The National Composites Centre was created as the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Composites Research and Development following the inclusion of this disruptive technology into government industrial strategy.
Our task: to be recognised as a world leader in composite technology, accelerating the development and uptake of digital technologies for sustainable composites and growing the market for composites by driving innovation through collaboration and partnerships.
We opened our headquarters in Bristol, UK, in 2011. A vibrant and cultural city, Bristol is a was selected due to the dual pull of the world-ranked research excellence of the University of Bristol and proximity to many of the NCC’s founding members who are based in the technology rich, south-west region of the UK.
In the intervening 10+ years, the National Composites Centre has become a true Strategic National Asset that holds the IP of the nation, having grown both its team and the size of its facility. The NCC is currently home to over 450 composites experts with an additional 200 at the University of Bristol. Over £300m has been invested in state-of-the-art capabilities and knowledge that allows the NCC to convene innovators, provide expertise to deliver R&D; and to pull technology through from fundamental research to industrial application.
Our portfolio has grown extensively: we’re working with companies of all sizes from micro-organisations and start-ups to some of the world’s largest and most respected innovators. The NCC operates in sectors as diverse as transport, defence, space, construction, infrastructure, leisure, energy and medical.
The National Composites Centre’s vision is to bring together the best people and the best technologies to solve some of the world’s most complex engineering challenges. We do this by digitally optimising composites design and manufacturing to create sustainable products; by building UK supply chains to deliver productivity and growth for the UK; and by developing the workforce of today and tomorrow to allow the UK to hold a global position in composites R&D.
