The National Composites Centre (NCC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and the University of Bristol, has confirmed that the new Large Structures Innovation Centre (LSIC) will be located on the Isle of Wight.
The LSIC will be an open-access national facility dedicated to advancing the development, demonstration, and industrialisation of large, high-performance structures across multiple sectors, beginning with a strong focus on next-generation wind energy.
Supporting innovation
Equipped to support innovation from initial concept through to end-of-life, the LSIC will help businesses of all sizes bring new products to market more quickly, with improved efficiency, sustainability, and performance.
The centre aims to accelerate UK leadership in large-scale composite manufacturing and support growth across the clean energy supply chain.
Quigley: This is fantastic news
Isle of Wight West Labour MP, Richard Quigley, welcomed the announcement, saying,
“This is fantastic news. Just as the arrival of wind turbine manufacturing on the Island 25 years ago was a hugely positive moment, this announcement is of the same magnitude.
“It brings sovereign UK ownership of wind turbine blade development and other large carbon-fibre structures, strengthening our national capability in this vital sector.
“It has been a pleasure to support the NCC in Parliament, and I’m very much looking forward to the opening of the innovation centre and all the opportunities it will bring to the Island.”
Complementing Vestas’ existing manufacturing operations
The new facility builds on a long-standing relationship with industry. Vestas has been a Tier 1 member of the NCC since its inception, and in 2024 the NCC, working with the Bristol Composites Institute, was named one of Vestas’ global technology partners for sustainable blade innovation.
The LSIC will complement Vestas’ existing manufacturing operations on the Isle of Wight, providing an open-access platform for full-scale blade development, testing, and process innovation. The centre will bolster the UK’s capacity to develop and industrialise future
blade designs at scale.
£20m grant
This announcement coincides with news that Vestas has secured a £20 million government grant to protect local jobs and transition its operations to produce the next generation of wind turbine blades.
Richard Quigley MP said the investment reflects “a renewed confidence in the Island’s potential for growth” and demonstrates the government’s recognition of the Island’s vital role in the UK’s renewable energy future.
News shared by the office of Richard Quigley MP. Ed
