Jan 26 2009
Over the last several years, the demand for short fiber thermoplastic (SFT) composites has steadily increased, surpassing $4.3 billion in 2008. From automotive components to consumer goods to electrical applications, SFT is gaining acceptance as an alternative material to metals and plastics.
Among the firms that produce SFT, many are approaching market opportunities with starkly different strategies. In a major new research report, “Worldwide SFT Competitive Analysis and Leadership Study, 2008”, Lucintel analysts examine and profile six of the world's leading SFT producers – a full competitive analysis from target markets to product mapping, to selling strategy, to production capabilities. Lucintel closely researched and rated each SFT producer on two primary criteria:
- Alignment with market opportunity, and
- Ability to gain market share
Collected from a series of primary vendor interviews and secondary sources, this report content includes complete profiles of the following SFT-producing companies:
- BASF
- DSM
- DuPont
- Lanxess
- Rhodia
- SABIC Innovative Plastics
According to Lucintel, companies closely aligned with the automotive and electrical/electronics markets will gain more market share in the future. Since the major SFT growth is forecast to come from the automotive and electrical/electronics market segments, DuPont, the leader in the automotive market, and SABIC IP, the leader in the electrical/electronics market, are expected to continue the current trend and maintain their industry leadership positions. On the other hand, Rhodia, BASF and Lanxess have the ability to gain market share in the next 5 years due to their strong alignment with all three of the major SFT market segments. SABIC IP is likely to challenge DuPont’s leadership position largely because of its technology and cost advantages, according to this new research.
This study is the industry’s first comprehensive examination of the SFT competitive landscape. The resulting market report is published by Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm with over 700 clients worldwide. Lucintel provides world class market intelligence and cutting edge decision support services to enable its clients to make critical business decisions with greater speed, insight and cost-efficiency.