​ECRE has been at the forefront of engineering excellence for textile weaving and composites and has attracted significant government and industrial funding for its work on the manufacture and modelling of 3D woven fabrics for structural composites. This work includes modelling and integration of sensing technologies and development of hybrid structures (metallic and thermoplastic yarns). Recent activities have focused on high performance thermoplastic composites, the development and understanding of new advanced preforming processes including 5-axis, Spatially Reinforced Composites (SpaRC) in collaboration with Bombardier and on the reuse of high value carbon fibre and thermoplastic waste streams. ECRE has extensive experience in the fibre preparation and weaving of tailored preforms using carbon, glass, basalt and polymeric fibres (including aramid, UHMWPE) and natural fibres including wool, flax and viscose rayon for the production of 3D woven textile reinforcements for the aerospace, automotive and construction sectors. In order to address the challenges faced by industry, ECRE has been working in a cross-disciplinary manner engaging expertise from textile, engineering and scientific backgrounds. This has allowed novel technologies and products to be developed and adapted to provide robust, cost effective and environmentally sustainable solutions such as addressing waste carbon fibre from the aerospace industry through the design and development of small scale prototypes. ECRE has also developed significant expertise in the development and processing of high performance thermoplastic composites. This includes novel thermoplastic composite fibres for weaving and stitching and a new area of design and manufacture of high performance materials for additive manufacturing funded by EPSRC. Other interests include the development of smart/functional activity within composites and the integration of microvascular networks into complex composite reinforcements.