James Cropper plc (LON:CRPR), the Advanced Materials and Paper & Packaging group, has announced that James Cropper Advanced Materials and Hexcel are working together through the Aerospace & Defence working group of the European Composites Circular Alliance (ECCA) to advance the development of high-value composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre that support both performance and circularity across aerospace, automotive and mobility sectors.
ECCA, an initiative led by the European Composites Industry Association (EUCIA), brings together material producers, end users, recyclers, and part manufacturers to address the structural challenges that limit composite recycling. One of its key focus areas is carbon fibre recycling within aerospace and defence, where material performance and fibre utilisation are critical. Within aerospace and defence in particular, ECCA focuses on materials manufactured from recovered or recycled carbon fibre, where performance and fibre utilisation are essential to enabling circularity at scale.
The collaboration between James Cropper and Hexcel centres on the use of UNIMAT™, enabled by James Cropper’s VECTIS™ aligned fibre technology, as a practical model for how recycled carbon fibre materials can achieve the alignment and fibre volume fractions needed to compete in demanding composite applications. The objective is not alignment alone, but the development of enhanced, high-value recovery composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre that deliver meaningful structural performance.
Within ECCA, a core focus is the advancement of composite materials derived from recycled fibre for aerospace and defence applications, where performance, processability and material utilisation are closely linked to deliver best value recovery solutions.
Products developed through this collaborative work are being showcased on both companies’ stands at JEC World on 10-12 March 2026.
David Tilbrook, Senior Technical Fellow at Hexcel, and Chair of the Aerospace and Defence Working Group for ECCA, said:
“For aerospace applications, improved fibre alignment supports stiffness-driven designs core to lightweighting and fuel burn reduction. Fuel accounts for over 90 percent of an aircraft’s lifetime emissions and up to 30 percent of airline operating costs and so weight reduction is a key environmental and economic driver. Increasing the value of composites using recycled fibres like this addresses exactly the kind of challenge ECCA aims to solve by promoting industry-wide collaboration.”
David Stirling, Chief Executive Officer of James Cropper plc, said:
“This collaboration is a significant step in advancing our aligned fibre technology into high‑performance composite markets. By working with leading partners, including Hexcel through the European Composites Circular Alliance, we are accelerating industrial adoption of our VECTIS™ platform and turning circular‑economy ambition into scalable manufacturing solutions. This partnership-led model strengthens our route to market, reinforces our position in higher‑value growth sectors, and supports the delivery of sustainable long-term value for shareholders.”
