CEAMS wins national award for sustainable manufacturing innovation

Posted by on 10 Nov 2026

The Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS) and its project partners have been recognised nationally after winning the Sustainability and Circularity Award at the Composites UK Industry Awards.                                     

The award recognises pioneering work that could help transform how carbon fibre waste is reused across the aerospace sector and wider manufacturing industries.

Working alongside Cygnet Texkimp, SHD Composites, NCC and Teledyne CML Composites, CEAMS successfully demonstrated a world-first aerospace component manufactured using prepreg material containing 100% recycled continuous carbon fibre.

The project showed that recycled carbon fibre can achieve levels of stiffness and strength comparable to virgin material, while using existing industrial manufacturing processes. This creates a realistic route for large-scale adoption across advanced manufacturing sectors.

The innovation also offers substantial environmental benefits. Previous CEAMS research estimated that recycled continuous carbon fibre may reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% when compared with virgin material, while helping create more resilient UK supply chains and higher-value uses for composite waste.

As a founding partner of CEAMS, Rochdale Development Agency is proud to support innovation that brings together businesses, researchers and industry leaders to solve real-world challenges.

This award is further evidence of Rochdale’s growing reputation as a centre for advanced manufacturing, materials innovation and sustainable industry, helping position the borough at the forefront of the technologies shaping the future economy.

To find out more about the award and CEAMS’ award-winning work in sustainability and circularity, visit the Composites UK Industry Awards website or read the full winning case study.