Burnley-headquartered Velocity Composites plc will exhibit at JEC World 2026 in Paris this March, reinforcing its position as the aerospace sector’s leading provider of digitally enabled composite material kitting solutions. The company will showcase its capabilities on the Composites UK Pavilion in Hall 6, Stand T62, from 10–12 March, at JEC World — the world’s foremost event dedicated to composite materials and their industrial applications.
Representing Velocity at the show will be Chief Customer Officer James Eastbury and Chief Operating Officer Oliver Smalley, who will meet aerospace manufacturers and industry partners navigating the complex challenge of scaling composite-intensive production while maintaining cost discipline and supply chain resilience.
The timing is significant. Aerospace manufacturers currently spend in excess of $6.5 billion annually on composite materials, and that figure is expected to rise sharply as aircraft programmes increase composite content to deliver lighter structures, improved fuel efficiency and long-term net-zero performance targets. Yet as production rates recover unevenly across civil and defence programmes, the industry faces a structural constraint: how to accelerate output without increasing waste, excess inventory and operational risk.
Velocity positions itself at the centre of that equation. The company was first to market with a fully outsourced composite material kitting model that integrates raw material procurement, precision kit cutting, inventory management and shop-floor delivery into a single managed solution. Operating across the UK, Europe and North America, Velocity supports major aerostructure manufacturers with a model designed not simply to supply materials, but to remove inefficiency from the entire raw material supply chain.
At the core of its proposition is VRP, the company’s proprietary digital platform, which provides real-time material traceability, data visibility and production optimisation. By digitally managing material flow from supplier to production line, Velocity enables customers to reduce waste, lower working capital tied up in stock, enhance quality control and create the transparency required for Industry 4.0 manufacturing environments. In a sector where material costs are high and certification requirements uncompromising, that control has become increasingly critical.
The company argues that its solutions are not peripheral but necessary to the industry’s future growth. If aerospace is to meet projected increases in composite usage — forecast to grow dramatically by 2041 — manufacturers must adopt smarter supply chain models capable of accelerating production without multiplying complexity. Velocity’s facilities are currently capable of supporting up to £70 million in annual revenue, with a stated five-year target of £100 million turnover as contracted business transfers complete and programme production rates increase.
Alongside its established civil aerospace footprint, Velocity is intensifying its focus on defence sector opportunities, providing greater balance across programme cycles and positioning the business to support long-term government-backed platforms. Its customer base includes leading aerospace and defence manufacturers such as BAE Systems and GKN Aerospace, reflecting the trust placed in its digital-first supply chain model.
For Velocity Composites, JEC World provides a strategic stage. Held annually in Paris for more than six decades, the exhibition brings together the entire composites value chain — from raw material innovators to Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs — and serves as a barometer for the sector’s technological and commercial direction. As the aerospace industry transitions into a more composite-intensive era, Velocity intends to demonstrate that digital material control and outsourced kitting are no longer optional efficiencies but foundational enablers of scalable growth.
Visitors to Hall 6, Stand T62 will have the opportunity to engage directly with James Eastbury and Oliver Smalley to explore how eliminating waste, tightening inventory control and embedding digital traceability can translate into measurable operational gains. In an industry defined by precision, regulation and long programme lifecycles, Velocity’s message is clear: sustainable aerospace growth depends not only on advanced materials, but on the intelligent management of those materials from source to structure
