of numerous successful events, we wanted to elevate our journey onto the global stage. Thus, “TURK Composites,” a name shedding light on the sector’s past decade, was changed into the “MEET4COMPOSITE” brand, which enables to globalise its impact.

What will be the highlights of this 2024 edition?

Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans for this year. We are set to double our fair area, providing a larger platform for global players in the composites industry to showcase their products and services as visitors or as exhibitors. Additionally, we will organise a forum on the use of composites in buildings, furthering our mission to promote the importance of composites in structural reinforcement.

Because Türkiye is experiencing frequent earthquakes, we aim to raise awareness about our work on using composites in construction and the importance of composites in structural reinforcement. Within the forum, we will bring together good practice examples from around the world, and expertise from academics and professionals.

In a few words, how would you convince professionals to come to your show?

Meet4Composite has been crafted as an elevated international tradeshow meticulously designed by composites professionals for composites professionals to showcase the latest breakthroughs and innovations in composite materials.

Thus, this event is a unique opportunity for composite professionals to delve into composites’ boundless potential and meet Turkish and global companies in the composites sector. Istanbul and Meet4Composite will be the meeting point of composites professionals in the world to foster meaningful connections. Moreover, Istanbul is lovely to explore, after or before the event. We are thrilled to host our guests in Istanbul between 10-12 October 2024, at Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC), Harbiye.

What are the main centres of innovation that you expect at this 2024 event?

The main centres of innovation at the 2024 event will be sustainable materials, advanced manufacturing techniques, smart composites, lightweighting solutions, automotive & aerospace applications, and healthcare innovations.

• Sustainable materials:
  • Bio-based composites: development of materials derived from renewable sources such as bio AN and bio resins to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
  • Recyclability initiatives: focus on creating composites that can be easily recycled or reused, minimising waste and promoting circular economy practices.
    
• Advanced manufacturing techniques:
  • 3D printing innovations: exploration of additive manufacturing for producing complex composite structures with reduced waste and faster lead times.
  • Automation and robotics: implementing automated systems to enhance precision and efficiency in composite fabrication.
    
• Smart composites:
  • Embedded sensors: integration of sensors into composites for structural health monitoring, enabling real-time data collection on performance and durability.
  • IoT connectivity: developing connected composites that can exchange data for enhanced functionalities in applications, for example in aerospace and automotive.
    
• Lightweight solutions:
  • Materials with enhanced performance: focus on developing lightweight composites that maintain strength and durability, particularly in the aerospace and automotive sectors, to improve fuel efficiency.
  • Hybrid materials: Combination of different materials to achieve optimal weight-to-strength ratios for specific applications.
    
• Automotive & aerospace applications:
  • High-performance composites: innovations tailored to meet stringent requirements in the automotive and aerospace industries, focusing on safety, weight reduction and cost-effectiveness.
  • Regulatory compliance: development of composites that fit increasing regulations regarding emissions and safety standards.
    
• Healthcare innovations:
  • Biocompatible composites: creation of materials suitable for medical devices, implants and prosthetics that enhance patient comfort and functionality.
  • Smart medical devices: use of advanced composites in devices that can monitor health parameters or respond to patient needs dynamically.

How do you think the composites market is going to evolve in the years to come?

The topics we always discuss regarding materials are material innovation, smart composites, lightweight composites and bio-based composites, which are the future of composite materials.

Innovation in terms of applications are advanced manufacturing techniques, infrastructure and construction, additive manufacturing and 3D printing with composites is the future of composite applications.

The market will evolve into more value-added areas, such as automotive, aerospace, wind energy, electrical, sports, civil construction and the medical and chemical industries.

In addition, developments in AI and IoT will cause transformations that will significantly affect the applications field, such as smart composites factories.

At a time when sustainable development is on everyone’s lips, how does Türkiye approach this – huge – challenge?

As I said, we are part of the Global Composites Sustainability Coalition. Through this coalition, we are collaborating internationally to share our knowledge and try to gain ground in common areas. In Türkiye, carrying out activities such as policy making, strategy development, planning, setting standards, licensing, inspection, training, etc. on waste management at the national level is under the authority and responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. TCMA has placed the sustainability issue on its main agenda, and our sustainability committee is working on it. One of our goals is to establish a recycling company under the association’s umbrella or participate as a stakeholder. We have a plan to model the recycling of waste and implement it in 3 years. One of the methods used by our Sustainability Committee is to benchmark studies carried out on the subject around the world and in Turkey. Our other main goals are to make calls to potential stakeholders, ensure joint work, and win projects related to the subject such as Horizon projects. Among other things, we also want to develop the reuse and disposal business model, make the project feasible and receive incentives.