From 10 to 12 March 2026, JEC World, the leading international trade fair for composite materials and applications, took place once again in Paris. The event annually brings together thousands of companies, knowledge institutions, and innovators to showcase the latest developments and stimulate collaborations. The NL Pavilion, organized by CompositesNL, offers the Netherlands an important platform to make the strength of the national high-tech ecosystem internationally visible. Leo Warmerdam contributed on behalf of Holland High Tech.
At the NL Pavilion, Dutch companies and knowledge partners presented their innovations in the fields of lightweight materials, sustainable applications, and advanced production techniques. The NL Pavilion was the place where the strength, innovation, and international interconnectedness of the Dutch ecosystem became visible, and where companies found common ground at the intersection of high-tech, materials, circularity, and chemistry. From materials and recycling to aerospace, automotive, sensor technology, and production automation, the full breadth of Dutch composite strength was on display.
Leo Warmerdam, executive director of Holland High Tech, was also present. He spoke, among other things, about the strategic importance of key technologies within the National Technology Strategy (NTS). He emphasized that these technologies are essential for solving societal challenges and strengthening the earning capacity of the Netherlands. Within the NTS, the Netherlands works with ten priority key technologies, elaborated in action agendas and large-scale innovation programs with broad involvement from the ecosystem.
The role of composites is indispensable.
Warmerdam underlined the crucial role of composites and advanced materials in themes such as energy transition, sustainability, and the circular economy. He referred, among others, to National Growth Fund programs such as NXTGEN Hightech and Aviation in Transition, and the collaboration with ChemistryNL, in which companies and knowledge institutions work together on breakthrough innovations.
Holland High Tech is actively pursuing this through, among other things, the Strategic Programme High Tech Materials and innovation domains such as Sustainable Mobility. According to Warmerdam, the Dutch composites ecosystem offers strong opportunities to contribute to sectors such as defense, mechanical engineering, and mobility, provided that parties further deepen their collaboration and jointly seize opportunities.
The presence of the Netherlands at JEC World 2026 demonstrates our country's strong position in the development and application of composite materials. Through intensive collaboration between companies, knowledge institutions, and government bodies, the Netherlands continues to lead the way in this rapidly growing sector.
