Professor Richard Scaife has been awarded an MBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours, for his services to manufacturing.

The prestigious honour recognises the enormous impact of Richards’s work, which has brought renowned names in global manufacturing to Sheffield and Rotherham – one of the 14 percent most deprived areas of England – and provided high quality employment opportunities for hundreds of people in the region.

Richard, who spent 17 years at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), serving for a number of years as head of the composite centre before retiring as regional development director in 2025, has driven creativity and innovation in advanced manufacturing technologies globally – and he’s done it all from South Yorkshire.

He has led paradigm-changing developments in composite technology capabilities with several different projects, which have brought an estimated combined economic benefit of £95 million to South Yorkshire.

From dry carbon fibre development to high-rate sputter deposition, Richard’s ambition, vision, tenacity and technological insight has brought Rolls-Royce, Boeing and McLaren all to Sheffield and Rotherham.

Richard said it is a great honour to receive this award.

“I am humbled by it. This is not just a recognition of my work, but a recognition of the teams I’ve had the privilege of working with, both within the AMRC and outside of the organisation,” said Richard.

“My hope is that this recognition, of the work done through the AMRC, opens doors to enable further support for the UK manufacturing industry. For this work to continue to make an impact, after I have left the organisation, would be wonderful.”

His vision drove the creation of the AMRC’s Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) facility, the AMRC's largest ever collaborative R&D programme now housing the Boeing-led Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project. COMPASS, conceived to de-risk and accelerate the manufacture of large-scale composite parts, stands as a milestone for UK aerospace sovereignty, and a low-risk sandbox for the entire UK supply chain.

Professor Ben Morgan, chief executive officer of the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: “There is no one more deserving of this honour than Richard. For his entire time at the AMRC, Richard was – whether he liked it or not – the father figure of the organisation. What he just saw as doing his job, I saw as one of the most important and influential mentor relationships I’ve had.

“Sheffield never dreamed of having a McLaren or a Boeing. Now a local kid can work for one of the world’s greatest supercar manufacturers. Richards's work has transformed South Yorkshire’s industrial future.”

Richard has consistently shown a natural paternal instinct within his role and beyond, from mentoring future leaders and supporting his teams, to opening his home for the youth group he ran. His approach to recruitment and team-building went against the historic culture and expectations prevalent in the sector, championing women and people from different ethnic backgrounds to develop the most diverse team in the centre.

Richard has made a huge difference to the lives of hundreds of people in Sheffield and Rotherham, who now have the opportunity to work for world-leading companies brought to their region by Richard’s work and personal qualities.