3 min read - 17 Aug, 2026
Plans revealed for £500m advanced ceramics facility in Keele
Lucideon has unveiled plans for a new advanced ceramics facility in Staffordshire, aimed at establishing a sovereign supply chain for the UK’s aerospace, defence and nuclear sectors.
The company has tabled a £500m proposal to create a Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) manufacturing facility, with a site at Keele University’s Science and Innovation Park (KUSIP) being lined up to house the new centre.
CMCs embed ceramic fibres into a ceramic matrix, creating a strong, lightweight material renowned for its ability to withstand extremely high temperatures and thermal and mechanical shock. As a result, they are rapidly becoming a highly sought-after material of the future across the globe, but there is currently a lack of capability in the UK to deliver a secure supply.
Over the next seven to ten years, the costs to deliver the facility are estimated at more than £500m, covering equipment, people, research, and technology development, as well as suitable buildings, validation and certification. As well as private funding, the plan would require investment of just over £200m from the government.
Lucideon has unveiled plans for a £500m advanced ceramics manufacturing facility at Keele University Science and Innovation Park in Staffordshire / Picture: Lucideon
Tony Kinsella, CEO of Lucideon, said: “CMC materials and the products manufactured from them are absolutely vital to our manufacturing capability, our security, and our future, but the UK currently faces a market failure that has left sectors including aerospace, space, and nuclear energy without a sovereign manufacturing capability to enable their delivery.
“This creates exposure to unsustainable supply chain vulnerabilities, increasing the risks to both UK energy security and broader security capabilities.
“By establishing a UK-based Ceramic Matrix Composite manufacturing facility, national security and resilience will be strengthened, international supply chain dependency reduced, and high-value job creation and industrial competitiveness in the Midlands region boosted.
“It’s an ambitious plan, which builds on the history and expertise of ceramics in Staffordshire. There’s a long journey ahead, but the important point is that the journey has now started to make the UK a leader in high-growth advanced material technologies.”
Lucideon will lead on the scheme via a joint venture with industry and key research and development partners. Central to these plans is the AMRICC Centre, an open-access advanced ceramics pilot-scale facility managed by Lucideon on behalf of the Midlands Industrial Ceramics Group (MICG). Based in Stone, the centre was established following an £18.27m UKRI grant in 2021.
Tony Kinsella added: “The AMRICC Centre has given the UK the critical concentration of skills and equipment to build on and has already proved that the model is there for public and private collaboration to create market-ready solutions.
“By moving onto the next stage and producing high-quality CMC materials and components, including oxide and non-oxide composites, we can use this as a platform to deliver a sovereign capability and support critical industry needs, free from patent challenge and international supply chain issues.”
