The UK’s National Composites Centre (NCC), headquartered in Bristol, is to locate its new open access carbon fibre development facility at technology partner Cygnet Texkimp’s site in Northwich, Cheshire.

It will house two digitally-enabled development lines for manufacturing carbon fibre, funded by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and act as a critical stepping stone to further develop and industrialise advanced material manufacturing capability in the UK.

Growing the UK’s sovereign carbon fibre production capability fully supports the UK’s Industrial Strategy and foundation industries such as advanced materials, while underpinning next-generation defence, aerospace and energy products. In addition to enabling carbon fibre innovation, the facility will train future generations of chemists and engineers, providing a major step forward in securing UK sovereign supply chains. 

Initial testing at the facility is scheduled to start in Autumn, before it becomes fully operational in Spring 2026. NCC will help companies to capitalise on innovations to deliver more at every stage of their journey, across the entire product lifecycle from early concept to end-of-life.

“Our new carbon fibre development facility demonstrates NCC’s leadership in advanced material technologies, vital to accelerating the growth and competitiveness of the UK’s growth sectors,” said NCC CEO Richard Oldfield. “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Cygnet Texkimp to develop this new manufacturing capability for carbon fibre, strategically located to facilitate collaborative partnerships and deliver industrial impact for the UK.” 

“We’re extremely pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with NCC and fulfil our long-term ambition to develop this capability within the UK,” added Texkimp CEO Luke Vardy. “It directly complements our existing fibre processing and recycling capabilities, allowing us to showcase UK advanced materials innovation and manufacturing expertise across the product lifecycle. The opportunity to develop the next generation of British textile machinery and materials engineers in the North of England’s traditional textile manufacturing belt is also a very exciting and fitting prospect.”

www.nccuk.com

www.cygnet-texkimp.com