An innovative car, flight refuelling kit and turbine blades showcased the latest in composite technology to the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. Dr Cable formally opened the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol on Thursday 24 November.

Dr Cable was joined by more than 200 guests to see first-hand the fantastic capabilities of the centre. He was shown state-of-the-art machinery, including a world-leading £2.5m robotic, automatic fibre placement. Dr Cable also met some of the highly skilled engineers that will assist UK manufacturers to develop and commercialise new technologies and products.

The event was accompanied by an exhibition of the NCC's members showing what composite technology can do across a wide range of industries. The Composites Skills Alliance exhibited at this opening event and highlighted the importance of increasing the skills of the composites workforce in order to compete on the global stage. The Alliance has recently formed the National Composites Hub with partners the National Composites Centre and Composites UK.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "This centre will work with our world class universities and international businesses based in the South West and across the UK, to develop and commercialise new technologies. Its work will strengthen our manufacturing sector, exploiting the next generation of advanced composite materials and helping maintain our global lead in this technology area. I look forward to seeing what they produce."

The NCC is a £25m investment and has powerful support from industry. The private sector was involved from its inception. Tier 1 members - AgustaWestland, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN, Umeco and Vestas - have committed almost £5½m of work over three years, and that's not to underestimate the importance of small and medium sized enterprises.

Jim Godman, Chair of the NCC's Steering Board, added: "The NCC is a fantastic national asset and is a catalyst for real change in the industry.  It has something for all businesses involved in composites manufacture, across all sectors. We already have commitments from large and medium sized enterprises involved in renewable energy, aerospace, automotive, defence, marine and rail, and expect this list to grow.

 "We are now focussed on working closely with our partners to ensure the UK remains competitive in the expanding global market place and therefore that the UK Composites manufacturing industry can contribute significantly to the country's economy."