Alicante - The Flexible Polyurethane Industry’s Hotspot
Brussels, 10 June 2025
The Annual Conference of EUROPUR and EURO-MOULDERS – the leading event for the European flexible polyurethane industry – took place from 3 to 5 June 2025 in Benidorm, Alicante, bringing together around 550 participants from over 160 companies across Europe and beyond. Attendees included flexible PU producers and stakeholders from across the supply chain, including raw material suppliers, machinery manufacturers, recyclers, and representatives from downstream sectors such as bedding, furniture, and automotive. The 2025 edition was kindly sponsored by Interplasp, as part of the company’s celebration of its 50th anniversary.
3 JUNE – BOARD MEETINGS & NETWORKING
On Tuesday, 3 June 2025, the programme began with closed-door Board Meetings for both EUROPUR and EURO-MOULDERS. In the evening, a networking dinner was held for Board members, guests, and representatives of new members. In parallel, a ‘Welcome Tapas’ reception, generously sponsored by Interplasp, gathered around 300 participants, marking an informal and vibrant start to the conference
4 JUNE – STRATEGIC DISCUSSIONS AND MARKET TRENDS
As is customary, the official first day of the conference focused on broad strategic topics, EU policies influencing the flexible polyurethane sector, and market insights. Following the formal EUROPUR General Assembly, where, among others, members elected a new Board of Directors, Bart J. ten Brink, re-elected President of the association, opened the conference with a welcome address. Bart summarised the proactive steps EUROPUR is taking to prepare the industry for the upcoming challenges, while firmly advocating for fair trade and a level playing field.
The conference kicked off with a keynote speech by Georg Riekeles, Associate Director at the European Policy Centre. A returnee from last year, Georg gave an update on the state of European competitiveness amid economic uncertainty, imminent trade tensions and global geopolitical shifts. Similar to the previous year, it was a sobering insight about macro-politics and its potential consequences on European industries.
Next, topics shifted closer to home, with an in-depth session on the flexible PU foam market and downstream sectors. Experts from Belvedere & Partner, CSIL, and AVIA presented data and trends shaping the industry, with a particular emphasis on Iberia.
EUROPUR’s consultant for market research, Clint Raine, provided an exhaustive overview of the flexible polyurethane foam market in 2024 and an outlook for 2025. Production data revealed a slight decline in overall polyether slabstock foam output across wider Europe (-0.10%), with pronounced regional disparities and an apparent ‘shift eastwards’. While 2024 performed slightly better than expected, 2025 is marked by continuous stagnant demand, rising costs, and a lack of clear direction.
Global trade dynamics, especially the impact of rising trade tensions, are reshaping trade flows, with repercussions for European PU foam producers. The automotive sector continues to struggle, with market confidence taking a hit due to broader economic pressures like limited access to credit and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Despite these challenges, sustainability and end-of-life topics remain high on the agenda. Clint concluded by emphasising the need for resilience, adaptation, and diversified sourcing strategies.
The afternoon session on ‘Iberian Foam Markets: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities’ brought together senior executives from leading companies operating in the region – Interplasp, Flex2000, Pikolin, Grupo Copo, and Repsol. During a one-hour panel discussion, participants provided a comprehensive overview of the Iberian market, highlighting its important role within the wider European PU foam industry. Key topics included:
- Market trends in Spain and Portugal, with a focus on production stability despite broader European declines.
- Regional challenges such as cost pressures, regulatory uncertainty, and energy price volatility.
- Opportunities for innovation, particularly in product differentiation and sustainability.
- The export potential and the Iberian region’s strategic position as a manufacturing base for both domestic and international markets.
- Raw material dynamics, including sourcing strategies and supply chain resilience.
Later, the programme turned to policy and innovation. EUROPUR’s Sustainability Policy Officer, Theodoros Mardas, examined the implications of the two most important pieces of EU legislation affecting the flexible PU foam industry: the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation. Continuing with the automotive topics, Schlegel und Partner presented on ‘Trends in Automotive Interiors’, shared insights on how global automotive trends are influencing demand for PU materials.
The day concluded with a keynote on ‘How Can AI Help Business?’ by Thierry Moubax from AI Compass, followed by Interplasp’s Sponsor Presentation, delivered by Antonio Sánchez, the company’s Business Development and Strategy Manager.
In the evening, participants attended a cocktail reception featuring a special surprise: two live flamenco performances, followed by the conference gala dinner.
5 JUNE – TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS
The second day, traditionally focused on technical presentations, featured 35 presentations across six sessions, grouped thematically into:
- Sustainability I: Decarbonisation from a Raw Materials Producer’s Perspective
Presentations from Dow, BASF, Wanhua, Evonik, Huntsman, and Momentive showcased technologies advancing circularity, renewable content, and value-chain collaboration.
- Automotive: Recycling & Circularity
The automotive session focused on sustainability projects, recycling initiatives and strategies for managing the disposal and recycling of used automotive foams. It featured insights from EURO-MOULDERS, Huntsman, Evonik, and H&S Anlagentechnik. The session concluded with the presentation of the industry’s first closed-loop partnership between JLR, Dow, and Adient.
- Product Stewardship & Environment, Health & Safety
Next to case studies on worker exposure and safety, updates were provided on the CertiPUR certification scheme, both European and US versions, as well as evolving regulations in Europe and North America.
- Sustainability II: Getting ready for the ESPR
Following updates from EUROPUR’s Sustainability working group, Metsims officially launched PUReLCA®, EUROPUR’s pioneer LCA calculator for flexible polyurethane foam. TripleR presented progress on their digital solution – mattressID and furnitureID – for product passport compliance. BPI showcased their sustainability initiatives, while the companies Covestro, Ecomaison, and Dow presented their respective consortium circular economy projects – FREE and PURfection.
- Sustainability III: Sustainability in Action
The final sustainability sessions focused on aligning production with new eco-design and recyclability requirements, with presentations from adhesives producers Wakol, SIMALFA®, and Everad Adhesives. Toscana Gomma presented their new initiative in the field of recycling moulded visco-elastic PU foams, Econic Technologies presented their C02 polyol technology, while Hennecke and a guest speaker from the Kaiserslautern University presented BIOMAT project.
- Machinery & Digitalisation
The session began with an update on the EUROPUR-led working group focused on standardising machinery data interfaces within the flexible PU foam industry. This was followed by a presentation from Cannon Automata on OptiWise, their predictive AI solution for machine supervision and predictive maintenance. IPF then introduced innovations from their ‘Foamledge’ digital software platform. New EUROPUR member Brighi showcased their machinery for foam shredding and rebonding, and the session concluded with Cellmat Technologies presenting their method for accurately monitoring the cellular structure of PU foams.
LOOKING AHEAD
The conference wrapped up with the screening of an aftermovie, capturing the highlights and energy of the event. It reinforced EUROPUR and EURO-MOULDERS’ commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across the value chain. As Europe moves towards a circular economy, the flexible polyurethane foam industry stands ready to lead with practical, science-based solutions and collective action.
The next Annual Conference will take place in Antwerp, Belgium, on 10–11 June 2026, as part of the celebration of EUROPUR’s 60th anniversary. The sponsor will be BASF.
For more information, contact:
- info@euromoulders.org
- +32 (0)2 741 82 81
