ACM CRC has been established to help break down these barriers and reposition the country’s capability with next-generation cost and technology competitiveness.

With the composite materials market being a large and rapidly expanding sector of the global economy, sporting a forecast compound annual growth of 7.6% (2020 to 2027), Australia needs to take its place as a leader.

We’re already a notable player in the high-entry barrier global composites markets, including aerospace and defence.

For example, we’re manufacturing high-performance composite components such as structures for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. So, we have the skills. Yet, uptake outside these sectors has been slower.

To tackle the issues and pave a new path for Australia, we’ll be working to reduce import dependency, penetrate export markets, increase sustainability, shorten prototyping lifecycles and create an accelerated automated composites manufacturing capacity.

We’ll also involve Australian SMEs in our projects through which they can adopt the required automation, robotics and digitisation capabilities to be competitive.

And we’ll educate and upskill the next generation of composites technologists – the leaders of tomorrow’s industry – so they may help sustain Australia’s long-term competitive advantage.

10 years

CRC Funding Term

33 partners

Research, Government and industry

4 programs

Composite material design to product realisation