New appointment strengthens Bristol position as world leader in composites

2 April 2019

The University of Bristol and the National Composites Centre (NCC) are delighted to welcome Professor Ole Thybo Thomsen as NCC Chair in Composites Design and Manufacturing.

This joint appointment between the University and the NCC cements the partnership between the two organisations as a world leading authority on composites. In his new role Prof Thomsen will lead composites manufacturing and design research activities at Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS), the collaboration between the University and the National Composites Centre and with the EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Research Hub (CIMCOMP).

Prof Michael Wisnom, Director of Bristol Composites Institute, added: “We are delighted that Prof Ole Thomsen is joining us, and look forward to the contributions he will make to our research and to strengthening the relationship between Bristol Composites Institute and the NCC.”

Dr Enrique Garcia, the NCC’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “With his extremely strong academic and industrial experience Prof Thomsen will most certainly contribute to developing a seamless delivery of technology from the fundamental understanding of composite materials to industrial impact, joining the work at the University and CIMCOMP with the work at the NCC.”

Previously Prof Thomsen was Professor of Structures and Materials at the University of Southampton where he was also Head of the Infrastructure Research Group. His experience includes positions at Aalborg University, Denmark; the European Space Agency, European Space Research and Technology Centre, the Netherlands. In addition, he has held visiting professor positions with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware and Israel Institute of Technology.

Prof Thomsen has a distinguished record of research in composites design and methodologies that bridge design, manufacturing, modelling, validation and certification. He is Principal Investigator of the recently awarded £6.7M EPSRC Programme Grant ‘Certification for Design - Reshaping the Testing Pyramid’.

”I look forward to starting my new joint position at the University of Bristol and NCC,” said Prof Thomsen. “Together the Bristol Composites Institute and the NCC represent one of the strongest centres of excellence in research and application of composite materials in the world, and I consider it both a privilege and a unique opportunity to join the teams at both places. The world needs composite materials to address many of our most complex challenges related to sustainability and climate change, and Bristol Composites and NCC are uniquely placed to address these and deliver industrial and societal impact.”

Further information

The National Composites Centre (NCC) is one of seven centres that form the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and focuses on accelerating the adoption of high-value, sustainable engineering solutions in composites, in order to stimulate growth, and enhance capability for the benefit of the UK. The NCC has over 350 specialist composites engineers based at its facility and offers open-access to cutting-edge digital manufacturing technology for the design, and development of new composite products pulling through technology from the lab to large-scale production.

Bristol Composites Institute was established in 2017, building on the expertise and 10-year track record of the Advanced Composites Collaboration for Innovation and Science. Bristol Composites Institute is home to around 200 staff and students and aspires to be a world-leading institute for composites research and education, combining cutting-edge fundamental science with strong industrial links for exploitation and technology transfer.