SGL Carbon, in collaboration with BMW Group and key industry partners, has been awarded the JEC Innovation Award in the Automotive & Road Transportation - Parts category for its role in the BMW M Natural Fiber Composites project.

The award recognizes the development of production-ready, flax-based composite components, supported by SGL Carbon s proprietary resin and prepreg system engineered to meet the stringent durability, aesthetics, and processability requirements of automotive visible parts.

Key Highlights

• SGL Carbon developed pre-impregnated materials using flax fiber fabric at its Meitingen and Willich facilities.
• A moisture-tolerant, transparent resin system addresses one of the core limitations of natural fiber composites.
• The solution delivers stable mechanical and thermal performance while maintaining premium surface quality for interior and exterior applications.
• Compared to conventional CFRP, the natural fiber composite system achieves approximately 40% lower CO e emissions during production, with additional end-of-life benefits.

The project signals a commercially viable pathway for natural fiber composites in high-performance automotive applications, reinforcing their role as a lightweight, lower-carbon alternative to traditional carbon fiber systems without compromising visual or functional standards.

Prepregs made from Natural Fibers

SGL Carbon developed its own resin and prepreg system for this purpose at its Meitingen and Willich sites, which improves durability, visual quality, and processability by overcoming the typical moisture sensitivity of natural fiber composite materials.