Plans revealed for new £500m centre for advanced ceramics research based at Keele
Plans have been unveiled for a new £500 million advanced ceramics research facility by international technology company Lucideon, with a site at Keele University earmarked for the development.
The company has tabled a £500 million proposal to create state-of-the-art Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) manufacturing capability to build resilience across critical sectors in the supply chain, with a site on Keele University's Science and Innovation Park (KUSIP) lined up to house the new facility.
Being based at KUSIP as part of the new Keele Innovation District will ensure that the new facility can support industry and jobs across the whole region.
Ann Pittard, Director of KUSIP, said: "This is a great example of the area’s specialist expertise in ceramics evolving with the support of education providers, including Keele University. It will help the area grow much needed jobs that pay well, and the new facilities will be a very fitting anchor for the new Keele Innovation District.
"These are very high-value manufacturing jobs that this centre will bring. They will boost the economy in north Staffordshire, but they will also bring benefits for the Midlands as a whole."
CMCs feature ceramic fibres embedded in a ceramics matrix to deliver exceptional performance in a lightweight format, capable of withstanding ultra-high temperature environments, as well as the ability to withstand thermal and mechanical shock.
As a result, they are rapidly becoming a highly sought after material of the future across the globe, but there is currently a lack of capability in the UK to deliver their secure supply.
Tony Kinsella, CEO of Lucideon, which has its headquarters in Stone, said: “CMC materials and the products manufactured from them are absolutely vital to our manufacturing capability, our security, and our future, but the UK currently faces a market failure that has left sectors including aerospace, space, and nuclear energy without a sovereign manufacturing capability to enable their delivery.
“This creates exposure to unsustainable supply chain vulnerabilities, increasing the risks to both UK energy security and broader security capabilities.
“By establishing a UK-based Ceramic Matrix Composite manufacturing facility, national security and resilience will be strengthened, international supply chain dependency reduced, and high-value job creation and industrial competitiveness in the Midlands region boosted.
“It’s an ambitious plan, which builds on the history and expertise of ceramics in Staffordshire. There’s a long journey ahead, but the important point is that the journey has now started to make the UK a leader in high-growth advanced material technologies.”
The costs to deliver the facility are estimated at more than £500 million over the next 7 to 10 years, covering equipment, people, research, and technology development, as well as suitable buildings, validation, and certification.
Lucideon will lead on the scheme under a joint venture with industry partners, alongside key research and development partners, with The AMRICC Centre central to the plans.
The UK’s Centre for Advanced Ceramics, The AMRICC Centre, also based in Stone, is the legacy of a £18.27 million grant from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Strength in Places Fund, awarded in 2021 to the Midlands Industrial Ceramics Group, to position the Midlands as a global leader in advanced ceramics innovation and manufacturing.
Offering an open-access, advanced ceramics pilot-scale facility, it is hosted and managed by Lucideon on behalf of the MICG.
As well as private funding, the plan would need investment of just over £200 million from the government.
Tony Kinsella added: “The AMRICC Centre has given the UK the critical concentration of skills and equipment to build on and has already proved that the model is there for public and private collaboration to create market-ready solutions.
“By moving onto the next stage and producing high-quality CMC materials and components, including Oxide and non-Oxide composites, we can use this as a platform to deliver a sovereign capability and support critical industry needs, free from patent challenge and international supply chain issues.”
Rob Flello, Chief Executive, Ceramics UK, added: “This advanced manufacturing centre represents a major investment in the future of the UK ceramics industry.
“By enhancing the outstanding work already taking place across the wider ceramics sector, it will strengthen innovation, help drive growth in high-value manufacturing, and reinforce the UK's industrial resilience. It will further cement Staffordshire’s reputation as the UK's leading centre for ceramics excellence.”
