JEC World · 2027

Agoris analysis · updated June 2026

Key takeaways

• JEC World 2026 runs from 10 to 12 March 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte, 3 weekdays, an annual format unchanged since the post-Covid return: it is the world's leading composites trade show, with no equivalent in decision-making intensity across the sector.
• 2025 edition: 45,000+ visitors from 100 countries, 1,350 exhibitors, 78,000 m². 2026 target: 46,000 visitors, 1,400+ exhibitors, 27 country pavilions, 17,000 pre-scheduled business meetings.
• Single organiser: JEC Group, a long-standing non-profit body (a composites promotion association created in 1963, with the JEC SAS subsidiary created in December 1996). No co-organiser and no bundling of trade shows in the manner of the Mondial du Bâtiment.
• 47 years of continuous history: the first JEC composites conference dates back to 1965, and the trade show moved from the Porte de Versailles to Paris Nord Villepinte with an international exhibition-park rationale. Full-chain coverage: raw materials, semi-finished products, equipment, and applications in aerospace, automotive, marine, sport, rail, renewable energies, hydrogen and construction.
• JEC Composites Innovation Awards: 28 years of history, with 11 winners for 2026 announced at the JEC World Premiere on 12 January 2026, from 154 entries and 33 finalists. A major free visibility lever for entrant exhibitors, and a trend signal for visitors.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

A multi-specialist B2B composites trade show covering the entire value chain: fibre producers (carbon, glass, natural), resins and matrices, semi-finished products (prepregs, technical fabrics), equipment manufacturers and machinery (layup, RTM, infusion, pultrusion), automation and robotics, software simulation, non-destructive testing, recycling and the circular economy, training and research. Cross-cutting applications: aerospace and space, automotive, rail, maritime, sport and leisure, renewable energies (wind, hydrogen), construction and electronics.

Notable exhibitors (2025)

Fibre producers: Toray, Hexcel, Solvay, Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber & Composites, SGL Carbon, Teijin. Resins and chemicals: Hexion, Olin, Westlake Epoxy, Huntsman, Covestro, BASF, Arkema. Aerospace integrators: Airbus, Boeing, Safran, GKN Aerospace, Stelia Aerospace. A strong presence of European SMEs and mid-caps in semi-finished products, recycling and processing equipment. Official country pavilions (27 announced for 2026) with a notable presence from the German, Italian, French, Japanese, South Korean, Taiwanese and North American sectors.

Retention rate

The annual cadence and unique positioning on global composites structurally retain players across the sector. Few major fibre or resin producers skip an edition. Turnover comes mainly from start-ups (Start-up Booster, 20 finalists per edition) and from SMEs drawn from the regional trade shows of the JEC Forum network (DACH, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Italy).

Quality of attendees

45,000+ visitors in 2025 from 100 countries, with a target of 46,000 in 2026. Dominant profile: R&D management, process engineers, technical buyers, aerospace and automotive specifiers, systems integrators, academic research and technical institutes. The 17,000 business meetings programme announced for 2026 reflects the show's decision-making density: a meetings-to-visitors ratio above the average of large generalist industrial trade shows.

Programme & community

Conference programme

SAMPE Technical Sessions: scientific technical sessions in partnership with SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering). JEC Investor Day: targeted meetings between composites start-ups and industrial and financial investors. Women in Composites: a programme dedicated to diversity in the sector. Dedicated sector sessions by application (aerospace, automotive, renewable energies, hydrogen).

Awards & accolades

JEC Composites Innovation Awards, created in 1998, with 28 years of history. Cumulative record: 2,200+ entrant companies, 269 winners, 811 associated partners awarded. 2026 edition: 154 entries, 33 finalists, 11 winners announced at the JEC World Premiere on 12 January 2026. 11 categories for 2026: Aerospace Parts, Aerospace Process, Automotive Parts, Automotive Process, Circularity & Recycling, Digital AI & Data, Maritime, Pipes Tanks & Hydrogen, Railway, Renewable Energies, Sports & Leisure.

Start-up Booster: 20 finalists selected to pitch on stage on 10 and 11 March, with the awards ceremony on 11 March. Grand Winner: €5,000 and a free stand at JEC World 2027. Runner-up: €2,500. Sustainability Award: €2,500. A free visibility lever for composites and advanced materials start-ups.

Satellite events

JEC World Premiere: a pre-launch event (12 January 2026) announcing the 11 Innovation Awards winners ahead of the show. Process demonstration areas (automated layup, RTM, pultrusion). TV studios. Country areas. R&D / technical institute areas. Industrial site visits organised within the JEC Forum network for the regional editions.

Community & networks

JEC Group structures a global community around 5 annual events: JEC World in Paris (the flagship trade show), JEC Forum DACH (Cologne, in partnership with AVK), JEC Forum Southeast Asia (Taipei, in partnership with the Taiwan Composites Association and SAMPE Taiwan), JEC Forum Middle East, and JEC Forum Italy (a biennial cadence, with the next edition on 8-9 June 2027). 2026 regional calendar: Taipei 23-24 June, Cologne 20-21 October, Middle East 8-9 December with site visits on 10 December. For exhibitors, the JEC Forum network forms a coherent internationalisation route across the main global composites markets.

New for 2026

Annual edition, with the 3-day format preserved. 27 country pavilions announced, and a target of 1,400+ exhibitors, up from 1,350 in 2025. A target of 17,000 pre-scheduled business meetings, up on previous editions. Innovation Awards 2026 with new categories aligned with sector priorities: Circularity & Recycling, Digital AI & Data, Pipes Tanks & Hydrogen (hydrogen economy and storage), Renewable Energies (next-generation wind turbine blades). JEC World Premiere on 12 January 2026 used as an upstream communications ramp.

On site: what you need to know

• Venue: Paris Nord Villepinte, with halls covering 78,000 m² (2025 edition).
• Transport access: RER B, Parc des Expositions station, roughly 35 min from Châtelet. Roissy CDG 10 min away by shuttle. RER B traffic is busy at peak times, so allow 60 min of margin from central Paris at the start and end of the day.
• Parking: On-site car parks, with predictable saturation on Tuesday and Wednesday (peak days). The daily rate is not negligible, so compare with Roissy + shuttle.
• Accommodation: Hotels in Roissy CDG, Aulnay-sous-Bois and Villepinte are fully booked 4 to 6 months before the show. The alternative of central Paris + RER B is more comfortable but more expensive. Book as soon as your attendance is confirmed.
• Opening hours & badges: 9am-6pm on 10 and 11 March, 9am-5pm on 12 March. Build-up 27 February to 5 March. Professional visitor rate: €85 incl. VAT as early bird from 19 January to 9 March 2026, €110 incl. VAT on site from 10 to 12 March. Trade badge valid for all 3 days. First-Time Buyers Program: free access for eligible first-time buyers, subject to application.
• Services: Multiple catering points across the halls. Networking areas. The official JEC World app for matchmaking and planning the 17,000 pre-scheduled business meetings. TV studios. Press areas. Private meeting rooms by reservation.

How much it costs to exhibit

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• 12 months out (spring 2025): make contact with JEC Group; the strategic spaces (aerospace pavilions, country hubs) go early even at an annual show
• 9 months out: enter the JEC Composites Innovation Awards (a demanding technical submission), and the Start-up Booster for young companies
• 6 months out: validate the stand concept, brief the contractor, order the semi-finished products and demonstration parts
• 4 months out: commit to the matchmaking programme to prepare the pre-scheduled business meetings (target of 17,000 in total)
• 3 months out: team accreditations, accommodation, sales brief, lead targets quantified by application category
• 6 weeks out: deliver materials, activate the JEC World app, schedule meetings, and run upstream communications around the JEC World Premiere on 12 January 2026

For the decision-making visitor

• Badge at €85 incl. VAT as early bird from 19 January to 9 March 2026, an immediate saving versus €110 incl. VAT on site
• Conference programme and SAMPE sessions published in advance on jec-world.events; identify priority sessions by application
• Allow a minimum of 2 days; 78,000 m² and 1,350+ exhibitors are impossible to cover in a single day
• First-Time Buyers Program: free access for eligible first-time buyers, with applications via JEC Group several weeks before the show
• Activate matchmaking via the official app to set up pre-scheduled business meetings in advance

CSR commitment

JEC Group has not to date published an ISO 20121 charter or a detailed event carbon assessment specific to JEC World. The sustainability narrative is carried mainly by the composites themselves: the lightweighting of aerospace and automotive structures (reducing consumption and emissions), next-generation wind turbine blades, hydrogen storage, recycling and the circular economy. Editorially, this translates into two flagship programmes: the "Circularity & Recycling" Innovation Awards category and the Start-up Booster Sustainability Award (€2,500). For exhibitors, entering these categories is a free CSR visibility lever recognised by the sector.

How the trade show has evolved

Trajectory analysis

JEC World is part of a controlled growth dynamic on an annual format that is rare for a show of this size, which makes it the must-attend event of the global composites sector. The 2026 target (46,000 visitors, 1,400+ exhibitors, 27 country pavilions, 17,000 business meetings) extends the post-Covid trajectory without any break in format. The strength of the JEC Group model rests on three pillars: a Paris flagship show with high decision-making density, a network of regional forums (DACH, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Italy) covering the main composites markets, and an Innovation Awards programme that is a global benchmark over 28 years. The structural challenge for future editions remains the promotion of the Start-up Booster and First-Time Buyers Program to renew the decision-making attendee base, in a context where composites applications are broadening to hydrogen, energy storage and the circular economy beyond the historic aerospace and automotive markets.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (jec-world.events).