Toray Carbon Fibers Europe is proud to announce its selection as a finalist for the JEC Innovation Awards 2026, in the category of Sports, Leisure & Recreation. This recognition highlights our commitment to offering more environmentally responsible solutions in the composites industry while maintaining uncompromised performance standards.
The JEC Innovation Awards honour groundbreaking technologies that redefine composite applications worldwide. Our nomination underscores Toray’s leadership in delivering advanced carbon fiber solutions that meet the growing demand for products with a lower-carbon footprint.
HEAD Sports’ Racquets Go Circular with Toray’s CFRP
Integrating Toray’s Bio-Circular Carbon Fiber for Elite Performance
The innovation recognized by JEC Innovation Awards 2026, centers on HEAD Sports’ groundbreaking BOOM RAW and BOOM NEON tennis racquets, which set a new benchmark for combining lower-carbon solutions with high performance. These racquets incorporate Toray’s ISCC PLUS-certified bio-circular carbon fiber prepregs, enabling HEAD Sports to significantly reduce environmental impact while maintaining the performance elite athletes expect.
By adopting bio-circular carbon fiber technology, HEAD Sports demonstrates that responsible material sourcing and uncompromised performance can coexist. This approach reflects a growing trend in the sports industry: delivering products that meet technical excellence while supporting global sustainability goals.
HEAD Sports’ innovation is more than a design choice—it’s a statement of leadership in eco-conscious sports equipment. Through collaboration with Toray Carbon Fibers Europe and Delta Preg, HEAD Sports has proven that advanced composites can evolve to meet new market expectations without sacrificing quality or competitive edge.
Benefits for End Users
Carbon fiber composites have long been favored for their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, precision, and durability. With Toray’s bio-circular carbon fibers, customers gain all these advantages plus a reduction in the environmental impact.
Local production in Europe further improves the environmental impact by reducing transport-related emissions and supporting regional economies.
Beyond sports, these bio-circular carbon fibers open new possibilities for industries such as automotive, aerospace, and leisure, where lightweight, high-strength materials are critical for efficiency and performance.
Technical Excellence and Certification
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe is ISCC PLUS Certified
The International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) is a voluntary certification program that guarantees the use of raw materials sourced from biomass or recycled materials. The ISCC PLUS certificate also ensures that there is complete traceability at all stages of our Torayca™ carbon fiber manufacturing process, from our polyacrylonitrile precursor to our carbon fiber.
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe has been approved to manufacture carbon fiber derived from biomass and recycled raw materials using the mass balance approach since the end of 2023.
Why Did We Choose the ISCC PLUS Certification?
At the Toray Group, we aim to build a new circular material system in line with our Sustainability Vision for 2050. As one of the most widespread and recognizable certifications, the Toray Group chose to obtain the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) as part of its aim to create a more sustainable future for the composite material industry.
In choosing ISCC PLUS bio-circular carbon fibers, our customers will be able to reduce the carbon footprint of their products and contribute towards making more sustainable society.
