Iain Bomphray

Iain Bomphray is Director of the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre (LMC), a government funded organisation, while holding the title of Professor of Industrial Practice at the University of Strathclyde. The LMC is a Specialist Centre within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) group of organisations, which is itself a member of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult network (HVMC).

In a career spanning 30 years, he has experience of delivering lightweight structural solutions across sectors from Formula One motorsport through to volume Automotive, Aerospace, Marine, Rail, Civils, Defence, Renewables, etc. During his career in F1 he reached the position of Chief Engineer – Composites & Structures for Red Bull Technologies, where high performance, safety critical, multi-material parts were produced at the rate of over 1500 per week in an organisation that drove itself to a very lean position using cutting edge design, analysis, advanced manufacturing and operational tools. Latterly working as Chief Technical Specialist – Lightweight Structures with Williams Advanced Engineering supporting cross-sector challenges in higher volume applications for composites with a particular focus on electrification.

Throughout his career Iain has developed specialisms in both metallic and composite materials and their application in a heavily research and development environment. Highlights include the first carbon fibre gearbox in F1 and overseeing the engineering of the largest monolithic carbon fibre structures produced to date, which reside in the Marine sector.

The successful delivery of lightweight structures solutions for commercial clients requires a material and manufacturing process agnostic perspective, innovative thinking, vision and should encompass metallics, non-metallics and hybrid materials which are aligned to their fundamental associated manufacturing technologies.

The LMC is also committed to the NetZero agenda and is pursuing long term funded research into composite sustainability, with capability and technology investment and product development to both lead and collaborate on this journey.

Iain is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.