Mon, 08 December, 2025
The Non-Metallic Innovation Centre (NIC) has been named among the finalists for the annual JEC Composites Innovation Awards, organised by JEC World.
The awards, which were created in 1998, aim to identify, promote and reward the most innovative composite solutions from around the world.
Since then, the awards have recognised 269 companies and 811 associated partners for the excellence, with the latest edition of the awards seeing 154 applications submitted from which 33 finalists, with a winner due to be chosen in the following categories:
- Aerospace – Parts
- Aerospace – Process
- Automotive and Road Transportation – Parts
- Automotive and Road Transportation – Process
- Circularity and Recycling
- Digital, AI and Data
- Maritime Transportation and Shipbuilding
- Pipes, Tanks and Hydrogen
- Railway Vehicles and Infrastructure
- Renewable Energies
- Sports, Leisure and Recreation
The NIC project, funded by Aramco, has been nominated for research into modifying a traditional metal welding technique to coat thermoset composite parts with a layer of thermoplastic polymer, allowing the polymer-coated parts to be joined using a conventional polymer welding approach. Future Pipe Industries have provided the pipes to work on.
Combining induction welding with a novel adaptation of rotary friction welding, the technique can join thermoplastic and thermoset composites without altering either material, as well as overcoming stringent temperature-control challenges, enabling a reliable hybrid composite joint.
The benefits of this work include:
- Improved joint reliability (fewer leaks)
- De-skilled installation
- Increased joint performance
- Reduced carbon footprint vs metallic pipes
- Versatility / repairability
The NIC now looks forward to the winners being announced on 12 January 2026 at the JEC World Premiere in Paris.
You can find out more about the JEC Composites Innovation Awards, here: https://www.jeccomposites.com/press/jec-world-2026-reveals-the-list-of-finalists-for-the-innovation-awards/