Driving European strategic autonomy with UHMWPE at InnovaPlásticos 2026

We presented the properties and applications of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), an advanced material that plays an important role in industrial, medical, security, construction and electric mobility applications.

During the virtual event, entitled “Strategic Materials for Europe’s Security and Defence,” Raquel Hernández Vicente, Senior Technical Service and Specialty Development Engineer at Repsol Materials, highlighted that European strategic autonomy starts with materials and explained how advanced materials such as UHMWPE can contribute to building a more resilient, competitive and autonomous European industry.

UHMWPE has exceptional properties that make it suitable for applications operating under particularly demanding conditions, making it a high-value solution for a range of strategic sectors. Its applications include sheets, profiles and industrial components for essential industries and logistics infrastructure; microporous separators for batteries used in both mobility and energy storage; orthopaedic implants and sutures; high-performance fibres and ropes; as well as ballistic protection for a range of security and defence solutions.

The presentation also highlighted the strategic value of having UHMWPE production capacity in Europe. At our Puertollano Industrial Complex, we are developing a new production capacity of 21,000 tonnes per year, which will help strengthen the availability of this advanced material in the Iberian Peninsula and build more robust and competitive supply chains. Local production provides greater proximity to customers, enables a more agile response to market needs and reduces dependence on supplies from other regions. In this way, the new capacity will help strengthen the resilience and strategic autonomy of sectors that rely on specialised, high-performance materials.

Through our participation in InnovaPlásticos 2026, we reinforce our commitment to developing advanced materials capable of addressing some of the industry’s major challenges. UHMWPE is much more than a high-performance polymer: it is a technological enabler for industry, the energy transition, healthcare and European security.

Having local production capacity enables us to further specialise our portfolio while contributing to a more competitive, resilient and autonomous European industry.