Welcome to CIMComp
The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites.

Composites have been identified internationally as a critical enabling technology in developing a low energy economy, directly through light weighting in transport applications and indirectly through their use in renewable energy machinery for wind and tidal power. The 'UK Composites Strategy' produced by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (Nov 2009), recognises the importance of “shaping the technical and economic conditions necessary to develop rapid manufacturing of composites” and hence “increase and develop the use of advanced composites across other sectors”.

The first step in this strategy was to establish the National Composites Centre (NCC) “dedicated to building prototypes and the rapid manufacturing processes the UK requires”. The NCC is aimed at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL's) 4-6. If the strategy is to be successful, however, there is a clear need for underpinning research at TRL 1-3, co-ordinated and linked to the various Technology Centres (NCC, AMRC Composites, NIACE) in such a way as to deliver the scientific innovations required. CIMComp offers the forward thinking necessary to deliver this element of the national composites strategy. Furthermore, the Hauser report (March 2010) states that “The UK's approach to exploiting research is sub-critical, follows no national strategy and pays insufficient attention to business requirements and the location of relevant expertise”. The report identifies composites as one of eight candidate technologies for investment.

The UK academic sector in this area has significant strengths at different universities which will greatly benefit from a collaborative programme to extract maximum value from the research activity.