LG Chem will expand the application scope of its engineering plastics in the European market beyond automobiles and electrical and electronic products. LG Chem said on Monday it will take part in Fakuma 2026, a plastics exhibition held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from Oct. 12 to 16. At the event, it will introduce materials solutions aimed at future growth markets including AI data centres, robotics and high-performance breathable film.

Fakuma is a major plastics industry exhibition attended by global materials companies and major European manufacturers. LG Chem will set up an exhibition space of about 70 square metres. The company said it focused on "solution marketing" that addresses customers' key challenges, rather than displaying products by customer industry.

The exhibition will be organised around 3 themes. Under "Cost Effective," it will introduce no-paint materials for automobiles and metal replacement solutions. "Sustainability" will cover bio-based materials and low-carbon solutions, and "Innovative" will present next-generation engineering plastics technologies used in AI data centres and robotics.

More than half of the exhibition space will be meeting areas. The company said it will hold customised consultations and technical discussions there to seek joint development opportunities. It will also use its in-house solution, SISO (Simulation Integrated Solution), which predicts and verifies product performance at the design stage, to support customers' materials development.

In Europe, demand for lightweight and high-performance materials is rising rapidly as electrification and eco-friendly policies spread. Engineering plastics are used to replace metals to reduce weight and improve energy efficiency, and their use is expanding in automobiles, robotics and AI data centres. LG Chem plans to strengthen its push into the European market through this exhibition.

Chang-hyun Lee (이창현), head of LG Chem's Engineering Materials Business Division and an executive vice president, said, "What customers need is not simply a material but next-generation solutions that turn future possibilities into reality." He said, "LG Chem will lead changes in future industries and provide new growth opportunities and differentiated value by proposing next-generation materials solutions one step ahead of customers."