JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #97 - Special JEC Americas - May/June 2015 - 33

Brazil, country guest of honor
Key players
Glass Systems
Owens
Corning
Petrofisa
Polinox
Polystell
Redelease
Reichhold
Scania
Stratus
Tecnofibras
Tecsis
Texiglass
Toho Tenax
Transtécnica
Vetroresinas
VI Fiberglass
Volvo

applications, as well as thermoplastic resins
and polyurethane resins for pultrusion and
RTM processes, and the development of
products that add value to composite (glass
fibre and carbon) waste. Brazil's needs
in infrastructure remain very high. This
concerns infrastructures related to the various means of transportation as well as the
education sector where there is a significant
need for modern schools (Brazil still suffers
from a labour force having low or modest
basic skills). These two sectors open up
perspectives for composite materials.

limited and the lack of knowledge is general.
Events such as Compocity get people
interested, and motivate them to learn about
and use our materials more.

should appeal to everyone. The chance
to see, touch and use a live application is
a much more effective way to present a
product, as it is more instructive and inspires
a desire to create, specify, develop and use
composites.

this can put the spotlight on the composite
sector outside of Latin America?

JCM: Will the building and construction sector
predominate at Compocity 2015 as it does
in the regional composite sector, and more
particularly in Brazil?

G.L. : Markets are constantly changing. A
company would be limited and its future
uncertain, if its strategy focused only on the
domestic market. We have to look out at the
world.

3M
Abcol
AJB Souza
AkzoNobel
Artecola
Ashland
Barracuda
BMC do Brasil
BYK
CCP Composites
Chem-Trend
Cogumelo
Comil
CPIC
Desafio
Diprofiber
DMG Indústria
de Moldes

Dow
Edra do Brasil
Elekeiroz
Embraer
Engefuse
Fastplas
FB Mix
Fibermaq
Fibralit
Fortlev
Huntsman
Jushi
LORD
Marcopolo
Mastergel
Morquímica
MVC
MVC/Stabilit
NOV Fiber

JCM: Will there be other activities programmed around the event? Which public are you
targeting?

G.L. : We are planning many activities, such

as a three-day international seminar on composites focused on specific segments, final
papers, a presentation of the Composites
postgraduate course, a part production line,
a complete recycling unit, the Top Of Mind
awards ceremony for composites and best
Technological Applications by segment,
product launches with technical lectures and
happy hours, and more. We are aiming for
the general market, government agencies,
universities, technological institutes, specifiers and agencies. We are also beginning to
target schools, because we want children and
young people to get acquainted with and
interested in the world of composites.
JCM: What potential can you offer participating companies that another regional
composite event would not be able to?

G.L. : First of all, getting the whole market
to participate and creating real learning and
business opportunities, since exploring an
entire city made with composite materials

Knowledge
In the field of knowledge, composites are
slowly gaining recognition and several
universities are now showing an interest
in these materials. The Universidade

G.L. : Construction is particularly
important in Brazil and Latin America, but
segments such as wind energy, transport,
aerospace, oil & gas, rail and infrastructure
have been growing significantly.
JCM: How do you inspire the entire value
chain to attend, and in what capacity?

G.L. : Many people think that I have more
work to do because of the crisis in Brazil, but
I see it in a totally different way. Compocity
2015 is a great strategic opportunity to
create a new positive scenario for Brazil and
Latin America.
JCM: Will all application sectors be
represented?

G.L. : We are working towards that, and I
am sure we will achieve it.
JCM: Do you think that a new concept like

Positivo offers a postgraduate programme
in composite materials in Curitiba, Caxias
do Sul, Joinville and, until the end of 2015,
São Paulo. Engineering and architecture
graduate courses at the Centro de Ensino
Superior dos Campos Gerais (CESCAGE/
Ponta Grossa) include a class called "Composites". The Universidade de São Paulo
and others offer lectures on composites on
a regular basis. Moreover, the Latin American Composite Materials Association
(ALMACO), founded in 2011, focuses
on the integration and development of the
composite industry in the region. ALMACO is the only composite cluster in South
America. n
More information:
www.almaco.org.br

G.L. : I believe so.
JCM: Is one of Compocity's objectives to help
regional companies to export, or does it focus
mainly on domestic consumption?

JCM: Why did you approach JEC Group, and
what do you expect from this partnership?

G.L. : This question is easier to answer. JEC
Group is the organization that has spread and
developed composites worldwide better than
anyone else. We hope to continue to collaborate on other actions after this first one.
JCM: Practically speaking, do you think that
Compocity 2015 can help companies in the
composite sector overcome the economic
problems that still affect not just Brazil, but
the whole region?

G.L. : It is one of the most important ways,
but not the only one.
JCM: Are you already thinking ahead to the
next Compocity event?

G.L. : I'm not, but the world is!

No97 May - June 2015 /

jec composites magazine 33
http://www.almaco.org.br/
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #97 - Special JEC Americas - May/June 2015

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