A major R&D facility that will give the UK next-generation aerospace manufacturing capabilities - accelerating production times and using advanced materials to make aircraft lighter - has officially opened in South Yorkshire.

The Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) facility, which has Boeing as its first user, was opened today (Thursday, July 16), bringing together key leaders from across industry, government and academia.

A national asset for the UK, the facility will give manufacturers of all sizes access to the industrial research infrastructure needed to make large components from composite materials. This will transform manufacturing in multiple sectors in addition to aerospace, including renewable energy and defence.

For aerospace, the advanced materials will enable the production of lighter aircraft parts, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. COMPASS has Boeing as its first user and is home to the global aviation leader’s largest global research programme, marking a major vote of confidence for UK innovation.

The £54m open-access innovation centre sits at the heart of the South Yorkshire Investment Zone and marks a major step forward to grow the UK economy and secure the long-term future of UK aerospace manufacturing by enabling production at true rate and scale.

As global aircraft demand hit record highs, with more than 40,000 aircraft needed over the next 20 years, the UK industry is making a targeted play to capture a greater share of the multi-billion-pound aerospace export market. COMPASS serves as critical national infrastructure to meet this demand, unlocking the advanced capabilities required to manufacture large-scale aerostructures faster and more efficiently within the UK.

Shared ambitions for the future of aerospace

Prof Ben Morgan, chief executive officer at the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: “COMPASS delivers a world-leading capability built on two decades of the AMRC’s industrially relevant composites and automation research.

“To secure the UK’s position as a leading aerospace manufacturing nation, we must de-risk new technologies at scale. This facility will do exactly that, unlocking jobs, attracting investment and driving economic growth.

“This project has been a true collaborative effort. My sincere thanks go to the government’s ATI Programme, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and the University of Sheffield, alongside our technology and research partners Loop and Boeing as we embark on our first landmark project together."

The opening brought together the teams who have made COMPASS possible including Boeing’s chief technology officer, Lane Ballard, and key technology collaborator Alun Reece, Loop Technology’s chief executive officer.

Lane Ballard, chief technology officer of Boeing, said: “Boeing’s IHSS programme at COMPASS demonstrates how advanced composites, automation and digital technologies can deliver high-rate, large-scale production that supports high-value manufacturing jobs. Boeing is firmly committed to the UK’s workforce, supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem, turning initiatives like IHSS into scalable production capability and strengthening the country’s position as a global aerospace leader.”

Alun Reece, chief executive officer of Loop Technology, said: “It is deeply gratifying to see the COMPASS facility open its doors. Since the initial conception in 2019, this project has demanded vision, dedication, and outstanding teamwork from all the partners. Today marks a significant milestone, bringing us one major step closer to our goal of manufacturing composite aerostructures at greater speed and scale.”

COMPASS is home to state-of-the-art equipment funded through a £29.5m grant from the ATI Programme, a partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK.

Gary Elliott, chief executive officer of the ATI, said: “The University of Sheffield AMRC has a proud record of providing cutting edge support to the aerospace industry. COMPASS takes that further still, providing a world-leading open-access facility for UK innovation in composites technology, with support from the ATI Programme. This supports our ambition to double UK aerospace market value by 2035, with significant opportunities associated with composites driving jobs and growth across the country.”

The £20m facility has been funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire Mayor, said: "South Yorkshire has always been a place that makes things. For generations we've taken ideas, innovation and hard work and turned them into products that change the world.

"COMPASS is the latest chapter in that story. It brings together the world-leading expertise of the AMRC, the University of Sheffield and partners like Boeing and puts South Yorkshire at the forefront of the next generation of aerospace manufacturing.

"More than new technology, it's helping to create good jobs, attract new investment and give people across our communities the chance to stay near and go far, building successful careers in one of the most innovative manufacturing regions anywhere in the world."

Katherine Bennett, chief executive officer of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, said: “This world-class, open-access innovation centre represents a major investment in the future of UK manufacturing.

“Building on the research and development excellence already established in South Yorkshire, COMPASS will strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in aerospace innovation, creating new opportunities for businesses large and small to innovate, grow and compete on the international stage.

“COMPASS is a powerful example of what can be achieved when a region comes together to work alongside industry, government and academia, backed by Innovate UK. It will play an important role in ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and able to seize the huge opportunities ahead.”

Professor Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “At the University of Sheffield we have already seen the power of innovation in driving growth and transforming local economies through our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the impact it has had in attracting investment and creating jobs in the South Yorkshire region. COMPASS is the latest example of this and we are excited to see how this new national facility will grow.

“The new COMPASS facility represents how important partnerships between universities and industry are to the UK. In the UK, we have some of the best universities in the world who are making breakthroughs at the very cutting edge of science, technology, engineering and many other fields. With targeted investment like this, we can harness these capabilities to grow UK industries, such as manufacturing, as well as secure investment from major overseas partners such as Boeing to drive jobs and growth.”

How COMPASS is accelerating aerospace manufacturing

Backed by funding through the ATI Programme, Boeing’s research programme - Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) - aims to revolutionise production efficiency, reducing large component manufacturing times from approximately 40 hours down to just four.

The IHSS project is dedicated to developing and testing new technologies needed to meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and help the aviation industry’s commitment reach net zero by 2050. It builds on Boeing’s long-standing commitment to the United Kingdom, and to South Yorkshire specifically, following the opening of its first European manufacturing facility in Sheffield in 2018.

Loop Technology is a key partner in both the COMPASS facility and the Boeing-led IHSS project. The company’s innovative FibreLINE robotic preforming system enables ultra-high-rate composite manufacturing, dramatically increasing efficiency for manufacturing large aerospace components.

In addition, Loop Technology serves as the robotic systems integrator, ensuring seamless integration and operation of all the equipment as a fully sequenced, end-to-end manufacturing solution.

De-risking new technologies for UK supply chains

COMPASS is a collaborative investment that acts as a cornerstone to attract further global industrial interest. By leveraging the AMRC and University of Sheffield’s R&D capabilities, it cements South Yorkshire’s position as the premier global destination for advanced manufacturing innovation.

To meet soaring global production targets and achieve the UK's net-zero ambitions, the manufacturing industry must move beyond traditional, manual processes. COMPASS addresses this head-on by combining advanced composites with digital technologies that reduce material waste, component weight and defects.

By proving these capabilities at technology readiness level (TRL) six, the facility de-risks high-rate manufacturing for the entire supply chain. It removes the high cost-barriers of advanced industrial equipment, allowing UK small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) to develop more efficient manufacturing solutions so they can compete within global supply chains.

Furthermore, the innovations developed here will extend far beyond aviation, helping the wider UK industry adopt sustainable, cost-effective component solutions across the defence, renewable energy, transport, and urban air mobility sectors.