The 2026 edition of JEC World, the international benchmark trade fair for the composites industry, is approaching and will take place in Paris from March 10 to 12. The Paris-Nord Villepinte venue will once again bring together the entire composites value chain, from production technologies to advanced applications across multiple industrial sectors.
After a highly attended 2025 edition, JEC World 2026 will welcome major industrial groups, SMEs, research centres, universities, startups and investors. The organisers expect more than 1,400 exhibitors and around 46,000 professional visitors from over 100 countries. The exhibition will showcase technologies and solutions spanning aerospace, automotive, energy, construction, marine, sports and leisure, with a particular focus on sustainable materials, low-impact processes and new recycling and circularity techniques.
Knowledge, technologies and networking
“JEC World is not just an exhibition. The content programme includes three days of conferences, panel discussions and technical presentations across three stages. The sessions will address key topics for the industry, including the evolution of manufacturing technologies, sustainability, material circularity and the pathway to carbon neutrality,” the organisers said in the press announcement released a few months before the event.
The programme dedicated to startups remains one of the pillars of the show. JEC Startup Booster will select 20 finalists from over 100 global applications. These young companies will present their innovations to a jury composed of industrial experts and investors. The expanded Startups Village will host more than 60 emerging deep-tech and advanced-materials companies. In parallel, Investor Day will facilitate direct interaction between startups and investors through dedicated meetings and guided tours.
The Business Meetings programme, the organisers note, will help connect exhibitors with qualified buyers, optimising participants’ schedules and supporting collaboration across the value chain. “The exhibition will also feature live demonstrations in an expanded area, with machinery and processes operating throughout the three-day event.”
The thematic areas will offer a structured overview of the composites industry’s main fields of interest. The Circularity Village will highlight solutions for recycling, repair and reuse of composite materials. The Bio-Materials Village will present bio-based innovations and biocomposites, including projects developed in collaboration with the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp. The SMEs Village will showcase the capabilities and agility of small and medium-sized enterprises, while the Startups Village will concentrate the sector’s most promising emerging innovations.
Innovation at the centre
Among the most anticipated features, the Innovation Planets will once again display a selection of components and applications identified throughout the year by the JEC team worldwide, illustrating how composite materials are driving the shift toward lighter, more efficient and more sustainable technologies.
The official preview of the 2026 edition will take place on 12 January with an online streaming event. It will outline the key features of the fair, announce the Startup Booster finalists and reveal the winners of the JEC Innovation Awards, the industry’s most prestigious recognition.
www.jec-world.events