Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) is a major boost to UK aerospace research and development to meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and help the aviation industry reach net zero.
COMPASS is an £80m investment that comprises a new open-access state-of-the-art innovation facility in South Yorkshire — initially housing Boeing-led Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) programme.
The COMPASS portfolio was announced as part of the UK’s first investment zone in South Yorkshire, by the UK Chancellor in 2023. A UK-first, this investment in composites research and development (R&D), builds on the existing world-class composites and automation capabilities at the University of Sheffield AMRC.
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The £80m investment includes a £29.5m grant from the UK Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme for the latest, state-of-the-art equipment for the broader benefit of aerospace and other industries; and £20m for the facility backed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council, University of Sheffield and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
It is an open-access research facility which aims to support and de-risk new technologies and processes, combining composites and digital technologies to help wider UK industry adopt more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective solutions.
Currently, the facility is housing Boeing's Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) programme. In collaboration with Spirit Aerosystems and Loop Technology, IHSS aims to de-risk and develop high-rate sustainable structures, with the potential to reduce large component process times from ~40 hours to ~four hours.
COMPASS builds on the AMRC’s world-class composites and automation capabilities to de-risk the development and manufacture of high-rate, large-scale composite parts, providing wider UK industry with a unique open-access facility to develop, demonstrate, test and validate new composite manufacturing technologies and capabilities.
