JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #101 - November/December 2015 - 4

point of view: developing advice

Future Materials Group, comprehensive
expertise to accelerate development

DaviD SchofielD,
Managing Director,
Future Materials Group

JEC Composites Magazine: Many
consultancies around the world
offer strategic advice.
What made you decide to launch
Future Materials Group four years
ago? And what differentiates you
from the others?

David Schofield: As

senior managers in the advanced
materials sector, we purchased
both strategic and technical
consultancy: that client side
experience proved there was a
real gap in the strategic consultancy marketplace. What was
missing? Most of all, focus on
the outcomes. In our previous
positions, we were developing
businesses, and needed pragmatic and informed consultancy

to help us grow, position, and
win over the competition. At
that time, we couldn't find a consultancy we could bolt on to our
management teams and be confident that together we would
develop winning new strategies
and tactics, in the right sectors. We needed well-informed
research and in-depth informed
analysis. And that answers your
question about differentiation - the focus on commercial
outcomes sets us apart from our
competition: years of corporate
and operational management,
supported by unique industry
and market research.
JCM: You plan to expand your
operations in the DACH region.
Why are you concentrating on
this specific geography?

D. S. : FMG works internation-

interview

An independent advisory firm, Future Materials Group (FMG) has
brought together, since its creation, a team of highly specialised experts
in advanced materials and high value-added industries. FMG helps
companies grow by offering them a new and comprehensive approach
that combines financial and strategic consulting. David Schofield, cofounder and managing director, gives us a glimpse of how the composite
materials industry is evolving and of FMG's plans for the future.

FMG provides
commentary on the
commercial drivers for
composites, covering
a broad range from
social and economic
influences, to specific
industry needs.

About FMG
FMG is an independent strategic advisory
firm specialising in the advanced materials
and high value manufacturing sectors.
Working globally from its headquarters
in Cambridge, UK, the company helps
businesses at all stages of their development, from start-up to maturity, to create

ally - when we started up, we
were probably the world's smallest multinational. So we're not

and increase value through accelerating
and managing growth. Drawing on many
years of industry experience, FMG can help
businesses develop new products and services, engage with new markets, validate
opportunities, and build new competences
and capabilities.

4 jec composites magazine / No101 November - December 2015

particularly centred on working
in any one area. But our early
work in Germany, where we
were a strategic advisor to worldleading additive manufacturing
company SLM Solutions (FMG
set their growth strategy and
then sourced a multi-million dollar growth capital investment),
coupled with a constant flow of
industry information prepared
by our in-house analysts, points
to Germany, Austria and Switzerland continuing to set the pace in
advanced manufacturing. Even
with labour costs typically a third
higher than the USA, this region
maintains leadership. The exceptionally high quality of technology, expertise and value, in both
manufacturing and materials,
of DACH companies, and their
willingness to invest in the long
term, make them ideal FMG
clients, particularly for our business development development
and merger and acquisition skills.
Our work, and our expertise, is in
demand here.
JCM: The composites industry is
made up of many medium-sized
businesses. How does FMG work
with such companies, and what
specifically can it offer them?

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #101 - November/December 2015