North West to host Carbon Fibre Development Facility

NCC (National Composites Centre) has confirmed the initial location of its open-access Carbon Fibre Development Facility will be at technology partner Cygnet Texkimp’s site in Northwich, Cheshire West. The facility, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), will house two digitally enabled development lines for manufacturing carbon fibre and will act as ‘a key stepping stone to further develop and industrialise advanced material manufacturing capability in the UK’.

NCC says businesses accessing the facility will benefit from world-class on-site materials expertise, close collaboration with the North West’s leading chemical and materials cluster, and — facilitated by NCC — the West of England’s leadership in advanced engineering. 

“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, thereby providing a major step forward in securing UK sovereign supply chains.”

Richard Oldfield, NCC’s CEO, added: “Our new Carbon Fibre Development Facility demonstrates NCC’s leadership in advanced material technologies that are vital to accelerating the growth and competitiveness of the UK’s growth sectors. We are 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.” 

Luke Vardy, Cygnet Texkimp’s CEO, said: “This facility 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.”