At Camx 2026, Three Global Megatrends Are Reshaping Where Composites Can Grow

By Author: Lucintel LLC
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ATLANTA, Georgia — September 2026 — CAMX 2026 brings together roughly 7,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors, and a broad program of technical and educational sessions in Atlanta. At Booth N4 in the Georgia World Congress Center, Lucintel is looking beyond the technologies on the show floor to identify the larger market forces shaping the next phase of composites growth.
Three CAMX Signals to Watch:
Composites are already proven in construction and infrastructure, with established track records for performance, reliability, and long-term value. The next question is where those capabilities can translate into emerging, high-growth markets.
The question is no longer simply how large these markets could become. It is where composites can compete, when adoption will occur, and where companies should invest.
1. Data Centers: A Mega-Growth Market—But Is It Ready for Composites?
JLL projects nearly 100 GW of new global data-center capacity between 2026 and 2030, effectively doubling capacity, with up to $3 trillion in total investment across infrastructure and technology.
For composites, the opportunity ...
... is emerging across applications including cooling systems, corrosion-resistant infrastructure, enclosures, access panels, and other structural components.
For composites suppliers, that creates a new opportunity—but also a timing challenge. Move too early and applications may take years to scale. Move too late and competitors may already have established customer relationships and specifications.
Lucintel helps companies evaluate market size, application potential, adoption timelines, competition, and customer requirements to determine where the opportunity is real and when to act.
2. Aerospace: Record Backlogs—But When Will Demand Convert into Production?
Airbus reported 9,222 commercial aircraft in backlog at the end of June 2026, while Boeing reported more than 6,200 commercial airplanes in backlog. Together, that represents more than 15,000 aircraft.
At CAMX, advances in high-rate manufacturing are addressing the need for greater production capacity. For suppliers and OEMs, the strategic question is where to invest first—and when.
3. Recycled Carbon Fiber: Growing Momentum—But Can Suppliers Scale?
Recycled carbon fiber is moving toward higher-value, specification-grade applications. But for OEMs and materials buyers, technology is only part of the equation. Quality, consistency, capacity, economics, and supplier reliability will determine whether recycled materials can move into production at scale.
These three signals are part of a broader set of six global megatrends Lucintel is tracking across the composites industry: data center expansion, electrification and EVs, the hydrogen economy, sustainability and bio-based materials, automation and robotics, and 3D printing.
“Everyone walking this show can see the same megatrends. Seeing a trend isn’t the advantage. Knowing which specific investment, supplier, or market to act on—and which to wait on—is. That’s a question we’re at this show to answer.”
— Dr. Sanjay Mazumdar, CEO, Lucintel
Visit Lucintel at Booth N4, Georgia World Congress Center, Building C, during CAMX 2026, September 21–24, in Atlanta, Georgia.
About Lucintel
For more than 25 years, Lucintel has helped 5,000+ clients across aerospace, automotive, industrial, energy, and materials markets turn market intelligence into strategic business decisions.
Contact Lucintel:
Email: helpdesk@lucintel.com
Tel. +1 972.636.5056