SHD Composites, a Cambium company, has positioned itself at the center of next-generation aircraft interiors through its role in the EcoSuite programme, an industry-backed initiative targeting sustainable, high-performance solutions for Business and First-Class seating.
SHD will supply its composites expertise with FR308, a novel, bio-based, fully FST-compliant resin system for aircraft interiors, derived from a waste stream of cane sugar production. EcoSuite unites Safran Seats GB, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Innovate UK, and leading UK industry and academic partners, a consortium combining UK innovation with Safran Group's global engineering capability. The project secured ATI Programme funding at the Paris Airshow in 2025, the first direct investment in aircraft seating.
This support reinforces the UK's aerospace ambitions and aligns with ATI's Destination Zero strategy to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. FR308, reinforced with 300gsm glass fibre, delivers significant sustainability and health and safety advantages over traditional phenolic prepregs. Free from formaldehyde, phenol, and organic solvents, its bio-based formulation contributes to a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Supported by a detailed cradle-to-gate analysis covering raw material sourcing to material dispatch, FR308 is an ideal lower-carbon material choice for aircraft interiors.
SHD is exhibiting at Aircraft Interiors Show, Hamburg, between 14-16 April 2026, on stand 6F111. SHD Composite Materials, a Cambium company, is a global advanced composite materials company headquartered in the UK with sites across Europe, the UK and the USA.
Source: shdcomposites.com
