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New £500m centre planned for advanced ceramics

Liz Copper,in Keeleand
Richard Price,West Midlands
News imageBBC A woman with black hair is wearing safety goggles along with a white lab coat and green plastic gloves. She is working in what appears to be a laboratory.BBC
The new £500m facility was described as marking "a new era" for ceramics in the UK

Plans have been unveiled for a £500m research centre, described as marking "a new era" for ceramics in the UK.

Based at Keele University in Staffordshire, the site will supply components for industrial use, including the defence sector.

Scientists said the project was vital in helping to secure the country's energy and economic security.

"This, to me, is nothing less than the rebirth of the advanced ceramics industry in the UK," said Tony Kinsella, chief executive of scientific consultancy firm Lucideon.

"We have defence needs, we have aerospace needs, we have space needs – and without this facility none of that can be manufactured in this country.

"It really is a new era for ceramics in the UK."

News imageA bald man wearing a white shirt and navy blue suit jacket with a blue, white and red striped tie is standing in what appears to be a factory. The room is brightly lit, and there are work benches and racking behind the man.
Tony Kinsella, chief executive of Lucideon, believed the centre would breathe new life into the specialist ceramics industry

The manufacturing process to create the materials at the centre involves adding fibres into ceramic material and then firing it at very high temperatures.

The material can then withstand extremes of temperature and pressure, making it suitable for use in the aviation industry, nuclear plants and also rocket launchers, scientists said.

News imageA man with black hair is wearing safety goggles along with a white lab coat and green plastic gloves. He is standing in a brightly lit industrial facility with a large cylindrical in front of him.
The new facility will be based in Keele, Staffordshire, and create materials capable of withstanding high temperatures and pressure

"These are very high-value jobs, manufacturing jobs that this centre will bring," said Ann Pittard, director of Keele University Science & Innovation Park.

"They will boost the economy in north Staffordshire but they will also bring benefits for the Midlands as a whole."

News imageA man with grey hair is wearing a light blue shirt and dark-coloured suit jacket with a blue spotty tie. He is in what appears to be a factory. The room is brightly lit, and there are work benches and machinery behind the man.
Rob Flello, of Ceramics UK, believed the plans were crucial for the future of the specialist ceramics industry

The government is being asked to contribute £200m towards the overall cost of the centre, with industry leaders backing calls for help from ministers.

"We have, at the moment, some UK ceramics manufacturers who are in this particular field – and that's brilliant – but this expands it," Rob Flello of industry body Ceramics UK said.

"This takes it to another level, which is just phenomenal, and so critical really.

"I wouldn't say it's important, I would say it's critical."

News imageA woman with brown hair is wearing a glasses as well as a brown and white striped shirt. She is standing in what appears to be a factory. The room is brightly lit, and there are work benches and equipment behind the woman.
Ann Pittard, of Keele University, said the investment would benefit the whole Midlands region

The plans have been in development for almost two years and come amid a focus on defence spending.

A £15bn increase in military spending over four years was announced by Sir Keir Starmer in his final days as prime minister, although it is not yet fully funded.

Those behind the centre hope investment in the research will help create jobs and promote UK security.

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