Our strategy
Our vision, mission and strategic priorities as a world-leading UK research and development facility.
Richard Oldfield, CEO
"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. With access to 'beyond' state-of-the-art technology and the best composites engineering capabilities in the world, we help our customers solve the most complex engineering challenges of our time."
Our Story
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.
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Governance
Information on our Governance arrangements as a subsidiary of the University of Bristol.
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Meet the team
The NCC leadership team has extensive engineering and commercial experience across industry sectors.
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Membership at the NCC
An NCC membership gives you access to 'beyond' state-of-the-art technology and the best composites engineering capabilities in the world, as well as expert advice from specialist engineers.
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Academic reach
The NCC works proactively with universities across the UK and overseas in a number of ways to pull through fundamental research to industrial applications.
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Cross-Catapult programmes
We work closely with partners across the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and wider UK Catapult Network on collaborative projects.
Why choose composites?
Composites enable our everyday lives – in transport, energy, healthcare, defence, communications and leisure. Lightweight, strong, durable and adaptable, the unique properties of composites help us to design and make better products with less waste that last longer, helping us to address urgent societal challenges of sustainability and net-zero.
Our networks
High Value Manufacturing Catapult
The NCC is proud to be one of seven centres that makes up the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which is itself one of nine Catapults created as a key tool in Innovate UK’s range of innovation support for businesses. Each Catapult is focused on an area in which the UK has the potential to grow in strategically important global markets.
Composites Leadership Forum
The National Composites Centre is a pivotal member of the UK’s Composite Leadership Forum which works to influence the Government and other bodies to bring together support for composites and ensure growth and industrial success for the UK. It is chaired and led by industry.
Composites UK Trade Association
The NCC also is a board member of Composites UK Trade Association, fully supporting its mission to encourage continuous growth and development of the industry, promoting the best practice use of composites materials. We work closely to bring companies throughout the composites supply chain together, creating a unified voice to drive the industry forward to the benefit all of those involved.
Our Members
Our latest news
Case Study
News
Opinion
News
News
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New seat to power GB Paracanoeist in Paris 2024
02 Jul 2024NCC early career engineers have successfully pushed off on the initial design and manufacture of an optimised paracanoe seat. The final part is set to enable a competitive edge for paralympic canoe champion Emma Wiggs MBE’s upcoming event in Paris 2024. -
Space West - June Newsletter
28 Jun 2024Welcome to the June edition of our Space West Newsletter. With each newsletter, we aim to share the most recent discoveries, advancements, and stories from the world of Space in the South West. -
Pushing the Limits - Advancements in Composite Materials for Space Exploration
25 Jun 2024Dr Konstantina Kanari is an Advanced Research Engineer at the National Composites Centre with a passion for pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. In this blog, Konstantina shares insights from a recent event at the European Space Agency, delving into the significance of composite materials and the groundbreaking projects that are shaping the future of space missions. -
Business West: Recognising the Engineers of the Bristol Initiative for International Women in Engineering Day
24 Jun 2024In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day 2024, Business West featured some members of the Bristol Initiative to share their stories and experiences, including Hannah Swinbourne, Research Engineer and Co-lead of the Women’s Led Network at the National Composites Centre. Read more. -
National Composites Centre and the Tank Storage Association call for action to meet hydrogen targets in new workforce foresighting report
17 Jun 2024Urgent action is needed in order for the UK to meet the government's target to increase hydrogen production, according to a new Workforce Foresighting Hub report.
