National Composites Centre Operations Ltd

The NCC (National Composites Centre) is the UK’s centre of excellence for composite research and development. Innovators use this world-leading facility to create products that are stronger, lighter, smarter, longer-lasting, and more sustainable.

At the NCC, they can access ‘beyond’ state-of-the-art technology and the world’s best composite engineering facilities. The centre works closely with its customers, helping them to address complex engineering challenges. This work spans a range of sectors, including rail, infrastructure, aerospace, energy, auto, and marine.

Part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the NCC provides a de-risked environment in which SMEs, micro-enterprises, disruptors, OEMs, and the supply chain can:

• Design.
• Develop.
• Test.
• Scale.
• Take to market.

For the rail industry, fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites offer a range of benefits, and can help manufacturers to reduce the weight of rolling stock. Intrinsically corrosion-resistant, quicker to install – and, if required, non-conductive – they can also reduce the cost of infrastructure ownership.

The NCC supports a range of sectors, with its work around mass movers encompassing trains, trams, buses, and vans.

Today, it is assessing resin systems and biomaterials in a bid to support the deployment of bio-sensitive materials – and, in turn, accelerate the UK’s journey to net zero.

The NCC specialises in:

• Lightweighting to increase payload/reduce emissions.
• Energy storage systems.
• Biomaterials.

• Access the NCC’s R&D facility – and support from over 450 composite experts.
• Funding opportunities and collaboration.
• NCC membership opportunities – access the best technology, cutting-edge composite engineering capabilities, and expert advice.