Composites United e.V. (CU) celebrated its 20th anniversary on November 26, 2024 in the Solarhalle in Stade. As one of the leading networks for fiber-based lightweight design, the CU unites around 350 members from industry and research along the entire value chain. The anniversary celebration offered over 200 guests a platform to honor the network’s achievements and key role in innovation and sustainability. Inspiring keynotes, emotional retrospectives and a festive program demonstrated the importance of high-performance fiber composites for a climate-neutral future and strengthened the community for the challenges ahead.
Composites United e. V. (CU) was formed in 2019 through the merger of two important networks: CFK Valley e. V., founded in 2004 in Stade, and Carbon Composites e. V. (CCeV), founded in 2007 in Augsburg. Both organizations promoted the development and application of fiber composites in their regions.
The merger to form Composites United e. V. in 2019 created a strong network that today unites around 350 members from industry and research and is committed to the further development of high-performance fiber composites. The national and international members cover the entire process chain from training and technology development to recycling and benefit from the network’s concentrated innovative strength. Over the past 20 years, the association and its members can look back with pride on the many things they have achieved and accomplished. On November 26, 2024, the association celebrated its anniversary with over 200 guests, including the founders of the two existing associations as well as many companions and members of the association and guests of honor from politics and business.
From Stade to Brussels – Political voices on the 20th anniversary
After the welcoming address by the spokesman of the CU Presidium, Prof. Dr. Klaus Drechsler, and by CU CEO Dr. Tjark von Reden, high-ranking political representatives acknowledged the outstanding importance of the CU for the promotion of high-performance fiber composites. In his video message, David McAllister, Member of the European Parliament, emphasized the key role of the network for technological innovation, especially for energy efficiency and sustainability as part of the EU Green Deal targets. Stephan Weil, Minister President of Lower Saxony, acknowledged the importance of lightweight engineering, with around 1.3 million jobs, for Germany as a business location and its contribution as a driver of innovation for key industries such as the transport sector. Tobias Gotthardt, State Secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Frank Doods, State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, emphasized the economic and ecological benefits of the network and the importance of cooperation for success. Sönke Hartlef, Mayor of the Hanseatic City of Stade, expressed his pride in the local anchoring of the network and emphasized the importance of the region as a reliable partner of Composites United and vice versa.
Frank Doods (State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Building and Digitalization, left) and Sönke Hartlef (Mayor of the Hanseatic City of Stade) congratulated the CU on its anniversary.
A look back at two decades of pioneering networking
Dr. Bastian Brenken (CTO CU) and Dr. Thomas Heber (CCO CU) then gave an entertaining and interactive review of the impressive development of the association – from the beginnings of CFK Valley e. V. and CCeV to the merger and today’s international success of Composites United.
Moving reports from the founding fathers and companions brought the history of its origins to life: Prof. Dr. Axel Herrmann, one of the initiators of CFK Valley, described how the vision of a network for fiber composites that bundles expertise and promotes cross-industry exchange was born in Stade in 2004. A pioneering achievement that laid the foundation for today’s Composites United. At the same time, Dr. Hans-Wolfgang Schröder (former Managing Director of CCeV) spoke in a video recording about the founding of CCeV in Augsburg in 2007 – the second strong root of today’s association.
Prof. Dr. Hubert Jäger, a long-standing member of the CCeV board and spokesperson for the CU founding presidium, highlighted the dynamic development of the regional departments, the supra-regional networking and the political work of the association. The international orientation and strategy of further training and the promotion of young talent were also acknowledged. Heinrich Timm (former member of the CCeV board) emphasized the importance of project work and the association’s ambitious goals.
Dr. Gunnar Merz and Alexander Gundling took the audience back to the time of the merger of CFK Valley e. V. and CCeV. The two former managing directors played a key role in the creation of Composites United.
The retrospective ended with an emotional farewell and tribute to numerous visionaries and strategists who have helped shape and drive the development of the CU and thus decisively shaped the association.
Together with the attendees, Dr. Tjark von Reden then looked to a promising future and underlined the decisive role of high-performance fiber composites for a climate-neutral economy in a sustainable society in his presentation “No climate protection without composites”: “In key industries such as wind energy, aerospace, construction, automotive and plant engineering, fiber composites enable climate-friendly innovations through lightweight design and increased efficiency. In the area of sustainability, we are working on the further development of green fibers, the recycling of CFRP and closed-loop processes in order to further improve our environmental footprint. Overall, we can expect a rapidly growing market characterized by innovation and international cooperation.”
Composites as a strategy for the future: experts show prospects
As part of the anniversary celebration, two keynote speeches from the aviation industry highlighted the importance of composite materials for a climate-friendly future: Dr. Markus Fischer (German Aerospace Center – DLR) and Nicole Dreyer-Langlet (Airbus) showed how intelligent lightweight system design and innovative materials can contribute to reducing emissions in aviation. Both emphasized that a combination of measures such as lightweight design, aerodynamic optimization and sustainable fuels is indispensable for the goals of climate-friendly flying.
Prof. Dr. Jens Ridzewski (IMA Materialforschung und Anwendungstechnik GmbH) presented innovative approaches in construction with fiber composites in his keynote speech “Economical CFRP bridges without concrete”. He highlighted the urgent need for bridge renovations in Germany and showed how composites offer a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete thanks to their high rigidity, corrosion resistance and durability.
Nicole Dreyer-Langlet (Airbus, top), Dr. Markus Fischer (German Aerospace Center – DLR, middle) and Prof. Dr. Jens Ridzewski (IMA Dresden, bottom) presented perspectives from the aviation and construction industries.
Picture below: © broadcast media solutions
A program full of highlights
The general meeting of Composites United e. V. also took place on November 26, 2024 in the solar hall of the CFRP North Research Center in Stade, which was held as part of the celebratory supporting program for the association’s 20th anniversary. In an exchange with the members, the Executive Committee was unanimously discharged and the budget for 2025 was approved, confirming the confidence of the members in the work of the Executive Committee and the future direction of the association.
The anniversary celebration was crowned by a festive dinner buffet, which took place in the middle of the exhibition in the impressive Solar Hall in Stade. More than 200 guests took the opportunity to come together in a relaxed atmosphere, make contacts and engage in stimulating conversations about old times and possible new collaborations.
On the following day, November 27, 2024, the guests had the opportunity to visit the lightweight construction ecosystem in and around Stade. For example, a guided tour of the AIRBUS plant provided an insight into the production of CFRP wing shells and vertical stabilizers. CTC GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the interuniversity research association HP CFK also opened their doors for tours.
The current CU Presidium from left to right: Robert Maier (Forward Engineering GmbH), Marc Fette (CTC GmbH), Dr. Heike Illing-Günther (STFI e. V.), Prof. Dr. Jens Ridzewski (IMA Dresden), Prof. Dr. Klaus Drechsler (Fraunhofer IGCV / LCC of TU Munich), Dr. Gabriele Gärtner (Ingenieurbüro Dr.- Gabriele Gärtner), Dr. Hauke Lengsfeld (Schill + Seilacher “Struktol” GmbH), Matthias Wendt (inno-focus digital gmbh), Dr. Gernot Kalkoffen (Carbon Truck & Trailer GmbH) and Matthias Kaben (Airbus Operations GmbH) – not in the picture: Dr. Steffen Kress (Mubea Aviation GmbH)
The companies COMPCUT-Advanced Composite Machining, CTC GmbH, Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH, inno-focus digital gmbh, Plataine, Kuraray, Toyota Industries Corporation, Tenowo Hof GmbH, STFI – Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e. V., Schill + Seilacher “Struktol” GmbH and Topocrom GmbH presented themselves at the exhibition.
Looking back with foresight: Celebrating successes and shaping the future
After the successful anniversary celebration, Prof. Dr. Klaus Drechsler and Dr. Tjark von Reden drew a very positive joint conclusion: “This anniversary is a milestone that we were only able to achieve thanks to the great commitment of our members and the volunteers on the Executive Committee, on the boards and in our working groups – my heartfelt thanks go to them,” said Prof. Drechsler. “It was not only a celebration of our success story to date, but also a moment that laid the foundation for the next decades of innovative and successful networking.”
In his summary, Dr. Tjark von Reden underlined the future goals of the network: “Our goal remains to support our members in developing their technologies and successfully implementing innovations in the future. To this end, we will continue to drive forward networking with partners, companies and other networks worldwide and work together to strengthen enthusiasm for our materials in society and among decision-makers. At the same time, we want to further promote education and training in our industry.”
CU CEO Dr. Tjark von Reden reported on the activities and projects from the past year at the members’ meeting (above, © broadcast media solutions).
Prof. Dr. Klaus Drechsler (Speaker of the CU Executive Board, left) and Frank Doods (State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, right) cut the CU anniversary cake together (right).
Composites United would particularly like to thank OLIN, Airbus, C6 Tooling, KCarbon, Schill + Seilacher Struktol GmbH, Technologie Campus Hutthurm and the Hanseatic City of Stade as well as all exhibitors and logo partners for their support of the event.
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