Manufacturing is at a turning point, sustainability has become a key parameter to be considered due to the accelerating climate crisis and as a consequence the **demand for sustainable materials** has been exponentially growing those past few years. In the advanced materials sector, the petroleum-based materials (e.g. carbon fibre) are becoming increasingly problematic as their environmental impact doesn't align with the market demand and the government targets. **Green alternatives are required, but low-impact materials' performance can often be under** what the industry expects in terms of performances. Additionally, those materials will need to undergo a colouring process as part of most manufacturing in most manufacturing processes which will weaken furthermore their properties as the current methods (e.g. dyeing or painting) **Hypetex**; a world-leading provider of colouring technologies for advanced materials UK-SME, with patented fibre technology is harnessing world-leading engineering and manufacturing capabilities to provide ground-breaking solutions that add colour to advanced materials, removing the need for painting. **Hypetex's** vision is to unlock the benefits of advanced materials in several different industries through innovative colouring solutions After having conducted initial Proof-of-Concept (PoC) development and sample testing, **Hypetex** has established an R&D roadmap to reach the MVP stage through this project. This project activities will focus on optimising and validating **FlaxTex** technology, a colouring solution for natural and sustainable fibres that will unlock sustainable models for the wider manufacturing industry. With its revolutionary colouring solution, **Hypetex** will be paving the way of the green transition within the advanced material sector.

Utilising proprietary technology and expertise initially developed for Formula 1 motor racing, GPF One is seeking to develop and commercialise a portfolio of novel carbon fibre composites with broad industry application. In the proposed project, GPF One will work collaboratively with the National Composites Centre to evaluate the technical feasibility of radically enhancing the performance of its advanced composite materials for application in a variety of demanding environments.

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer was invented ~50 years ago by a team of engineers at the Royal Aircraft Establishment. It is a structural composite material with a unique combination of properties that makes it strong, stiff and light: carbon fibre structure of equal strength will often weigh 1/5th that of steel. Virtually all CF manufactured worldwide is used in combination with a binding matrix to produce carbon composites such as carbon fibre reinforced plastics. The weight saving achieved through use of carbon composites has made them a material of choice for many industries looking for efficiency gains, such as aerospace, automotive and wind turbines, opening up new engineering possibilities. However, although carbon fibre composite offers many structural advantages, as well as a distinctive and desirable visual appearance due to the woven structure of the fibres, its use in product design has been restricted by carbon fibre’s intrinsic black colouration. Where colour has been mandated for performance and/or aesthetic reasons, it has been applied during post-processing, incurring expense, adding unwanted weight, and, frequently, the requirement for routine maintenance, often in challenging environments, e.g. off-shore wind turbines. Utilising proprietary technology and expertise initially developed for Formula 1 motor racing, GPF One is seeking to develop and commercialise a portfolio of coloured carbon composites. In the proposed project, GPF One intends to assess the market potential for its novel coloured carbon composite through engagement with industry specialists and prospective users.

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer was invented ~50 years ago by a team of engineers at a Royal Aircraft Establishment. It is a structural composite material with a unique combination of properties that makes it strong, stiff and light: carbon fibre structure of equal strength will often weigh 1/5th that of steel. Virtually all CF manufactured worldwide is used in combination with a binding matrix to produce carbon composites such as carbon fibre reinforced plastics. The weight saving achieved through use of carbon composites has made them a material of choice for many industries looking for efficiency gains, such as aerospace, automotive and wind turbines, opening up new engineering possibilities. However, although carbon fibre composite offers many structural advantages, as well as a distinctive and desirable visual appearance due to the woven structure of the fibres, its use in product design has been restricted by carbon fibre’s intrinsic black colouration. Where colour has been mandated for performance and/or aesthetic reasons, it has been applied during post-processing, incurring expense, adding unwanted weight, and, frequently, the requirement for routine maintenance, often in challenging environments, e.g. off-shore wind turbines. Utilising proprietary technology and expertise initially developed for Formula 1 motor racing, GPF One is seeking to develop and commercialise a portfolio of coloured carbon composites. In the proposed project, informed by prospective user input, GPF One intends to use innovative processes to demonstrate the technical feasibility of producing a novel, durable and scalable coloured carbon composite that matches and/or exceeds desired performance characteristics whilst satisfying the unmet market need.

GPFone drives innovation and the creation of differentiated consumer products through technologically robust and aesthetically unique composites. It has created Hypetex, the world’s first coloured carbon fibre composite. Hypetex is a revolutionary technology that has received global recognition and is set to be embraced by major industries worldwide. Hypetex is light, bright, bold and strong, making it perfect for use in multiple consumer sectors. The ability to bring customised colours to carbon fibre materials whilst maintaining their performance has the potential to further accelerate the growth of this multi-billion dollar industry.