Nandina Weaving Aerospace Carbon Fiber in Singapore

Materials specialist Nandina REM has started production in its new carbon fiber manufacturing facility in Singapore. At the Singapore Airshow this week, the local company is also launching its Salis operation, which makes industrial and commercial fabrics from recycled textiles.

According to Nandina REM, it is the only company in Southeast Asia that can produce carbon fiber to aerospace- and defense-grade standards and the first facility of its type in Singapore. The operation at the Tai Seng Exchange can make up to five tonnes (11,000 pounds) of fiber each month to support production of between 120 and 8,000 drones, depending on their size.

Nandina, which introduced what it said was the world’s first aerospace-grade carbon fiber using circular recycling practices at the 2024 Singapore Airshow, sees aerospace demand growing at a time when supply is limited. Other aviation customers include airlines Qantas, Emirates, and Southwest, as well as Japanese industrial group Sumitomo.

The company uses its proprietary rapid production process, which avoids high-heat reclamation methods that it says can degrade the integrity of the fiber. It said this approach reduces energy consumption during production by around 71% and also cuts lead times.

The new Salis process produces fabrics for multiple applications using recycled aircraft interior materials that would otherwise be discarded. These meet the Global Recycling Standard and Oeko-Tex responsible sourcing requirements.

At Singapore Airshow 2026, organizer Experia has partnered with Nandina to offer merchandise made from repurposed textiles and aluminum. These can be bought from the Captain’s Den in Hall 2, with prices ranging from S$15 to S$79.