TenCate Advanced Composites, part of the Toray Group, today marks the assembly of the São Paulo Initiative on Research on Innovative Thermoplastic Composites Solutions (SPIRIT) consortium in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

The SPIRIT consortium was formed in 2017 as a joint initiative between TenCate Advanced Composites and key aerospace suppliers and educational institutes across Brazil, to collaborate and develop a regional knowledge-base in thermoplastic composite technology for the next generation of aircraft. Partners include Embraer, Alltec, Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), Instituto de Aeronautica e Espaço (IAE), São Paulo State University (UNESP) and the Institute for Technological Research of the State of São Paulo (IPT).

The meeting, hosted by the Holland Innovation Network and the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), further demonstrates a shared vision between partners to foster a Brazilian centre of excellence for thermoplastic composites through the creation of joint R+D programs and knowledge-sharing platform, to stimulate thermoplastic composites adoption.

"A fully aligned supply chain across OEMs, tiers, material suppliers and institutes is vital for the successful adoption of thermoplastic composites in aerospace" states, Winand Kok, Director Expert Services EMEA, TenCate Advanced Composites "thermoplastic composites are increasingly sought by the aerospace industry as they shift to high volume production of lightweight structures, which is a key objective for SPIRIT".

"The TenCate Cetex family of thermoplastic composite materials has resulted in game changing material technology that is recognized and adopted by the aerospace industry worldwide" adds Marlie Koekenberg, Director Commercial Aerospace Programs, TenCate Advanced Composites, "this could not have been achieved without a shared vision amongst the Dutch network over the past 30 years".