Friday October 2, 2015

With 70 participants, the inaugural bio! CAR conference, organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE together with the nova-Institute was a success. The new conference, which focused exclusively on biobased materials in automotive engineering, was launched in Stuttgart, Germany on 24 and 25 September, within the framework of COMPOSITES EUROPE 2015.

The theme of the bio!CAR conference aimed to reflect the trend towards the increasing use of biobased polymers and natural fibres in the automotive industry: more and more manufacturers and suppliers are betting on biobased alternatives derived from renewable raw materials such as wood, flax, jute, sisal, cotton or coir, used as reinforcement materials, as well as reinforced or unreinforced, but biobased thermoplastics, thermoset or chemical building blocks. According to the Hürth-based nova-Institute, the European car industry processed approximately 80,000 tonnes (2012) of wood and natural fibres into composites. The total volume of bio-based composites in automotive engineering was 150,000 tonnes.