Cheshire manufacturer Cygnet Group and the University of Manchester's School of Materials have secured funding for a two-year knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) to develop new machinery and materials for the international composites industry.
The aim of the KTP will be to produce high-performance composite materials, including carbon fibre, for use in the aerospace and automotive industries.
"This is a very exciting and significant partnership that forwards our ongoing commitment to lead the market in terms of new processing technology," said Luke Vardy, technical director at Cygnet.
"It gives us valuable access to the academia and expertise of the University's School of Materials and The Northwest Composites Centre, which is one of the largest and most respected composites centres in the world.
"This sort of investment in new technology is vital to commercialise faster, more efficient and more cost-effective machinery and processes for what is an extremely fast-moving and ambitious industry.
"The fact that we are able to do this here is further testament of the strength and ingenuity of British manufacturing and its considerable influence in the world."
The partnership is part-funded by government organisation Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.