Fact Sheet | Socio-economic contribution of Polycarbonate in the | 0313 | Page 1 of 2

Polycarbonate in the Netherlands: A major contributor to the country’s economy and quality of life

Polycarbonate is a lightweight, highly versatile, durable, heat and shatter resistant, formable and transparent thermoplastic. It is the material of choice for a wide range of end-user applications as diverse as DVDs, spectacles and optical lenses, car headlamps and parts, transparent roofs in construction, or medical devices.

The Netherlands is a major producer of polycarbonate: European production and consumption about 20% of total European production is produced here, of polycarbonate by countries generating about 490 mio Euro of value added. A trade

Denmark surplus of about 410 mio Euro is generated by net exports of Sweden -/2% polycarbonate. Due to its function as an enabling technology, -/3% over 21,000 jobs in the Netherlands are related to the UK Poland production and consumption of polycarbonate. -/10% Netherlands -/5% Netherlands 20%/5% 20%/5% Czech Dutch national consumption of polycarbonate grew 40%/22% Republic -/4% continuously by about 5% p.a. during the past years and Austria France -/4% reached about 5% of total EU consumption in 2010. 85% of -/11% 20%/3% the Dutch consumption of polycarbonate is concentrated in three key economic sectors: in Building & Construction, Italy Other -/12% in the Electrical & Electronics industries and the Optical -/12% Spain

20%/7% Production Consumption gures 2010 fi Media sector. It is estimated that about 1.4 billion Euro of value added depend upon polycarbonate technology in the Netherlands. In many of these applications polycarbonate is critical to transforming the functional characteristics of components or end uses. This means: Polycarbonate cannot be replaced Dutch consumption of polycarbonate by sectors by any other material if the same material performance characteristics are required. Over 80% of the Dutch

Building and Optical Media consumption of polycarbonate is used in these unique Construction 36% 13% applications.

Other Electrical/ 5% Electronic 35% In unique applications situations, outputs are dependent upon polycarbonate, and so are the working places of the people Automotive incl. Head- producing or processing them: 4,200 jobs in the production lights 11% industry, 1,200 jobs in the processing, and 15,8oo jobs related to the manufacturing and sale of end products are related directly and indirectly to polycarbonate in unique applications fi gures 2010 fi in the Netherlands.

* All fi gures in this document are based on the year 2010. The fi gures have been determined in a conservative approach ensuring that only the jobs and value added that could be uniquely attributed to polycarbonate should be counted in this value chain.

www.bisphenol-a-europe.org Fact Sheet | Socio-economic contribution of Polycarbonate in the Netherlands | 0313 | Page 2 of 2

Polycarbonate is a dynamic enabling platform technology Polycarbonate added value and for innovation, thus helping to sustain the Netherland´s unique applications in the Netherlands manufacturing base. The competitive position of a significant number of leading Dutch companies depends upon the Building and Construction 80% unique continued exploitation of the many and unique properties 504 mio € of polycarbonate. It offers solutions to modern societies to meet the emerging needs for lower weight, greater safety Electrical/ Electronic 80% unique and security, lower risks and improved well-being, while at 490 mio € the same time reducing costs and improving the product Optical Media 100% unique performance. 182 mio €

Automotive 154 mio € 70% unique

Other 70 mio €

figures 2010

Contact Dutch polycarbonate consumption: industrial cluster regions Jasmin Bird Manager Communications PC/BPA-Group PlasticsEurope E A Automotive Tel: +32 2 676 1738 [email protected] E Electrical & Electronic www.bisphenol-a-europe.org E O Optical Media M C Building & Construction M M Medical North

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Disclaimer: This information is supplied in good faith by the PC/BPA Industry Group of Plastics Europe, and is based on the best information currently available. While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, the PC/BPA Group does not accept liability for loss or damage, howsoever caused, arising from the use of the information.