From March 31 to April 2, the 3rd Shenzhen International Composites Industry Technology Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as the "Composites Exhibition") was held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center.

"This year's Composite Materials Exhibition mainly focuses on showcasing new materials, new technologies, and new processes, while also covering multiple product categories across the upstream and downstream of the composite materials industry chain. A total of 178 companies and industry chain firms participated in the exhibition, which demonstrates the diversity of composite materials and their increasingly important role in the future development of the manufacturing industry," said a relevant staff member of the organizing committee of the China International Composite Materials Industrial Technology Exhibition to Securities Daily reporters.

Broad development prospects

Composite materials possess excellent characteristics such as lightweight, high strength, intelligence, multifunctionality, and environmental friendliness, making them a strategically encouraged emerging industry in China. Public data from the China Composites Industry Association shows that the composite materials sector will continue to maintain rapid growth over the next five years, with the market size expected to reach 160 billion yuan by 2030, which will also drive significant capacity expansion.

It is reported that the upstream of the composite materials industry chain consists of matrix and reinforcing materials, with the matrix including metal-based, ceramic-based, and carbon-based materials, and the reinforcing materials including glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc. The midstream of the industry chain involves the production and manufacturing process of composite materials, which can be divided into carbon-based composites, ceramic-based composites, metal-based composites, etc., according to the different matrices. The downstream applications are widely used in aerospace, automotive industry, new energy, medicine, and other fields.

China National Materials Group Corporation(15.400, 0.50, 3.36%)The chairman of China National Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Materials Technology"), Huang Zaiman, has stated that in the coming years, China's composite materials market will continue to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 4% to 5%, and will occupy the largest market share globally. At the same time, technological innovation in the industry will continue to accelerate, driving improvements in product performance and reductions in costs.

"The development of composite materials in China presents three major characteristics: First, the demand for composite materials in China is continuously growing, and the market size will keep expanding; Second, Chinese companies are increasing their investment in the research and development and production of composite materials, with technological levels constantly improving, and some areas have reached international advanced standards; Third, the industry concentration is gradually increasing, industry integration is accelerating, and the market share of leading enterprises is expanding." Qiu Sixiong, chief economist of Shenzhen WanZhong Consulting Management Co., Ltd., told reporters.

In addition, with the continuous advancement of technology, the requirements for material performance are becoming increasingly high, and the research and development of high-performance composite materials has become a key factor in the industry's development. For example, high-performance materials such as carbon fiber reinforced composites and nanocomposites have broad application prospects in fields such as aerospace, automotive lightweighting, and wind power equipment.

Listed companies actively expand their layout

Against the backdrop of various industries continually seeking breakthroughs and innovations, stringent demands for lightweight and high-strength materials in aerospace, ongoing pursuits of energy efficiency and safety performance in automobile manufacturing, and urgent needs for environmentally friendly and durable materials in the construction sector—all highlight the evolving hotspots in composite materials development. Several companies have preemptively positioned themselves, making moves akin to playing "the first move" in a strategic game.

At this year's Composites Exhibition, reporters from Securities Daily observed that several leading companies showcased their flagship or latest products, includingGuangqi Technology(37.620, -0.19, -0.50%)Guangqi Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Guangqi Technology"), Sinoma Science & Technology Co., Ltd.,Zhongfu Shenying(21.000, 0.12, 0.57%)Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd., ZhuzhouTimes New Material(13.300, -0.17, -1.26%)Liaoke Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Times New Materials"), Weihai Guangwei Composite Materials Co., Ltd., ShanghaiCathay Biotech(50.900, 0.58, 1.15%)Technology Co., Ltd., etc.

Among them, Guangqi Technology, as a core domestic supplier of a new generation of advanced equipment, showcased advanced composite material products based on metamaterial technology at this year's Composite Exhibition. Relevant staff from Guangqi Technology told the Securities Daily reporter: "These products not only significantly enhance the overall performance of China's advanced equipment, making it more competitive, but also these advanced composite material products are applicable in low-altitude fields and humanoid applications."Robot(17.820, -0.01, -0.06%) field has also demonstrated extremely broad application prospects, injecting new vitality and momentum into the innovative development of related industries."

Previously, Kuang-Chi Technology stated on the Interactive Easy platform that the company's humanoid robot project only involves the research and manufacturing of metamaterial key components required for humanoid robots. It is committed to promoting the full-scale intelligent manufacturing of AI-based humanoid robots using metamaterials to enhance the efficiency of various production bases.

Cortic Materials Technology is exhibiting wind turbine blades, glass fiber, lithium battery separators, hydrogen storage cylinders, high-performance glass fiber and 3D woven materials, and fiber-reinforced composites at this composite exhibition.

Times New Materials isCRRC Corporation Limited(7.010, -0.05, -0.71%)As a high-tech enterprise under a joint-stock company, the firm specializes in the research, production, and sales of new materials and their products. The company has established an integrated industrial chain from material development to product manufacturing, with its products covering various sectors such as rail transit, wind power, automotive components, aerospace, and marine engineering. Recently, Times New Material released its 2024 performance forecast, projecting an operating income of approximately 20.055 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.35%; and an operating profit of about 522 million yuan, a year-on-year growth of 39.32%. The sales revenue of its wind turbine blades, automotive components, rail transit, and industrial and engineering sectors has reached new historical highs.