At what stage should we involve Hive in a project?

You can bring Hive in at any point, from early concept and feasibility through to detailed design, prototyping and support towards certification and commercialisation. Many organisations use Hive at the front end of R&D to reduce risk before committing significant time and capital.

How does Hive differ from other consultancies?

Hive is built around both people and physical assets. Its directors and senior engineers are hands-on technical specialists, so clients work directly with the experts whose knowledge they are commissioning.

Hive is a specialist consultancy focused on advanced composites, helping organisations design, prototype and commercialise composite products and systems.

What outcomes can we expect from working with Hive?

Clients gain clearer technical direction, robust composite designs, credible test and validation plans, and a faster, lower-risk route to market.

Who are Hive’s services for?

Hive primarily supports technical leaders and development teams requiring high-level composites capability without building the full expertise in-house.

About Hive Composites

UD tape characterisation tape testing facility

About us

Hive Composites is an engineering consultancy specialising in the development and commercialisation of advanced composite materials and products.

We are led by a board of highly experienced engineers with deep applied experience in composites design, materials science, manufacturing processes, and R&D.

Our directors are technically active and work day-to-day on advancing and de-risking complex client projects.

Hive is also part of Composites Innovation Group - giving us comprehensive access to a portfolio of globally-leading specialists.

Decades of industry experience

Hive Composites consultancy draws upon decades of combined research and industry expertise within its team. This covers:

Materials and chemistry. Understanding fibre and resin systems, thermoset and thermoplastic behaviour, durability in harsh environments (aqueous, hydrogen, UV, temperature cycling), proprietary material data generation from testing.

Structural design and analysis. Laminate design, finite element analysis, advanced non-linear analysis & simulation, performance prediction, design for certification. We utilise state-of-the-art design tools in FEA (Solidworks, ANSYS) and in non-linear, dynamic and multi-physics tools (LD DYNA and COMSOL).‍
Prototyping. Including use of 3D printing, Pultrusion, filament winding, tape winding, infusion, autoclave, compression moulding, thermoplastic processing, and associated process windows.‍
Testing and validation. Scoping relevant tests, interpreting results, and linking findings back into design and process.

Commercialisation. Translating a functioning prototype into a manufacturable, certifiable, costed product. Assistance with establishing turnkey manufacturing sites and operational services.

A systematic approach

Our approach is simple and scalable - meaning it can grow with your project from a small feasibility study to a multi-year development programme.

Define the challenge. We agree with you on requirements, constraints, and uncertainties.
Map the options. We identify viable materials, structures and processes, and the trade‑offs between them.
Prototyping. We can arrange worldwide if required.
In-house testing. We commission prototyping and testing when analysis alone is not enough.
Evidence-based iteration. We modify designs and processes in response to testing data.
Document and hand over. We produce detailed specifications, process documentation and engineering rationale that your team can immediately apply.

Composites research projects

Hive’s engineers lead and deliver research‑funded programmes with a host of UK and European partners.

Projects include multi-functional composites development, self-heated tooling and components, bonding and de-bonding, hydrogen pipeline, and carbon capture.

Work also covers high temperature thermoplastics, sustainable transport structures, space components, nano-composites and more.

Clients in these technologies gain clear deliverables, structured reporting, expert collaboration, effective management, expert innovation and blue sky thinking, and evidence‑based decision making.

Our R&D services

Our management team

Nigel Finney

Managing Director

Nigel is a chartered mechanical engineer with a masters in manufacturing. He specialises in developing and establishing state-of-art composites production technologies and has more than 20 years’ experience in delivering certified pultrusion, filament winding and thermoplastic tape winding technology worldwide.

Peter Hansen

Operations Director

Peter is a chartered engineer and drives innovation in materials and component testing. He specialises in elastomers, thermoplastics, adhesives, and composites, and pioneered a unique hydrogen testing facility. With more than 30 years’ test industry experience, he ensures technical excellence and bespoke solutions for demanding client environments.

Ebby Shahidi

Aerospace Director

Ebby has four decades of experience in the composites industry, having been an early part of the Advanced Composites Group (ACG), latterly being Technical and Technology Director. At Hive Composites, he uses his experience of advanced materials to focus the organisation’s development of application-driven materials, components, and processes, with particular focus on Aerospace and Defence.

Mat Turner

Technical Director

Mat is a mechanical engineer, leading the group’s engineering and composite design activities. He drives product development for customer-specific applications, including EV battery fire protection and shielding, electrical jointing systems, utility power poles, and thermoplastic composite pipes for demanding environments.

James Nixon

Finance Director

James is a qualified accountant with more than 30 years’ experience in practice - 15 years as partner. James is a specialist business advisor and is working to sustainably develop and grow both Hive Composites and its parent Composites Innovation Group.

A complete in-house solution

Composites Innovation Group brings together specialist companies, providing end‑to‑end capability and delivery across advanced composites.

Hive Composites

Consultancy for engineering services and composite materials, focusing on design, prototyping and commercialisation.

Quantis Testing Services

Bespoke testing services, specialising in materials in hydrogen environments.

View website

Frangible Safety Posts

Supplier of patented composite roadside safety posts and roadside furniture.

View website

FAQs

TESTIMONIAL

"Resilient, reliable, upgraded networks are the backbone of delivering decarbonisation in communities across our network areas.

Our ability to carry out joining on our low voltage network in a robust - but sustainable - way is very important to us, and Hive Composites' resin-based solution helps us deliver on this ambition.

Hive's team worked closely with us to deliver appropriate thermal conductivity and adhesion performance, and their ability to solve these and other challenges means both the sector - and the wider environment - benefits from this low-waste, lightweight, and low-chemical solution."