Bringing together the best minds and best technologies to solve the world's most complex engineering challenges.

"We are industy's leading research and development partner. When companies need to make things lighter, stronger, smarter and more sustainable, they come to the NCC" - Richard Oldfield, Chief Executive

Driving Innovation in Composites

The National Composites Centre (NCC) is an independent, open-access technology centre delivering world-class research and development of composites. As part of the UK’s Catapult innovation network, we offer our partners access to the latest technology, provide technical expertise and the business support they need to overcome barriers to innovation and accelerate their growth.

Welcome to the NCC
We are industry's research and development partner. When companies need to make things lighter, stronger, smarter and more sustainable they come to the NCC.

Sustainability at the Heart

Sustainability is a critical element to our work, as well as a global priority with a huge drive for change. Today, composites already support the drive to a carbon neutral future through:

  • light-weighting to reduce emissions
  • manufacturing higher performance products, such as larger wind turbine blades to generate more renewable energy
  • increasing the lifespan of products by decades, through corrosion resistance and durability.

However, we know we need to do more and alongside the CPI, we lead the Sustainable Composites partnership. Together our aim is to accelerate the development of net zero impact composites, processes and technologies, bringing together the UK’s composites expertise to quickly turn research breakthroughs into industrial applications.

World Class Digital Engineering

The need to embrace digital transformation to remain competitive and profitable has never been stronger. The challenge is how to harness digital technology to fuel innovation and agility, create new business models and stimulate growth.

We help organisations to identify and build the capabilities that they need to advance transformation within their own and customer organisations. We work with them to develop, demonstrate and adopt digital capabilities that enable them to move forward in their engineering transformation journey.

We offer access to a range of virtual and physical test beds that help organisations to test quick-fire projects and early stage technologies in a secure, industry-like environment with expert support and skills. Access to our industrial test beds can be initiated through a number of routes; direct funding, collaborative or academic research through to industry funded initiatives.

We collaborate and deliver a range of digital engineering programmes including Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation (DETI), 5G-Encode, Smart Factory Innovation Hub, that showcase world class digital engineering practice and concepts on industrial scale test beds. 

Cutting-Edge Technologies

More than £250m has been invested in our capabilities, which can be trialled on a pay as you play basis, with our expert support. Ten world-leading automated composite manufacturing capabilities have been installed in the past 18 months and include;

  • The AFP- ATL cell is a uniquely designed capability that combines both AFP and ATL in a single system. The dual system can be used individually or together to collaborate and create large, complex structures with minimal downtime. Europe’s largest multi axial composite braider.
  • An ultra-high-rate deposition cell that can lay up to 5m x 20m wide components with mm accuracy with 20m multi zoned oven and a state-of-the-art verification cell to accompany the scale.
  • Europe’s largest multi axial composite braider. 
  • An impressive composite overmoulder, which is of particular interest to automotive and other high rate manufacturing sectors. 
 

Careers

At the National Composites Centre we’re building the future of composites - when industry wants to advance they come to us. So it’s only right that we attract great people and provide remarkable opportunities.

Our people are our most valuable asset. We’re home to some of the brightest and most inspiring minds in this field, working alongside a diversity of amazing customers to make the future of composites manufacturing a reality.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

To help us solve some of the world's biggest engineering challenges, we want to foster a diverse innovation environment, where everyone is respected, valued, and recognised for their unique contribution.

Gender equality

Gender is just one element of diversity, but one that needs particular focus in the engineering industry. We’re committed to challenging ourselves to ensure the NCC keeps narrowing the gender pay gap, and becomes truly equal organisation.

Inclusivity in Innovation Charter

We’re proud to have signed the Catapult Network’s Inclusivity in Innovation Charter, recognising that equality, diversity and inclusion leads to better decisions, better innovation and makes our working life more rewarding and more productive.

Employee wellbeing

We’re passionate about developing an inclusive culture, where everyone can be their true selves. Each year we take part in a variety of wellbeing celebrations and awareness campaigns. We also host a number of talks for employees covering topics such as neurodiversity, mental health awareness, wellbeing and disability support and awareness.

We are a member of the Gradcracker Five-Year Club
We have been a Gradcracker advertiser for at least five years. We recruit regularly and should still be doing so whenever it is time for you to apply for degree apprenticeships, placements or graduate positions - make sure that you Follow us to be alerted to any of our new opportunities.

The facts

We translate world-renowned research into manufacturing excellence
We deliver world-class innovation in the design and rapid manufacture of composites
We build the Future for Composites
We power the full exploitation of composites opportunities for the UK
Over 1,900 students have Followed us on Gradcracker.

Gradcracker Five-Year Club

A Gradcracker advertiser for over 5 years - ideal for you to Follow!
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