Newly-elected Metro Mayor Dan Norris took a tour of the National Composites Centre – the West of England’s world-beating research centre. This is where the West of England’s top designers, researchers and engineers come together to create composite materials which are stronger, lighter and less likely to corrode.
The National Composite Centre hosts a £10 million project called Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation, which is funded by the West of England Combined Authority which Metro Mayor Dan Norris leads.
The Metro Mayor pledged to ensure that more and more people know about the ground-breaking work taking place in the West of England, which impacts nationally and internationally. From bridges to wind turbine blades to super strong hydrogen tanks this is the essential tech needed to reach our net zero targets.
The Metro Mayor got to grips with the centre’s new 5-metre-high robot. This is the latest high-tech machine to be installed at the facility on the Bristol & Bath Science Park.
Mayor Norris said: “What is happening here is the best in the world. We have amazing people with a global reputation. Lighter and stronger materials are vital in a greener future and I am proud and excited by the role the West of England is playing.”
Richard Oldfield, CEO at the National Composites Centre, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Metro Mayor to the National Composites Centre today. Composites have a huge role to play in helping the UK achieve its net zero targets across a number of industries, and the advances we are making in digital engineering through programmes such as DETI and 5G-ENCODE are ensuring the UK stays at the forefront of engineering, solving some of the most complex challenges currently faced.”