The annual gathering in Paris reflects the industry's confidence that the market's global growth will continue. As the global composites industry flocked to Paris once again in early April to attend the JEC COMPOSITES Show, the mood on the exhibition floor was more than "upbeat." Visitors and exhibitors were confident and looking forward to future growth. That confidence was reflected in the show's attendance: Show organizers reported that 1,053 exhibitors had displays in the 43,500m~2 (468,230 ft~2) Paris Expo hall and that a total of 27,000 industry professionals were on hand for all or part of the three-day event. There was plenty of substance behind the confidence: The JEG Group released market research figures that show a strong surge in the use of carbon fiber and both thermoplastic and thermoset resins to this point in the decade, driven by aerospace and mass-market usage, the latter notably in sports applications. Reportedly, demand for thermoplastics has grown 8 percent per year while thermoset demand has increased at an annual rate of 5 percent. As a result, thermoplastics now hold a 35 percent share of the overall composite resins market, while thermosets have declined to a 65 percent share from 75 percent.
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