The number of members in the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA, Brussels / Belgium; www.eucia.org) continues to rise. Just three months after the admission of the Russian Union of Composites Manufacturers (UNMC, Moscow; www.english.uncm.ru) in mid-May 2012 – see Plasteurope.com of 12.06.2012 – the Turkish Composites Manufacturers Association (TCMA, Istanbul; www.kompozit.org.tr) also joined the European umbrella organisation.

TCMA currently represents 67 different companies that, according to association president Ismail Hakki Hacıalioğlu (Cam Elyaf), cover the entire industry spectrum, from raw material producers to parts manufacturers. Hacıalioğlu will present an overview of current market developments the Middle East and Turkey at the upcoming “Composites Europe” fair (www.composites-europe.com), held from 9-11 October in Düsseldorf / Germany.

Ahead of the event, the TCMA president said Turkey’s present composites consumption is pegged at around 120,000 t/y, mainly glass-reinforced materials. Although the sector suffered losses during the recent economic crisis, which saw growth rates contract to an average 8% per year, market insiders expect the rate to rise to between 9-10% once Europe emerges from its current economic quagmire. Key drivers are the automotive and wind energy sector as well as the construction market, where composites demand is mostly driven by the region’s immense need for GFR water pipes.

Aside from 150-160 mid-size to larger players that dominate the sector, Hacıalioğlu estimates that there are about 500 smaller companies active in the field. The most well-known Turkish composite manufacturers include Poliya Composite Resins and Polymers (Istanbul; www.poliya.net), which in April last year acquired the resins business of Şişecam subsidiary Cam Elyaf (Cayirova / Turkey; www.camelyaf.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 27.04.2011. Another key player is the carbon fibre joint venture recently created by Dow Chemical (Midland, Michigan / USA; www.dow.com) and acrylic fibre producer Aksa Akrilik Kimya (Istanbul; www.aksa.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 06.07.2012 – as well as Metyx Composites (Istanbul; www.metyx.com), which early this year commissioned a new reinforcing fabrics plant close to Izmir – see Plasteurope.com of 11.01.2012.