Worldwide SFT Competitive Analysis and Leadership Study 2008 Published: December 2008, Total 122 pages, 70 figures/charts and 14 tables.

Short fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (SFTs) are one of the most dynamic and moderately growing materials in the plastics industry today. Although the materials have been around for several decades, advances in materials and technology and increased acceptance in the Asian automotive & electrical/electronics market have been the major driving forces for their rapid growth. SFT competes with a wide range of materials, including long fiber reinforced engineering plastic, glass mat thermoplastic (GMT), sheet molding compound/ bulk molding compound (SMC/BMC), D-LFT and metals. This broad competitive arena will result in new applications and markets fueling continued growth.

In the SFT market, Lucintel sees that those companies which are more aligned with the automotive and electrical/electronics markets will gain more market share in the future. The critical success factor for SFT producers will increasingly be not only about developing SFT products at low cost; in addition, Lucintel believes the most successful companies will be those that can develop application-specific, customer-focused solutions and have the ability to help their customers achieve long-term business objectives, such as increasing performance or lowering costs.

The world's leading SFT producers are also closely monitoring competitive activities in an attempt to navigate the landscape more adeptly and to capture as much share as possible. In virtually every respect, these producers are seeking to establish a tangible competitive advantage in the marketplace through the implementation of innovative strategies and creative product development capabilities.

Lucintel's Leadership Quadrant considers a variety of critical factors - from management effectiveness to product range to market strength to financial strength - and then ranks each firm accordingly on the grid for quick comparison. This report answers following key questions:

• What are the market shares of SFT suppliers in automotive, electrical/electronics and consumer goods market?
• Who are the market leaders in various regions and what are their market shares?
• Which companies are more aligned with market opportunities and which companies have more ability to gain market share?
• What are the key differentiators for major SFT suppliers?
• Which company has the widest product range and how the product mapping looks among various players?
• Which companies will gain market share and who will lose market shares in future?

The dynamics of the SFT industry extends beyond routine macro-economic elements of supply and demand. It is the relationship between buyer's needs and seller's capabilities as well as the macroeconomic forces at work that affect the market. It is how well and how efficiently the sellers meet the needs of the buyers that determine long-term success.

In Lucintel's newest competitive research study on the world's leading SFT producers, "Worldwide SFT Competitive Analysis and Leadership Study 2008", we thoroughly profile the following six companies with detailed competitive assessments of the following organizations:

• SABIC Innovative Plastics
• DuPont
• BASF
• Lanxess
• Rhodia
• DSM

The detailed analysis of each company offers a critical view into key strategic areas, including:

• SFT producer target markets
• Key differentiators, strengths, competitors
• Product line overview, positioning, and mapping
• Market position in global SFT business
• Revenue breakdown by market segments and regions
• Global manufacturing operations
• Innovation and market leadership
• Marketing, sales, and organizational capabilities
• Management commitment and track record
• Financial strength

Collected from a series of primary vendor interviews and secondary sources, Lucintel (formerly E-Composites) also provides its own scorecard for determining which of these companies is better aligned with future market opportunities and which has the ability to gain additional market share. 

Using its proprietary research methodology, Lucintel developed a comparative analysis named the Lucintel Leadership Quadrant which identifies leaders and challengers in the SFT industry. Leadership closely examined and rated each SFT maker on two primary criteria as shown below:

1. Alignment with market opportunity

2. Ability to gain market share

Ability to gain market share was analyzed using following parameters:

• Product portfolio
• Financial strength
• Asset position
• Execution skill
• Customer experience

Alignment with market opportunity was analyzed using following parameters:

• Target growth markets
• New product development
• Corporate and functional strategy
• Presence within the industry

In addition to the Lucintel Leadership Quadrant, this comprehensive research report also offers for consumers of SFT as well as the investment community content-rich comparative analyses detailing which producers have the production capacity, service capabilities and vision to deliver fully on its promises.

To get table of contents, pricing, other information & buy option on the report, please click on SFT Market Reports or call Tel.: +1-972-636-5056 in USA.