COEXPAIR SA

Their core work

COEXPAIR is a Belgian SME specializing in advanced composite manufacturing technologies for the aerospace and transport sectors. They develop and produce thermoset and epoxy-based composite structures, with particular expertise in thermoforming, bonding, and repair processes for aero structures. Their work spans from hybrid leading edge components for aircraft to fire-resistant composite materials for railway applications, positioning them as a specialist supplier of composite solutions for demanding structural applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

COEXPAIR's H2020 timeline is compact (2017–2022), making dramatic evolution hard to detect. Their earliest projects (HFLE and Mat4Rail, both starting 2017) focused on structural composite components for aerospace and rail. Their most recent project (AIRPOXY, 2018–2022) shifts toward smarter composites — repairable, bondable, and monitorable materials using dynamic chemistry — suggesting a move from pure manufacturing toward lifecycle-aware composite technologies.

COEXPAIR is moving from traditional composite manufacturing toward next-generation materials that can be repaired, reformed, and monitored in service — a valuable direction for anyone working on sustainable aviation or extended-life aerostructures.

How they like to work

COEXPAIR balances leading and contributing: they coordinated one project (HFLE) and participated in two others, showing they can manage a consortium but are equally comfortable as a technical partner. With 27 unique partners across 10 countries from just 3 projects, they work in mid-to-large consortia and are well-connected for an SME of their size. This suggests they are an accessible, experienced partner who understands the dynamics of EU collaborative research.

Despite only 3 H2020 projects, COEXPAIR has built a network of 27 partners across 10 countries — a notably wide reach for a small company. Their participation in Clean Sky 2 (CS2-IA) and RIA projects connects them to major European aerospace and transport players.

What sets them apart

COEXPAIR occupies a specific niche as a Belgian SME that bridges composite manufacturing with aerospace and transport R&D. Unlike large aerospace primes or pure research labs, they bring hands-on composite processing expertise (thermoforming, bonding, repair) directly into collaborative projects. For consortium builders, they offer a practical, industry-grounded partner who can translate advanced material concepts into manufacturable components.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HFLE
  Their only coordinator role — developing hybrid fixed leading edges for aircraft under Clean Sky 2, demonstrating consortium leadership capability.
• AIRPOXY
  Their largest funding (EUR 369K) and most technically ambitious project, working on next-generation repairable and bondable smart epoxy composites for aerospace.