UP RESIN GROUP
INFORMATION SHEET
05
The importance of Fibre Reinforced Plastics (FRP) in
the European labour market
FRP industry: a substantial employer in Europe The previous table shows the total number of
A dynamic sector within the European chemical companies operating in the UP (unsaturated
industry is Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) production polyester resin) industry in Europe. Despite the
and conversion: a segment as diverse as the material relatively small size of the UP segment compared to
itself. Convertors range in size from the very small, major consumers of styrene like the polystyrene
manual operations to the highly industrialised industry, it shows what a significant employer the
international companies. With the relatively low entry UP industry is throughout Europe.
requirements, small companies can begin operations
with minimal capital outlay.
At the opposite end are the large FRP shipyards like
Bénéteau (pictured right), bathroom furniture
manufacturers, pipe producers and SMC/BMC
(sheet/bulk moulding compound) convertors that will
typically employ several hundred people on a multi-site
basis. These companies make substantial investments
in state-of-the-art production techniques and in
environmental compliance measures.
CEFIC/ Plastics Europe sponsor review
The styrenics group of CEFIC, together with Plastics
Europe, asked the CMAI (Chemical Market Associates
Inc.) to carry out a high level socio-economic review of
the styrenics industry in the enlarged EU – with the Large boatyards, for example, can directly employ hundreds of people
purpose of assessing the number of people employed in production and finishing, as well as providing a livelihood for
and the value added to the industry in each member numerous supply chain companies.
country. Countries included the 15 EU member states
(as of May 1 2004) together with Norway, Switzerland
and the EU accession countries of Latvia, Lithuania, Demographics
Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, The marine industry is a major employer in the FRP
Hungary, Malta and Cyprus. sector with many large producers in the UK, France,
Italy and Spain. The FRP industry in Germany is
also sizeable, being home to many of the large
Number of UP styrenic convertors in Europe SMC/BMC companies. East European countries
such as Poland are enjoying above average levels
Country UP Styrenic convertors of growth while West European economies have
remained somewhat static over recent years.
Austria 75
Belgium 173
Taking the industry as a whole, European FRP
Denmark 214
Finland 147 companies are relatively small and numerous. Each
France 1250 has their own specific requirements, which often
Germany 1447 necessitate a higher level of customisation and
Greece 61 technical support from the UP supplier. This makes
Ireland 36 UP more of a specialty business than a commodity
Italy 1500 business. Many FRP companies can be classed as
Netherlands 271 SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). Small
Norway 151 companies are defined by the EU as having fewer
Portugal 107 than 50 employees and a turnover of < €7 million,
Spain 1250 while medium companies are defined as having
Sweden 189 fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of < €40
Switzerland 42 million. Enterprises must also be independently
UK 1500 owned to be classified as an SME. Throughout
Czech Rep. 381
Europe, SMEs are recognised as an important
Slovakia 109
provider of local employment.
Hungary 162
Poland 410
Enlarged EU 9475
Continued 1
INFORMATION SHEET (continued)
05
Supporting a vibrant industry
It can be seen from the charts opposite that the
European UP / FRP sector is a major employer
throughout the enlarged EU. The nature of the
business and the relative ease of entry also
attracts many innovative and entrepreneurial
SMEs that are at the core of national economies.
As FRP convertors adopt more environmentally
friendly and industrialized processes, they will
attract a higher caliber skilled workforce.
In a global market place international
Highly automated processes are used for producing SMC/BMC compound from UP competitiveness is vital, and working groups
resins and for moulding (converting) the material into finished parts typically used in the
automotive and electrical / electronic industries. within organizations like Plastics Europe, based in
Top 10 Countries: UPRFRP
Converters Brussels, play an important role in representing
Top 10 Countries: Convertors the interests of the UP industry at large, while
Sweden 189
helping national industries to develop in a
responsible and sustainable way. CEFIC also
Denmark 214
Direct Employment: Producers actively advocates at the European institutions to
draw their attention to the international
Netherlands 271
competitiveness of European manufacturing and
Czech Republic 381
the need for a specific industrial policy, focused
Poland 410 on creating the right framework conditions for
Spain 1250
success. This requires better knowledge of the
future prospects of individual sectors.
France 1250
Germany 1447 UP producers are at the beginning of a value
chain supplying a broad spectrum of other
UK 1500
manufacturing industries such as civil
Italy 1500 engineering, construction, automotive and marine.
Innovations in the UP industry are a prerequisite
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
Number of UPR converters
for the success of its downstream customers. As
such, Europe’s FRP industry is a key contributor
Above and Below: Wherever possible actual data has been used. In the to sustainable development, a vital source of new
absence of information, CMAI has estimated the number of convertors in a
country in relation to its demand – compared to a reference country for applications in other sectors of the economy and
which information was available an essential success factor in the European
Union’s employment and growth agenda. A strong
Workers employed in the European UPR sector market-oriented environment that encourages
innovation, accessible intellectual property
UPR UPR protection, and taxation systems geared towards
Country Total
Producers* Convertors** rewarding entrepreneurship: these are among the
Austria 162 975 1137 conditions that can help sustain competitiveness
Belgium 0 1254 1254 for the European UP sector in an increasingly
Denmark 0 2090 2090 challenging global economy.
Finland 162 1115 1277
France 405 12000 12405 This publication is intended for guidance only and while the information is
Germany 405 11959 12364 provided in good faith and has been based on the best information
Greece 195 658 853 currently available, is to be relied upon at the user’s own risk. The
information contained in this document is provided in good faith and, while
Ireland 0 418 418 it is accurate as far as the authors are aware, no representations or
Italy 1070 11202 12272 warranties are made with regards to its completeness and no liability will be
accepted for damages of any nature whatsoever resulting from the use of
Netherlands 81 2508 2589 or reliance on the information contained in the publication.
Norway 81 1115 1196
Portugal 195 1127 1322
Spain 681 14914 15595
Sweden 0 1533 1533
Switzerland 162 836 998 PlasticsEurope
UK 729 11456 12185 Avenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4
Czech Rep. 211 1393 1604 B-1160 Brussels, Belgium
Telephone + 32 2 676 1732
Slovakia 106 4180 4286
Wearing suitable skin, eye
Hungary 106 697 803
Fax +32 2 675 3935
Email info@plasticseurope.org
Poland 527 4180 4707
and
Enlarged EU 5278 85610 90888
www.plasticseurope.org
* Direct Employment: Producers **Direct and Indirect In-House Employment: Convertors
